City profile · Alaska · Census ACS 2023

Wainwright, AK

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Wainwright - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

612
Residents
$85,750
Median income
$109,100
Median home
$1,930
Median rent (state)

Wainwright - the verdict

Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, Wainwright places in the 67th percentile for household income. Source: Census ACS.

67th
percentile, household income
13th
percentile, home value
80th
percentile, median rent
📝 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: Wainwright, AK

612 people live in Wainwright, Alaska - a small town by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. The typical household in Wainwright brings in $85,750 a year, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 11.1%. Home values in Wainwright run a median of $109,100, and the median resident age is 29.0 years. Educational attainment runs 3.6% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 49.3% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

NOAA climate normals record an annual average temperature of 14.8°F.

Alaska tracks close to the national cost-of-living baseline: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts Alaska at 102.4 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Near Average). Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $1,930 monthly. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Alaska run around $271, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. Workers in Wainwright report an average commute of 5.5 minutes, with 31.3% driving alone and 1.8% working from home. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 54.6 out of 100 (Low).

Population

612 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Alaska

Median Household Income

$85,750 /yr

Poverty 11.1%

Cost of Living Index (state)

102.4 (US=100)

Near Average - BEA RPP 2024, Alaska average

How does Wainwright compare to other US cities?

Here's how Wainwright stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 67% higher than other cities
Home value 13% pricier than other cities
Median rent 80% pricier than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Wainwright's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in Alaska, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

67thIncome percentile

67th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How Wainwright's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$109,100 Among the most affordable more affordable than 87% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). This entry sits in this band. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Above this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Above this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Wainwright $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

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

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Wainwright, AK Wainwright, AK's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Wainwright, AK-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Wainwright, AK median $85,750/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Wainwright, AK's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Wainwright, AK. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 3.6%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 11.1%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 49.3%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
612
Median Income
$85,750
Median Home Value
$109,100
Median Age
29.0
Poverty Rate
11.1%
Labor force participation
49.3%
Bachelor's Degree+
3.6%

Climate

Avg Temperature
14.8°F
Annual Precipitation
N/A
Annual Snowfall
N/A

Schools

Total Schools
1
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
580 residents600 residents620 residents640 residents 202020212022202320242025 625 residents 586 residents ▼ -6.2%
Wainwright's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
5.5 minutes
Drive Alone
31.3%
Carpool
15.7%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
31.9%
Work from Home
1.8%
Other
19.3%

Based on 166 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Alaska - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$131
avg/month
Natural Gas
$95
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$45
avg/month
Total Utilities
$271
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Alaska state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a Alaska state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Wainwright sits in

Cost of Living Index
102.4
Near Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,930/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
54.6 / 100
Low
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Alaska

Gustavus
610 people
Tuntutuliak
616 people
Fox River
605 people
Glennallen
601 people
Kake
598 people
Akiachak
629 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Wainwright's 612 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Pioneer, FL
612 people
Potomac, IL
612 people
St. Libory, IL
612 people
West City, IL
612 people
Knightsville, IN
612 people
Swea City, IA
612 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Wainwright's $85,750 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Rising Sun, MD
$85,750 median income
Kill Devil Hills, NC
$85,747 median income
Rio Rancho, NM
$85,755 median income
New Windsor, NY
$85,755 median income
Conesus Lake, NY
$85,761 median income
Lake Stickney, WA
$85,762 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Wainwright, AK Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Wainwright, AK - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 92.2% 6.7% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 5.7% White 1.1% Black or African American 0.0% Asian 0.0% American Indian 92.2% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 0.0% Two or more races 6.7% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Wainwright compares to nearby Alaska cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Wainwright (this city) 612 $85,750
Gustavus 610 $64,167
Tuntutuliak 616 $53,625
Fox River 605 $75,083
Census ACS 5-year FIPS AK NOAA Normals NCES CCD OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Wainwright, AK?

What is the population of Wainwright, AK? +

612 people live in Wainwright, AK according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Wainwright, AK? +

The median household income in Wainwright is $85,750 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Wainwright? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Wainwright; the closest available measure is the Alaska state average, a cost of living index of 102.4 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Near Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Alaska vary by metro area.

What is the median home value in Wainwright, AK? +

A typical home in Wainwright is worth $109,100, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Wainwright? +

The average annual temperature in Wainwright runs 14.8°F. Source: NOAA Climate Normals.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES CCD, 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.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.