City · Alaska
Wainwright, Alaska
Wainwright, city, in North Slope Borough, Alaska. Wainwright had 586 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 6.5% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 628 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 718 (±134). GEOID 0282750.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
586
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 628 · ACS 2020-2024: 718 ±134
Median household income
$93,750
±$29,969 (90% margin)
Alaska: $92,788
Median home value
$117,000
±$26,491 (90% margin)
Alaska: $352,900
Median gross rent
$833
±$186 (90% margin)
Alaska: $1,419
Where is Wainwright and what county is it in?
Wainwright is a city in North Slope Borough, Alaska. It covers 10.3 square miles of land, 61 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 Wainwright, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 586 people lived in Wainwright on July 1, 2025, down 6.5% since 2020, while Alaska grew 0.5%. The 2020 Census counted 628 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 718 (±134).
| Measure | Wainwright | North Slope Borough | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 718 ±134 | 10,810 | +224 |
| Households | 194 ±46 | 2,281 | +59 |
| Average household size | 3.70 ±0.70 | 3.40 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 206 ±46 | 2,642 | no clear change |
Wainwright's population since 2000
From 546 in 2000 to 586 in 2025: up 7.3%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Wainwright 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 Wainwright?
The median resident of Wainwright is 28.4 years old; 37.3% are under 18 and 7.0% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native residents at 90.1%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 3.8%.
| Measure | Wainwright | North Slope Borough | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 28.4 ±4.0 | 35.0 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 37.3% ±6.8 pts | 25.7% | – |
| 65 years and over | 7.0% ±3.9 pts | 8.1% | – |
| Male | 54.6% ±5.1 pts | 61.2% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 3.8% ±5.4 pts | 5.4% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 2.6% ±2.9 pts | 31.0% | – |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.4 pts | 1.2% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.4 pts | 5.4% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 90.1% ±5.8 pts | 48.7% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.4 pts | 1.9% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 3.5% ±3.7 pts | 6.2% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.4 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.0% ±3.4 pts | 6.8% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 35.9% ±8.2 pts | 37.7% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 4.4% ±3.0 pts | 4.7% | – |
| With a disability | 6.3% ±2.8 pts | 12.9% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 20.1% ±5.9 pts | 13.5% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 84.7% ±5.1 pts | 87.3% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 5.6% ±5.3 pts | 15.6% | – |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 4.1% ±3.8 pts | 6.0% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 97.6% ±2.9 pts | 87.4% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 1.4% ±2.3 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 Wainwright earn?
Half of Wainwright's 194 households earn less than $93,750 a year (±$29,969), against $95,694 in North Slope Borough and $92,788 in Alaska. In 2015-2019 it was $76,662 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 12.0% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Wainwright | North Slope Borough | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $93,750 ±$29,969 | $95,694 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $105,607 ±$16,516 | $127,358 | – |
| Per capita income | $30,294 ±$5,575 | $57,430 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 12.0% ±7.2 pts | 11.1% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 17.2% ±13.5 pts | 13.4% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 12.4% ±7.4 pts | 14.0% | – |
| Households with a computer | 96.4% ±4.0 pts | 92.5% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 78.9% ±9.4 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 Wainwright?
Owners occupy 66.5% of Wainwright's occupied homes and renters 33.5%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $117,000 by its owner (±$26,491). The median renter pays $833 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Wainwright | North Slope Borough | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $117,000 ±$26,491 | $218,300 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $833 ±$186 | $1,254 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 44.1% ±31.4 pts | 25.4% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,117 ±$70 | $1,763 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 66.5% ±10.6 pts | 49.1% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 33.5% ±10.6 pts | 50.9% | – |
| Housing units | 206 ±46 | 2,642 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±17.5 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±30.9 pts | 5.8% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 93.7% ±6.5 pts | 71.1% | – |
| Mobile homes | 0.0% ±11.4 pts | 0.8% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±11.4 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 5.3% ±5.4 pts | 4.3% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 0.0% ±11.4 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 51.5% ±12.6 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 Wainwright work and get to work?
44.8% of Wainwright's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 6.0 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 12.6%.
| Measure | Wainwright | North Slope Borough | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 56.2% ±7.9 pts | 74.2% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 12.6% ±7.4 pts | 7.6% | no clear change |
| Drove alone to work | 44.8% ±13.4 pts | 24.8% | – |
| Carpooled | 14.6% ±8.2 pts | 21.5% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±11.1 pts | 1.2% | – |
| Walked | 27.8% ±10.8 pts | 33.4% | – |
| Worked from home | 0.5% ±1.1 pts | 5.6% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 6.0 min ±1.7 | 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 Wainwright?
No census tract lies mostly in Wainwright; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 2North Slope Borough | 3,395 | $89,118 |
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 Wainwright) · Census block assignment files
How does Wainwright compare with other places in Alaska?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Wainwright is the 12,560th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 50th-most populous of 149 in Alaska.
Wainwright 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 | 50th | 149 |
Wainwright's figures with every place in Alaska (CSV)
Every place in Alaska, sortable · Compare Wainwright 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 Wainwright?
22 of the 57 figures for Wainwright 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 Wainwright 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 Wainwright.