Map the Block › Places › Alaska › Northwest Arctic Borough
Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska in numbers: crime, income, hazards
The violent-crime rate in Northwest Arctic Borough was 12.8 per 1,000 residents (2021-2025 average, FBI), 71% higher than the statewide rate (7.4). The median household earns $84,018 and the unemployment rate was 8.8% in August 2026. It is home to roughly 7,441 residents.
Last updated . Crime: FBI 2021-2025. Income and housing: Census ACS 2020-2024. Unemployment: BLS August 2026. Road work: October 11, 2026.
Also on the map: income · hazard risk · Superfund · dams
What is the crime rate in Northwest Arctic Borough?
Over 2021-2025, the county's police agencies sent the FBI reports of about 39 violent and 30 property crimes per year. Per 1,000 residents, the violent-crime rate works out to 12.8: 71% higher than the Alaska rate (7.4), and about 3.5 times the national rate (3.7). Burglary, theft and car theft together come to 9.7 per 1,000 residents, compared with 18.3 across Alaska. Only about 41% of residents live in areas whose police reported a full year, so treat the rate with care. Aggravated assaults make up 74% of the violent total.
| Offense (yearly average, 2021-2025) | Northwest Arctic Borough | Per 1,000 | Alaska per 1,000 | U.S. per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 39 | 12.8 | 7.4 | 3.7 |
| Murder | 0 | 0.00 | 0.07 | 0.06 |
| Rape | 10 | 3.3 | 1.3 | 0.40 |
| Robbery | 0 | 0.00 | 0.79 | 0.62 |
| Aggravated assault | 29 | 9.5 | 5.3 | 2.6 |
| Property crime | 30 | 9.7 | 18.3 | 18.1 |
| Burglary | 9 | 2.9 | 2.7 | 2.4 |
| Larceny-theft | 16 | 5.2 | 13.0 | 13.0 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 4 | 1.5 | 2.6 | 2.6 |
Most crime never reaches the police, so these are reported crimes, a floor rather than the full count. In 2024 about half of violent crimes (48%) and about 3 in 10 property crimes (31%) were reported to police (U.S. Justice Department, National Crime Victimization Survey). Rates also depend on how completely each agency reports to the FBI. County figures add up the city police and sheriff reports in the county (1 agencies; 41% of residents covered).
What is the median household income in Northwest Arctic Borough?
Median household income is $84,018, close to the statewide figure ($92,788). Owner-occupied homes have a median value of $199,100, and the median rent is $1,350 a month. 35.8% of households received SNAP benefits in the past year (state: 10.1%). The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 8.8% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 277 people out of work and looking.
| Census ACS 2020-2024 | Northwest Arctic Borough | Alaska | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 7,441 | 735,706 | 334,922,499 |
| Median household income | $84,018 | $92,788 | $80,734 |
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $199,100 | $352,900 | $332,700 |
| Median gross rent | $1,350 | $1,419 | $1,413 |
| Unemployment rate (2020-2024 average) | 16.7% | 5.9% | 5.2% |
| People below the poverty line | 17.9% | 10.1% | 12.5% |
| Households receiving SNAP (food stamps) | 35.8% | 10.1% | 12.1% |
| Adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher | 10.6% | 31.7% | 35.7% |
| Homeowner households | 64.4% | 66.8% | 65.2% |
| Median age | 28.8 | 35.8 | 38.9 |
| Households with broadband internet | 88.6% | 91.9% | 91.0% |
| People without health insurance | 18.1% | 11.0% | 8.4% |
What natural hazards and environmental sites are in Northwest Arctic Borough?
On FEMA's National Risk Index, Northwest Arctic Borough has an overall natural-hazard risk rating of “Relatively Low”. None of the seven hazards on our map (floods, wildfire, tornadoes, heat, earthquakes, hurricanes) is rated above “Relatively Moderate” here. The index compares counties with each other and also weighs how vulnerable and resilient a community is, so it is a long-run estimate, not a forecast.
Superfund sites
EPA lists no Superfund site in Northwest Arctic Borough, active or completed (October 2026).
High-hazard dams
Northwest Arctic Borough has 2 dams classed as high hazard in the National Inventory of Dams. None is rated Poor or Unsatisfactory; 2 are rated Satisfactory or Fair. The two tallest are Red Dog Tailings Main Dam (208 ft) and Red Dog Tailings Back Dam (66 ft). “High hazard” describes what lies downstream (people would probably die if the dam failed), not how likely the dam is to fail.
Industrial chemical releases
2 facilities in the county filed Toxics Release Inventory reports for 2024, together reporting 723,889,911 pounds of listed chemicals released on site. Reported releases are legal permitted amounts in most cases.
