City · Alaska
Thorne Bay, Alaska
Thorne Bay, city, in Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area, Alaska. Thorne Bay had 477 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 0.0% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 476 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 519 (±122). GEOID 0277140.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
477
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 476 · ACS 2020-2024: 519 ±122
Median household income
$61,250
±$16,783 (90% margin)
Alaska: $92,788
Median home value
$270,000
±$199,457 (90% margin)
Alaska: $352,900
Median gross rent
$950
±$45 (90% margin)
Alaska: $1,419
Where is Thorne Bay and what county is it in?
Thorne Bay is a city in Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area, Alaska. It covers 26.7 square miles of land, 18 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 Thorne Bay, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 477 people lived in Thorne Bay on July 1, 2025, about level with 2020, slower than Alaska (+0.5%). The 2020 Census counted 476 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 519 (±122).
| Measure | Thorne Bay | Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 519 ±122 | 5,715 | no clear change |
| Households | 228 ±56 | 2,419 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.28 ±0.32 | 2.30 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 304 ±58 | 3,250 | −100 |
Thorne Bay's population since 2000
From 557 in 2000 to 477 in 2025: down 14.4%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Thorne Bay 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 Thorne Bay?
The median resident of Thorne Bay is 37.2 years old; 23.1% are under 18 and 20.2% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 87.7%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 6.9%.
| Measure | Thorne Bay | Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 37.2 ±13.8 | 43.4 | −17.4 |
| Under 18 years | 23.1% ±6.0 pts | 21.1% | – |
| 65 years and over | 20.2% ±9.5 pts | 20.6% | – |
| Male | 48.7% ±6.7 pts | 55.2% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 1.7% ±2.3 pts | 3.8% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 87.7% ±7.5 pts | 43.6% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±4.7 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 2.9% ±3.2 pts | 2.2% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.8% ±1.3 pts | 36.0% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±4.7 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 6.9% ±5.5 pts | 13.2% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±4.7 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.0% ±4.7 pts | 3.2% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 5.2% ±4.2 pts | 8.2% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 15.2% ±6.0 pts | 9.0% | – |
| With a disability | 24.1% ±8.8 pts | 20.9% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 12.8% ±6.4 pts | 17.0% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 92.4% ±5.7 pts | 91.8% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 21.6% ±10.7 pts | 14.9% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 0.6% ±1.2 pts | 5.0% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 81.4% ±8.2 pts | 88.5% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 7.6% ±5.3 pts | 2.6% | – |
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 Thorne Bay earn?
Half of Thorne Bay's 228 households earn less than $61,250 a year (±$16,783), against $61,156 in Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area and $92,788 in Alaska. In 2015-2019 it was $59,337 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart.
| Measure | Thorne Bay | Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $61,250 ±$16,783 | $61,156 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $64,254 ±$8,064 | $81,671 | – |
| Per capita income | $28,132 ±$3,401 | $36,507 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 4.2% ±3.8 pts | 12.7% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 1.7% ±3.6 pts | 17.1% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 13.6% ±7.1 pts | 16.4% | – |
| Households with a computer | 100.0% ±10.4 pts | 92.9% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 91.2% ±6.3 pts | 84.5% | – |
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 Thorne Bay?
Owners occupy 57.9% of Thorne Bay's occupied homes and renters 42.1%. The median renter pays $950 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Thorne Bay | Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $270,000 ±$199,457 | $225,300 | – |
| Median gross rent | $950 ±$45 | $964 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 10.1% ±12.2 pts | 25.2% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $2,219 ±$134 | $1,845 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 57.9% ±12.7 pts | 70.6% | −24.4 pts |
| Renter-occupied homes | 42.1% ±12.7 pts | 29.4% | – |
| Housing units | 304 ±58 | 3,250 | −100 |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±17.2 pts | 0.8% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 6.8% ±6.2 pts | 4.8% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 50.7% ±11.0 pts | 68.6% | – |
| Mobile homes | 34.5% ±10.1 pts | 17.5% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±7.9 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 12.5% ±5.4 pts | 7.4% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 0.0% ±7.9 pts | 3.8% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 0.0% ±10.4 pts | 10.8% | – |
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 Thorne Bay work and get to work?
53.1% of Thorne Bay's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 19.5 minutes.
| Measure | Thorne Bay | Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 57.8% ±11.2 pts | 61.4% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 9.5% ±9.1 pts | 7.7% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 53.1% ±16.5 pts | 53.0% | – |
| Carpooled | 27.0% ±16.5 pts | 15.3% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±11.2 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Walked | 14.2% ±6.6 pts | 18.7% | – |
| Worked from home | 0.9% ±1.6 pts | 7.4% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 19.5 min ±9.9 | 12.7 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 Thorne Bay?
No census tract lies mostly in Thorne Bay; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 1Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area | 2,268 | $53,636 |
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 Thorne Bay) · Census block assignment files
How does Thorne Bay compare with other places in Alaska?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Thorne Bay is the 13,375th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 62nd-most populous of 149 in Alaska.
Thorne Bay 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.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 62nd | 149 |
Thorne Bay's figures with every place in Alaska (CSV)
Every place in Alaska, sortable · Compare Thorne Bay 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 Thorne Bay?
23 of the 57 figures for Thorne Bay 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 Thorne Bay 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 Thorne Bay.