Census-designated place · Alaska
Ninilchik, Alaska
Ninilchik, census-designated place, in Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska. Ninilchik had 845 residents in the 2020 Census, a full count; the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 965 (±196). GEOID 0254480.
Residents, 2020 Census
845
Census count or controlled total
ACS 2020-2024 estimate: 965 ±196
Median household income
$55,179
±$24,318 (90% margin)
Alaska: $92,788
Median home value
$254,400
±$43,336 (90% margin)
Alaska: $352,900
Median gross rent
$1,000
±$236 (90% margin)
Alaska: $1,419
Where is Ninilchik and what county is it in?
Ninilchik is a census-designated place: an unincorporated community the Census Bureau draws for counting, with no city government of its own, in Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska. It covers 207.2 square miles of land, 4 residents per square mile in 2020.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Ninilchik, and is it growing?
The 2020 Census counted 845 residents in Ninilchik, a full count rather than a sample. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a sample, estimates 965 (±196).
The Census Bureau publishes yearly population estimates for incorporated places only; Ninilchik is a census-designated place, so its figures come from the ACS and the 2020 Census.
| Measure | Ninilchik | Kenai Peninsula Borough | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 965 ±196 | 60,413 | no clear change |
| Households | 435 ±84 | 24,371 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.22 ±0.26 | 2.40 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 934 ±86 | 32,836 | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Ninilchik?
The median resident of Ninilchik is 52.7 years old; 16.7% are under 18 and 25.4% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 76.8%, then non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native residents at 11.6%.
| Measure | Ninilchik | Kenai Peninsula Borough | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 52.7 ±8.8 | 41.4 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 16.7% ±5.8 pts | 22.0% | – |
| 65 years and over | 25.4% ±5.2 pts | 20.0% | – |
| Male | 53.6% ±5.4 pts | 52.1% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2.7% ±2.6 pts | 4.4% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 76.8% ±7.7 pts | 77.5% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.6 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.6 pts | 1.8% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 11.6% ±5.7 pts | 6.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.6% ±1.0 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 7.9% ±4.2 pts | 8.4% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.4% ±0.6 pts | 0.8% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 2.2% ±2.1 pts | 3.7% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 2.0% ±1.4 pts | 6.4% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 12.4% ±4.3 pts | 10.0% | – |
| With a disability | 27.3% ±5.8 pts | 17.3% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 12.2% ±7.3 pts | 11.5% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 92.2% ±3.7 pts | 94.7% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 29.7% ±6.0 pts | 29.8% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 10.6% ±4.4 pts | 10.3% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 83.5% ±7.8 pts | 88.2% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 10.4% ±7.1 pts | 2.5% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Ninilchik earn?
Half of Ninilchik's 435 households earn less than $55,179 a year (±$24,318), against $80,538 in Kenai Peninsula Borough and $92,788 in Alaska. In 2015-2019 it was $62,853 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 18.5% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Ninilchik | Kenai Peninsula Borough | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $55,179 ±$24,318 | $80,538 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $82,119 ±$16,589 | $105,973 | – |
| Per capita income | $38,286 ±$7,141 | $44,190 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 18.5% ±7.6 pts | 11.8% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 13.7% ±13.7 pts | 14.4% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 9.7% ±4.7 pts | 9.6% | – |
| Households with a computer | 93.1% ±4.1 pts | 95.7% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 85.5% ±6.1 pts | 89.3% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Ninilchik?
Owners occupy 86.7% of Ninilchik's occupied homes and renters 13.3%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $254,400 by its owner (±$43,336). The median renter pays $1,000 a month including utilities, and 67.3% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Ninilchik | Kenai Peninsula Borough | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $254,400 ±$43,336 | $323,200 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $1,000 ±$236 | $1,184 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 67.3% ±22.3 pts | 38.4% | +38.5 pts |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,415 ±$178 | $1,904 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 86.7% ±5.2 pts | 77.0% | +8.8 pts |
| Renter-occupied homes | 13.3% ±5.2 pts | 23.0% | – |
| Housing units | 934 ±86 | 32,836 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 3.3% ±2.5 pts | 0.8% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 4.7% ±7.4 pts | 6.9% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 92.3% ±2.5 pts | 82.5% | – |
| Mobile homes | 4.3% ±2.0 pts | 4.0% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±2.6 pts | 1.4% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 9.6% ±3.1 pts | 13.0% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 1.2% ±1.0 pts | 0.8% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 4.4% ±3.4 pts | 4.9% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How do people in Ninilchik work and get to work?
81.8% of Ninilchik's workers drive alone and 11.4% work from home. The average trip to work takes 20.1 minutes.
| Measure | Ninilchik | Kenai Peninsula Borough | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 49.6% ±6.3 pts | 56.0% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 4.7% ±3.2 pts | 7.0% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 81.8% ±7.3 pts | 65.9% | – |
| Carpooled | 2.6% ±2.6 pts | 12.3% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±6.3 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Walked | 1.6% ±2.1 pts | 5.4% | – |
| Worked from home | 11.4% ±6.8 pts | 10.5% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 20.1 min ±3.9 | 20.7 min | −14.9 min |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Ninilchik?
No census tract lies mostly in Ninilchik; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 8Kenai Peninsula Borough | 4,228 | $59,426 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Ninilchik) · Census block assignment files
How does Ninilchik compare with other places in Alaska?
Ninilchik is not ranked by income or the other survey measures: those rankings include places of 1,000 or more residents (2020 Census) with a reliable estimate.
Ninilchik's figures with every place in Alaska (CSV)
Every place in Alaska, sortable · Compare Ninilchik with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Ninilchik?
18 of the 57 figures for Ninilchik on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Ninilchik are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' school search.