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Place dossier plate
SheetAK-KIVALINA-AK · Kivalina, AK 813 pop · income 50th pct
Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.
Income neighbourhood around Kivalina
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Kivalina on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Maplesville · lowest
38,083
Maplesville · lowest
38,083 median HH income
44.2% of the leader · rank #1
Kivalina · this city
70,278
Kivalina · this city
70,278 median HH income
81.5% of the leader · rank #2
Braceville · near
70,278
Braceville · near
70,278 median HH income
81.5% of the leader · rank #3
Clear Lake · near
70,278
Clear Lake · near
70,278 median HH income
81.5% of the leader · rank #4
Hagaman · near
70,278
Hagaman · near
70,278 median HH income
81.5% of the leader · rank #5
Donnelsville · near
70,278
Donnelsville · near
70,278 median HH income
81.5% of the leader · rank #6
Unalakleet · highest
86,250
Unalakleet · highest
86,250 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Kivalina on ACS population and median household income
. Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.
Similar population
Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 813.
Nationally, Kivalina sits in the 50th percentile for household income among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS.
50th
percentile, household income
17th
percentile, home value
70th
percentile, median rent
📝 How we sourced this
Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.
Data Snapshot: Kivalina, AK
813 people live in Kivalina, Alaska - a small town by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Kivalina households earn a median of $70,278 annually, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 18.4%. Kivalina's housing stock carries a median value of $119,600, and the median resident age is 20.7 years. Educational attainment runs 2.3% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 40.9% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
NOAA puts Kivalina's yearly average temperature at 22.7°F with 9.7 inches of precipitation per year.
Alaska tracks close to the national cost-of-living baseline: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts Alaska at 102.4 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Near Average). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,467 per month. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Alaska run around $271, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. Natural-hazard exposure scores 35.2 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Very Low).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Kivalina's data
How this reading path is ordered
This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from population change to housing and income to climate and hazard context to schools and households to comparison shortlist to work and mobility; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Kivalina, city-specific coverage includes annual population history, matched public-school count, commute-mode shares.
No matched row is reported here for within-city Census tract profiles, local building permits, FBI reported-crime rates; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.
1. Population change
Is Kivalina growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
Recent estimates point downward. A falling count can reflect migration, household size, annexation boundaries, or estimation noise, so it is a prompt to inspect the full series rather than a claim about local economic health.
Census PEP estimates show the population declined by -45 residents from 2020 to 2025, a -10.1% change. No comparable local building-permit series is available here, so population change should not be read as a housing-supply measure. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
How far does income reach against housing in Kivalina?
The home-value-to-income reference is relatively compact: the ACS median home value is 1.7 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 18.4%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. The ratio makes housing the clearest place to start this profile, but a low multiple can coexist with slow demand, older stock, or household-level hardship. Compare the home-value distribution and same-state peer table before treating it as an advantage.
NOAA normals put the annual mean temperature at 22.7°F, with 9.7 inches of precipitation. FEMA's state-averaged National Risk Index score for Alaska is 35.2 out of 100. Climate normals describe long-run weather; the FEMA score on PlainCities is a state average of county NRI inputs and combines hazards, exposure, vulnerability, and resilience.
The two sources should not be blended into one comfort or safety score. Use the climate values for baseline conditions and the risk index as a prompt to inspect specific hazards, insurance, and local emergency guidance for a particular address.
Which cities make useful reference points for Kivalina?
Within Alaska, the closest population matches are Unalakleet (800 residents, $86,250 income); Buffalo Soapstone (799 residents, $68,750 income); Kachemak (835 residents, $71,125 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Leesburg, AL (813 residents); Maplesville, AL (813 residents); Donnellson, IA (813 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.
Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching.
These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.
Schools and households
What does the education layer cover for Kivalina?
The NCES join finds 1 public school within the city match. 2.3% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.
The matched institution count is small, so district boundaries and schools outside the city line may matter more than the municipal count suggests. Use the number as a coverage cue, then verify attendance zones with the district before making a household decision.
