City · Alaska
Nome, Alaska
Nome, city, in Nome Census Area, Alaska. Nome had 3,653 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 1.1% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 3,699 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 3,653 (±29). GEOID 0254920.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
3,653
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 3,699 · ACS 2020-2024: 3,653 ±29
Median household income
$113,646
±$13,810 (90% margin)
Alaska: $92,788
Median home value
$356,900
±$29,223 (90% margin)
Alaska: $352,900
Median gross rent
$1,633
±$123 (90% margin)
Alaska: $1,419
Where is Nome and what county is it in?
Nome is a city in Nome Census Area, Alaska. It covers 12.7 square miles of land, 291 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 Nome, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 3,653 people lived in Nome on July 1, 2025, down 1.1% since 2020, while Alaska grew 0.5%. The 2020 Census counted 3,699 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 3,653 (±29).
| Measure | Nome | Nome Census Area | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 3,653 ±29 | 9,866 | −197 |
| Households | 1,166 ±74 | 2,816 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.89 ±0.18 | 3.33 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 1,514 ±82 | 4,102 | no clear change |
Nome's population since 2000
From 3,505 in 2000 to 3,653 in 2025: up 4.2%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Nome as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
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 Nome?
The median resident of Nome is 31.4 years old; 29.5% are under 18 and 8.4% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native residents at 49.9%, then non-Hispanic white residents at 23.5%. 4.6% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Nome | Nome Census Area | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 31.4 ±1.8 | 29.4 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 29.5% ±2.9 pts | 33.7% | – |
| 65 years and over | 8.4% ±1.6 pts | 8.9% | – |
| Male | 48.2% ±3.6 pts | 52.7% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 5.5% ±0.2 pts | 2.2% | −0.9 pts |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 23.5% ±1.7 pts | 13.4% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 1.6% ±1.5 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 3.2% ±1.0 pts | 1.7% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 49.9% ±4.2 pts | 73.5% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.7 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 16.2% ±4.3 pts | 8.5% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.7 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 4.6% ±1.6 pts | 2.2% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 17.2% ±3.1 pts | 24.3% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 6.8% ±2.1 pts | 4.8% | – |
| With a disability | 10.3% ±2.3 pts | 11.2% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 13.3% ±3.3 pts | 14.0% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 94.4% ±2.3 pts | 89.9% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 22.0% ±3.9 pts | 14.0% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 9.5% ±2.8 pts | 6.1% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 82.7% ±3.1 pts | 89.7% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 4.3% ±3.1 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 Nome earn?
Half of Nome's 1,166 households earn less than $113,646 a year (±$13,810), against $78,681 in Nome Census Area and $92,788 in Alaska. In 2015-2019 it was $104,085 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 8.8% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Nome | Nome Census Area | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $113,646 ±$13,810 | $78,681 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $131,818 ±$11,525 | $99,441 | – |
| Per capita income | $45,340 ±$4,172 | $32,238 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 8.8% ±2.8 pts | 21.5% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 7.3% ±4.2 pts | 24.3% | no clear change |
| Households receiving SNAP | 11.1% ±3.7 pts | 29.4% | – |
| Households with a computer | 100.0% ±2.1 pts | 96.4% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 93.8% ±2.9 pts | 88.2% | – |
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 Nome?
Owners occupy 53.6% of Nome's occupied homes and renters 46.4%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $356,900 by its owner (±$29,223). The median renter pays $1,633 a month including utilities, and 22.8% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Nome | Nome Census Area | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $356,900 ±$29,223 | $211,200 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $1,633 ±$123 | $1,394 | −$213 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 22.8% ±8.0 pts | 25.2% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $2,544 ±$199 | $2,005 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 53.6% ±6.0 pts | 66.8% | +8.3 pts |
| Renter-occupied homes | 46.4% ±6.0 pts | 33.2% | – |
| Housing units | 1,514 ±82 | 4,102 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 1.7% ±1.7 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 6.7% ±3.9 pts | 5.0% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 60.3% ±4.7 pts | 81.4% | – |
| Mobile homes | 1.3% ±1.2 pts | 0.9% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.3% ±0.4 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 3.8% ±1.9 pts | 5.5% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 6.3% ±2.0 pts | 3.3% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 24.4% ±5.5 pts | 55.9% | – |
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 many new homes is Nome building?
Builders took permits for 3 new housing units in Nome in 2025 (3 in single-family houses), 0.8 per 1,000 residents against 1.2 across Alaska.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Nome work and get to work?
49.1% of Nome's workers drive alone and 5.9% work from home. The average trip to work takes 6.4 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 9.0%.
| Measure | Nome | Nome Census Area | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 71.0% ±3.5 pts | 63.5% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 9.0% ±3.7 pts | 16.9% | no clear change |
| Drove alone to work | 49.1% ±4.2 pts | 29.7% | – |
| Carpooled | 15.0% ±4.7 pts | 10.5% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.5% ±0.6 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Walked | 22.0% ±4.4 pts | 33.2% | – |
| Worked from home | 5.9% ±2.9 pts | 4.5% | no clear change |
| Mean travel time to work | 6.4 min ±0.6 | 6.3 min | −1.1 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 Nome?
1 census tract lies mostly in Nome (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 2Nome Census Area | 3,948 | $116,964 |
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 Nome) · Census block assignment files
How does Nome compare with other places in Alaska?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Nome is the 5,744th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 16th-most populous of 149 in Alaska.
Nome ranks 8th of 69 places in Alaska with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 16th | 149 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 13th | 26 |
| Residents per square mile | 16th | 71 |
| Median household income | 8th | 69 |
| Per capita income | 31st | 71 |
| Median home value | 19th | 66 |
| Median gross rent | 9th | 62 |
| Poverty rate | 37th | 57 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 49th | 69 |
| Median age | 65th | 71 |
| Owner-occupied share | 61st | 68 |
| Work from home | 38th | 50 |
| Travel time to work | 63rd | 69 |
Nome's figures with every place in Alaska (CSV)
Every place in Alaska, sortable · Compare Nome 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 Nome?
8 of the 57 figures for Nome 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 Nome 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' public schools in Nome.