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Place dossier plate
SheetAK-NORTH-POLE-AK · North Pole, AK 2,663 pop · income 73rd 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 North Pole
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest North Pole on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Weedpatch · lowest
21,450
Weedpatch · lowest
21,450 median HH income
10.1% of the leader · rank #1
Garden Home-W… · near
93,345
Garden Home-W… · near
93,345 median HH income
44.1% of the leader · rank #2
Beacon · near
93,347
Beacon · near
93,347 median HH income
44.1% of the leader · rank #3
Valley Bend · near
93,352
Valley Bend · near
93,352 median HH income
44.1% of the leader · rank #4
North Pole · this city
93,355
North Pole · this city
93,355 median HH income
44.1% of the leader · rank #5
Surprise · near
93,371
Surprise · near
93,371 median HH income
44.1% of the leader · rank #6
Glenville · highest
211,786
Glenville · highest
211,786 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, and FBI crime rate
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for North Pole on ACS population and median household income
, plus FBI UCR reporting rate when the extract covers this place. 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: 2,663.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
North Pole - the verdict
Nationally, North Pole sits in the 73rd percentile for household income and the 30th percentile for safety among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
73rd
percentile, household income
60th
percentile, home value
70th
percentile, median rent
30th
percentile, safety
📝 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: North Pole, AK
Alaska's North Pole is a small town, with 2,663 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. North Pole households earn a median of $93,355 annually, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 3.5%. Typical homes in North Pole are valued around $272,000, and the median resident age is 29.2 years. About 27.1% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 56.8% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
In 2024, 1 residential building permits were authorized in North Pole (Construction Slowdown), down 95% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data. Crime here tracks close to the national norm: per-100,000 total crime stands at 2088.4 in FBI UCR data, near the national average (a voluntary reporting program, read this as reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).
Alaska tracks close to the national cost-of-living baseline: the state registers 102.4 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Near Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $1,467 monthly. Monthly utility costs average around $271 across Alaska, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. 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 North Pole'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 reported crime to housing and income to population change to comparison shortlist to schools and households to work and mobility; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For North Pole, city-specific coverage includes matched public-school count, commute-mode shares, annual population history, FBI reported-crime rates, local building permits.
No matched row is reported here for within-city Census tract profiles; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.
Question 1
What can the FBI record say about safety in North Pole?
The joined FBI UCR record reports 2088.4 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, near the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 8% lower in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
Treat this as a reporting-rate comparison, not a prediction of personal risk or a neighborhood-level safety grade. Tourism, daytime population, reporting practices, and variation inside the city are not adjusted away. The state rank and same-state peer table are the narrower comparisons available on this page.
How far does income reach against housing in North Pole?
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. Income and home value move within the same broad scale here. The useful next check is not a generic affordability label, but whether similar-size cities offer a materially different income, housing, or commute trade-off.
The home-value-to-income reference sits in a middle range: the ACS median home value is 2.9 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 3.5%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
Is North Pole growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +233 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +10.4% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 1 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
Recent estimates point upward. Growth can increase housing demand and service needs, but the permit record must move in the same direction before calling it a supply response; the two series measure different things.
Which cities make useful reference points for North Pole?
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. The nationwide peer panel below adds a fourth FBI UCR reporting-rate lens, not personal risk.
Within Alaska, the closest population matches are Seward (2,735 residents, $71,016 income); Ester (2,784 residents, $67,640 income); Fritz Creek (2,432 residents, $85,893 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Glenville, CT (2,663 residents); La Fayette, AL (2,665 residents); Pine Mountain Club, CA (2,661 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.
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 North Pole?
The city has a broader matched school footprint, but count alone does not describe performance, capacity, program availability, or attendance boundaries. This profile deliberately avoids converting it into an unsupported family-friendliness score.
The NCES join finds 5 public schools within the city match. 27.1% 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.
Poverty estimate
3.5%
Bachelor's degree+
27.1%
Matched public schools
5
NCES Common Core of Data school locations plus Census ACS resident characteristics.
What does the journey to work look like in North Pole?
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 86.0%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. The profile is strongly car-oriented, so a relocation comparison should put trip distance, vehicle access, and household fuel costs ahead of a citywide commute average. The same-state peer links offer a more relevant benchmark than a national label.
Drive alone
86.0%
Work from home
0.0%
Public transit
1.0%
City-level Census ACS commuting estimates covering 1,211 workers age 16+.
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.
Poverty rate B+
3.5%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Household income B
$93,355
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Bachelor's+ share C-
27.1%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Violent crime F
281 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
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.
