Census-designated place · Alaska
Noatak, Alaska
Noatak, census-designated place, in Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska. Noatak had 570 residents in the 2020 Census, a full count; the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 786 (±121). GEOID 0254700.
Residents, 2020 Census
570
Census count or controlled total
ACS 2020-2024 estimate: 786 ±121
Median household income
$83,750
±$18,007 (90% margin)
Alaska: $92,788
Median home value
$168,800
±$23,789 (90% margin)
Alaska: $352,900
Median gross rent
$1,063
±$264 (90% margin)
Alaska: $1,419
Where is Noatak and what county is it in?
Noatak is a census-designated place: an unincorporated community the Census Bureau draws for counting, with no city government of its own, in Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska. It covers 16.0 square miles of land, 36 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 Noatak, and is it growing?
The 2020 Census counted 570 residents in Noatak, a full count rather than a sample. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a sample, estimates 786 (±121).
The Census Bureau publishes yearly population estimates for incorporated places only; Noatak is a census-designated place, so its figures come from the ACS and the 2020 Census.
| Measure | Noatak | Northwest Arctic Borough | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 786 ±121 | 7,441 | +371 |
| Households | 178 ±29 | 1,825 | +85 |
| Average household size | 4.42 ±0.57 | 3.81 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 199 ±28 | 2,744 | +100 |
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 Noatak?
The median resident of Noatak is 24.9 years old; 39.8% are under 18 and 9.3% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native residents at 98.1%, then non-Hispanic white residents at 1.3%.
| Measure | Noatak | Northwest Arctic Borough | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 24.9 ±3.0 | 28.8 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 39.8% ±4.5 pts | 37.3% | – |
| 65 years and over | 9.3% ±2.1 pts | 8.5% | – |
| Male | 57.1% ±4.6 pts | 52.2% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 0.0% ±3.1 pts | 2.3% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 1.3% ±1.4 pts | 9.2% | – |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.3% ±0.5 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.1 pts | 1.6% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 98.1% ±1.6 pts | 80.6% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.1 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 0.4% ±0.5 pts | 5.8% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.1 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.0% ±3.1 pts | 2.2% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 31.1% ±6.4 pts | 25.1% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 4.0% ±2.2 pts | 5.6% | – |
| With a disability | 10.4% ±2.8 pts | 11.7% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 15.0% ±4.7 pts | 18.1% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 83.7% ±4.8 pts | 85.3% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 4.6% ±3.5 pts | 10.6% | – |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 0.5% ±1.0 pts | 4.2% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 91.8% ±4.3 pts | 87.5% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.0% ±3.2 pts | 2.0% | – |
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 Noatak earn?
Half of Noatak's 178 households earn less than $83,750 a year (±$18,007), against $84,018 in Northwest Arctic Borough and $92,788 in Alaska. In 2015-2019 the median was $56,920 in 2024 dollars, so it rose by $26,830 after inflation. 10.6% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Noatak | Northwest Arctic Borough | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $83,750 ±$18,007 | $84,018 | +$26,830 |
| Mean household income | $103,333 ±$13,630 | $104,843 | – |
| Per capita income | $22,032 ±$4,181 | $30,256 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 10.6% ±4.6 pts | 17.9% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 9.1% ±4.9 pts | 25.5% | −17.5 pts |
| Households receiving SNAP | 46.1% ±9.6 pts | 35.8% | – |
| Households with a computer | 93.8% ±4.3 pts | 94.3% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 89.3% ±5.9 pts | 88.6% | – |
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 Noatak?
Owners occupy 83.7% of Noatak's occupied homes and renters 16.3%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $168,800 by its owner (±$23,789). The median renter pays $1,063 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Noatak | Northwest Arctic Borough | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $168,800 ±$23,789 | $199,100 | +$70,344 |
| Median gross rent | $1,063 ±$264 | $1,350 | – |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 20.0% ±27.2 pts | 14.9% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,250 ±$238 | $1,525 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 83.7% ±7.3 pts | 64.4% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 16.3% ±7.3 pts | 35.6% | – |
| Housing units | 199 ±28 | 2,744 | +100 |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±15.4 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±48.3 pts | 2.1% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 93.5% ±3.3 pts | 81.7% | – |
| Mobile homes | 1.5% ±2.0 pts | 1.0% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±11.8 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 6.5% ±4.0 pts | 5.1% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 0.0% ±11.8 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 87.6% ±6.1 pts | 64.6% | – |
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 Noatak work and get to work?
The average trip to work takes 6.3 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 33.2%.
| Measure | Noatak | Northwest Arctic Borough | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 55.3% ±5.6 pts | 58.8% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 33.2% ±7.2 pts | 16.7% | no clear change |
| Drove alone to work | 3.7% ±3.8 pts | 15.9% | – |
| Carpooled | 3.7% ±3.3 pts | 11.5% | – |
| Public transportation | 1.2% ±2.7 pts | 0.9% | – |
| Walked | 37.2% ±9.4 pts | 44.5% | – |
| Worked from home | 10.4% ±6.7 pts | 5.3% | no clear change |
| Mean travel time to work | 6.3 min ±1.5 | 5.9 min | no clear change |
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 Noatak?
No census tract lies mostly in Noatak; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 1Northwest Arctic Borough | 4,457 | $63,750 |
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 Noatak) · Census block assignment files
How does Noatak compare with other places in Alaska?
Noatak 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.
Noatak's figures with every place in Alaska (CSV)
Every place in Alaska, sortable · Compare Noatak 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 Noatak?
20 of the 57 figures for Noatak 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 Noatak 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.