Matched public schools
1
Bachelor's degree+
2.3%
Poverty estimate
18.4%
NCES Common Core of Data school locations plus Census ACS resident characteristics.
What does the journey to work look like in Kivalina?
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. No single mode completely explains the work trip here. The mix is more useful than a one-number commute grade, especially when comparing places where transit, walking, and remote work divide the non-driving share differently.
Walking is the largest reported mode at 48.9%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.
Public transit
4.8%
Work from home
1.6%
Drive alone
2.2%
City-level Census ACS commuting estimates covering 186 workers age 16+.
Below median income · poverty 18.4% (High poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
102.4 (US=100)
Above-average cost · BEA RPP 2024, Alaska average
F
City profile score · Kivalina, AK
27/100
4 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023
Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians
(income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when
published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability
rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out
and redistribute weight.
How it is calculated.
Household income C-
$70,278
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Cost of living F
102.4 index
BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.
Poverty rate F
18.4%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Bachelor's+ share F
2.3%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Violent crime N/A
N/A
No FBI UCR violent-crime rate for this place (coverage is incomplete).
Kivalina profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Household income: 50/100 (C-) · $70,278
Cost of living: 29/100 (F) · 102.4 index
Poverty rate: 16/100 (F) · 18.4%
Bachelor's+ share: 0/100 (F) · 2.3%
How does Kivalina compare to other US cities?
Here's how Kivalina stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income50% higher than other cities
Home value17% pricier than other cities
Median rent70% pricier than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Kivalina against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Alaska only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
Alaska-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places Kivalina near the bottom of Alaska's cities
Among the 228 Alaska cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Kivalina ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Kivalina only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#97 of 215
55th percentile in Alaska
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 228
0th percentile in Alaska
Median Home Value
#135 of 200
33rd percentile in Alaska
Poverty Rate
#69 of 225
69th percentile in Alaska
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#204 of 228
10th percentile in Alaska
How in-state ranks are ordered
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Alaska only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
Gauge source note
50th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
How Kivalina's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$119,600Among the most affordablemore affordable than 83% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023
Kivalina's home-value-to-income ratio: 1.7×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
affordable
< 3.0×
National rank
#753 of 15,516
More affordable than 95% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#732 of 11,323
Micro cities (under 10,000)
At 1.7×, Kivalina sits in the affordable band:
national rank #753 of 15,516 and #732 of 11,323micro cities (under 10,000).
The multiple is comparatively compact among tracked cities, but a low ratio can still coexist with slow demand or household-level hardship.
How this ratio is calculated
Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000.
Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0).
This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.
Income distribution context
$70,278Kivalina, AK median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Kivalina, AK median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Kivalina, AK.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)2.3%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)18.4%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)40.9%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
813
Median Income
$70,278
Median Home Value
$119,600
Median Age
20.7
Poverty Rate
18.4%
Labor force participation
40.9%
Bachelor's Degree+
2.3%
Climate
Avg Temperature
22.7°F
Annual Precipitation
9.7"
Annual Snowfall
N/A
Schools
Total Schools
1
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Kivalina's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
444 residents
2021
430 residents
2022
420 residents
2023
411 residents
2024
403 residents
2025
399 residents
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
2.2%
Carpool
0.0%
Public Transit
4.8%
Walk
48.9%
Work from Home
1.6%
Other
42.5%
Based on 186 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
Alaska statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $271
EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Alaska at $271 (electricity about $131 , water and sewer about $45 ).
These are Alaska statewide averages, not a meter reading for Kivalina. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
Alaska's BEA cost-of-living index is 102.4 (Near Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Kivalina is $1,467/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Alaska statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 35.2 / 100 (Very Low).
Cost/risk geography note
Cost of living is a Alaska statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Kivalina sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Kivalina compares to similar-size Alaska cities
Same-state peer method
Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES CCD, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.