North Pole profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Poverty rate: 75/100 (B+) · 3.5%
Household income: 73/100 (B) · $93,355
Bachelor's+ share: 53/100 (C-) · 27.1%
Violent crime: 36/100 (F) · 281 /100k
Cost of living: 29/100 (F) · 102.4 index
Where North Pole sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
North Pole's median home value and FBI crime rate plotted with similar-size and
same-state peers (padded with large cities when the peer set is thin). The second
read: pricey does not always mean safer, check which quadrant this city lands in.
Census ACS median home value vs FBI UCR crime rate - North Pole highlighted among 24 peers.Read the chart values
North Pole, AK (this city): home $272,000, crime 2,088/100k
Bridgeville, DE : home $397,400, crime 1,438/100k
Seward, AK : home $290,300, crime 2,158/100k
Cordova, AK : home $384,500, crime 230/100k
New York, NY : home $751,700, crime 3,039/100k
Los Angeles, CA : home $879,500, crime 2,212/100k
Chicago, IL : home $315,200, crime 4,012/100k
Houston, TX : home $253,400, crime 5,442/100k
Phoenix, AZ : home $381,900, crime 3,125/100k
Philadelphia, PA : home $232,400, crime 5,457/100k
San Antonio, TX : home $219,700, crime 5,218/100k
San Diego, CA : home $848,500, crime 2,082/100k
Dallas, TX : home $295,300, crime 4,010/100k
San Jose, CA : home $1,187,800, crime 3,195/100k
Austin, TX : home $512,700, crime 3,709/100k
Fort Worth, TX : home $277,300, crime 3,158/100k
Columbus, OH : home $234,500, crime 3,088/100k
Indianapolis, IN : home $207,000, crime 4,214/100k
San Francisco, CA : home $1,380,500, crime 4,526/100k
Seattle, WA : home $912,100, crime 5,783/100k
Denver, CO : home $586,700, crime 5,755/100k
Oklahoma City, OK : home $215,100, crime 3,570/100k
El Paso, TX : home $171,700, crime 1,772/100k
Washington, DC : home $724,600, crime 4,514/100k
How does North Pole compare to other US cities?
Where North Pole sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income73% higher than other cities
Home value60% pricier than other cities
Median rent70% pricier than other cities
Safety30% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
National percentiles can mask local variation. Looking only at Alaska, North Pole ranks #16 of 23 Alaska cities by lowest crime rate - a narrower, more locally useful cut than the national comparison above.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares North Pole 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 North Pole near the bottom of Alaska's cities
Among the 228 Alaska cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, North Pole ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares North Pole only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#40 of 215
81st percentile in Alaska
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 228
0th percentile in Alaska
Median Home Value
#71 of 200
65th percentile in Alaska
Poverty Rate
#173 of 225
23rd percentile in Alaska
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#57 of 228
75th 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
73rd percentile nationally for median household income · 30th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
North Pole's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
North Pole's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.
How North Pole's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$272,00040th percentilemore affordable than 40% 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
North Pole's home-value-to-income ratio: 2.9×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
affordable
< 3.0×
National rank
#6,215 of 15,516
More affordable than 60% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#5,319 of 11,323
Micro cities (under 10,000)
At 2.9×, North Pole sits in the affordable band:
national rank #6,215 of 15,516 and #5,319 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
$93,355North Pole, AK median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context North Pole, 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 North Pole, AK.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)27.1%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)3.5%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)56.8%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
2,663
Median Income
$93,355
Median Home Value
$272,000
Median Age
29.2
Poverty Rate
3.5%
Labor force participation
56.8%
Bachelor's Degree+
27.1%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
2088.4
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
281.1
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
1807.2
per 100,000 residents
Crime reporting caveat
Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.
Schools
Total Schools
5
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
North Pole's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
2,244 residents
2021
2,296 residents
2022
2,372 residents
2023
2,416 residents
2024
2,495 residents
2025
2,477 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
1
housing units authorized
Single-Family
1
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
0.4
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
22
6
16
$4.3M
2020
19
8
11
$5.0M
2021
36
18
18
$8.0M
2022
27
27
0
$4.8M
2023
49
30
19
$10.3M
2024
1
1
0
$0.6M
Permit volume decreased 95% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
86.0%
Carpool
9.1%
Public Transit
1.0%
Walk
3.1%
Work from Home
0.0%
Other
0.8%
Based on 1,211 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 North Pole. 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 North Pole 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 North Pole sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How North Pole 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, FBI UCR, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, 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.