City · Alaska
Utqiaġvik, Alaska
Utqiaġvik, city, in North Slope Borough, Alaska. Utqiaġvik had 4,640 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 5.9% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 4,927 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 4,778 (±39). GEOID 0281920.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
4,640
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 4,927 · ACS 2020-2024: 4,778 ±39
Median household income
$115,313
±$47,177 (90% margin)
Alaska: $92,788
Median home value
$311,400
±$40,002 (90% margin)
Alaska: $352,900
Median gross rent
$1,360
±$212 (90% margin)
Alaska: $1,419
Where is Utqiaġvik and what county is it in?
Utqiaġvik is a city in North Slope Borough, Alaska. It covers 18.8 square miles of land, 262 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 Utqiaġvik, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 4,640 people lived in Utqiaġvik on July 1, 2025, down 5.9% since 2020, while Alaska grew 0.5%. The 2020 Census counted 4,927 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 4,778 (±39).
| Measure | Utqiaġvik | North Slope Borough | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 4,778 ±39 | 10,810 | +362 |
| Households | 1,441 ±82 | 2,281 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 3.14 ±0.18 | 3.40 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 1,634 ±86 | 2,642 | no clear change |
Utqiaġvik's population since 2015
From 4,446 in 2015 to 4,640 in 2025: up 4.4%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Utqiaġvik 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 Utqiaġvik?
The median resident of Utqiaġvik is 34.4 years old; 30.4% are under 18 and 11.6% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native residents at 50.0%, then non-Hispanic white residents at 19.7%. 8.5% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Utqiaġvik | North Slope Borough | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 34.4 ±4.6 | 35.0 | +5.9 |
| Under 18 years | 30.4% ±3.2 pts | 25.7% | – |
| 65 years and over | 11.6% ±2.6 pts | 8.1% | – |
| Male | 54.2% ±3.6 pts | 61.2% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 7.8% ±2.1 pts | 5.4% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 19.7% ±6.4 pts | 31.0% | +9.5 pts |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.8% ±0.9 pts | 1.2% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 8.1% ±3.2 pts | 5.4% | no clear change |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 50.0% ±6.3 pts | 48.7% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 3.4% ±1.0 pts | 1.9% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 10.2% ±3.9 pts | 6.2% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.5 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 8.5% ±3.5 pts | 6.8% | no clear change |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 44.7% ±7.4 pts | 37.7% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 4.9% ±3.6 pts | 4.7% | – |
| With a disability | 18.0% ±3.6 pts | 12.9% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 13.1% ±4.5 pts | 13.5% | −9.3 pts |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 83.7% ±5.7 pts | 87.3% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 16.4% ±4.8 pts | 15.6% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 7.5% ±3.4 pts | 6.0% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 89.9% ±4.0 pts | 87.4% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 2.0% ±2.0 pts | 2.7% | – |
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 Utqiaġvik earn?
Half of Utqiaġvik's 1,441 households earn less than $115,313 a year (±$47,177), against $95,694 in North Slope Borough and $92,788 in Alaska. In 2015-2019 it was $106,348 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 11.0% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Utqiaġvik | North Slope Borough | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $115,313 ±$47,177 | $95,694 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $141,486 ±$23,451 | $127,358 | – |
| Per capita income | $43,602 ±$7,775 | $57,430 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 11.0% ±4.5 pts | 11.1% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 8.1% ±8.5 pts | 13.4% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 10.1% ±5.3 pts | 14.0% | – |
| Households with a computer | 90.1% ±6.6 pts | 92.5% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 71.0% ±7.3 pts | 75.1% | – |
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 Utqiaġvik?
Owners occupy 45.6% of Utqiaġvik's occupied homes and renters 54.4%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $311,400 by its owner (±$40,002). The median renter pays $1,360 a month including utilities, and 27.3% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Utqiaġvik | North Slope Borough | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $311,400 ±$40,002 | $218,300 | +$83,722 |
| Median gross rent | $1,360 ±$212 | $1,254 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 27.3% ±12.7 pts | 25.4% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,896 ±$250 | $1,763 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 45.6% ±9.2 pts | 49.1% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 54.4% ±9.2 pts | 50.9% | – |
| Housing units | 1,634 ±86 | 2,642 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.8% ±1.3 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 7.3% ±4.5 pts | 5.8% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 58.4% ±7.1 pts | 71.1% | – |
| Mobile homes | 0.2% ±0.5 pts | 0.8% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±1.5 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 2.7% ±2.4 pts | 4.3% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 0.3% ±0.5 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 25.8% ±8.0 pts | 37.0% | – |
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 Utqiaġvik work and get to work?
42.1% of Utqiaġvik's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 10.1 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 9.0%.
| Measure | Utqiaġvik | North Slope Borough | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 63.6% ±6.0 pts | 74.2% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 9.0% ±3.7 pts | 7.6% | −6.4 pts |
| Drove alone to work | 42.1% ±8.9 pts | 24.8% | – |
| Carpooled | 26.8% ±7.0 pts | 21.5% | – |
| Public transportation | 1.4% ±1.5 pts | 1.2% | – |
| Walked | 11.0% ±5.4 pts | 33.4% | – |
| Worked from home | 7.4% ±4.9 pts | 5.6% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 10.1 min ±6.4 | 13.0 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 Utqiaġvik?
1 census tract lies mostly in Utqiaġvik (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 1North Slope Borough | 4,785 | $115,313 |
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 Utqiaġvik) · Census block assignment files
How does Utqiaġvik compare with other places in Alaska?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Utqiaġvik is the 5,108th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 12th-most populous of 149 in Alaska.
Utqiaġvik ranks 7th 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 | 12th | 149 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 22nd | 26 |
| Residents per square mile | 19th | 71 |
| Median household income | 7th | 69 |
| Per capita income | 37th | 71 |
| Median home value | 37th | 66 |
| Median gross rent | 28th | 62 |
| Poverty rate | 29th | 57 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 62nd | 69 |
| Median age | 56th | 71 |
| Owner-occupied share | 66th | 68 |
| Travel time to work | 54th | 69 |
Utqiaġvik's figures with every place in Alaska (CSV)
Every place in Alaska, sortable · Compare Utqiaġvik 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 Utqiaġvik?
12 of the 57 figures for Utqiaġvik 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 Utqiaġvik 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 Utqiaġvik.