Disasters, air and water
Northwest Arctic Borough was covered by 2 federal major disaster declarations from 2016 through 2025 (Flood 1, Severe Storm 1), not counting COVID-19. Of 11 community water systems, none had an open health-based drinking-water violation in EPA's records (September 2026). EPA puts the county in radon zone 3 (low).
Is there road construction in Northwest Arctic Borough?
Alaska does not publish an open highway work-zone feed that we can read yet, so road construction in Northwest Arctic Borough is not on our map. Check the state's 511 traveler site for current closures.
See today's work zones on the map →
How many schools, nursing homes and parks are in Northwest Arctic Borough?
Northwest Arctic Borough has 11 public schools (2024-25) and 0 private schools (2023-24) in federal school lists. 1 nursing home is certified by Medicare or Medicaid here; star ratings for each are on the map and on Medicare's Care Compare. USGS mapping shows 7 fire or EMS stations and 2 police or sheriff stations. Park Service units in the area: Cape Krusenstern National Monument, Gates of the Arctic National Preserve, Kobuk Valley National Park and Noatak National Preserve.
What tribal lands and sacred sites are in Northwest Arctic Borough?
Census tribal areas that reach into Northwest Arctic Borough: Kotzebue ANVSA, Kivalina ANVSA, Noatak ANVSA, Noorvik ANVSA, Buckland ANVSA and Kiana ANVSA and 5 more.
Tribal areas are Census statistical boundaries, shown for reference; they are not legal boundaries.
See them on the map: tribal lands →
Gun shops, liquor stores and Planned Parenthood in Northwest Arctic Borough
Gun shops
One gun shop with a public storefront is on the map in Northwest Arctic Borough, plus 1 more licensed dealer without a public storefront (not shown). On the ATF list: Arctic Proshop LLC (Kotzebue).
Liquor stores
No liquor stores are on the map in Northwest Arctic Borough. Alaska has no complete public liquor licence list we can use, so this count also draws on OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps and may miss some stores or include closed ones.
Planned Parenthood
There is no Planned Parenthood health center in Northwest Arctic Borough on the map.
See them on the map: gun shops →
Sources: ATF licensee list (Sept 2026); state liquor licence lists, OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps (non-official; partial in some states); HHS Title X directory and CMS NPPES.
Common questions
What is the crime rate in Northwest Arctic Borough?
Northwest Arctic Borough averaged 39 reported violent crimes a year in 2021-2025, or 12.8 per 1,000 residents, 71% higher than the Alaska rate (7.4). The property-crime rate was 9.7 per 1,000 (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting).
What is the median household income in Northwest Arctic Borough?
$84,018 (Census American Community Survey, 2020-2024 average), compared with $92,788 for Alaska and $80,734 nationally.
What is the unemployment rate in Northwest Arctic Borough?
The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 8.8% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 277 people out of work and looking.
What natural hazards affect Northwest Arctic Borough?
On FEMA's National Risk Index, Northwest Arctic Borough has an overall natural-hazard risk rating of “Relatively Low”. None of the seven hazards on our map (floods, wildfire, tornadoes, heat, earthquakes, hurricanes) is rated above “Relatively Moderate” here.
How many nursing homes are in Northwest Arctic Borough?
1 Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing homes (CMS provider data, September 2026).
How does Northwest Arctic Borough compare with neighboring counties?
| County | Population | Violent crimes per 1,000 (2021-25) | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nome Census Area | 9,866 | 14.1 | $78,681 |
| North Slope Borough | 10,810 | 7.5 | $95,694 |
| Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area | 5,195 | – | $55,741 |
More: Alaska statewide numbers · Sex-offender registry search (U.S. Justice Department, NSOPW)
Where do these numbers come from?
- Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting 2021-2025 (agency level, Return A), averaged and summed by county by Map the Block; Census population; state and national rates: FBI estimated crimes 2021-2025.
- Income, housing, education: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year, table B19013 (median household income) and related tables.
- Monthly unemployment: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS), county data, not seasonally adjusted. Public domain.
- Hazards: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), county scores; disasters: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
- Superfund: U.S. EPA, Superfund site boundaries and NPL status (October 2026). Dams: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Inventory of Dams (public map service, October 2026). Chemical releases: U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory, reporting year 2024 (basic data file).
- Air and water: U.S. EPA AirData, annual AQI by county 2024; EPA Air Quality Design Values 2023-2025 (June 2026); U.S. EPA SDWIS via ECHO drinking-water download (September 30, 2026). Traffic deaths: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2024; Census population.
- Work zones: State departments of transportation, via the U.S. DOT Work Zone Data Exchange (WZDx) and state 511 feeds; refreshed every morning (snapshot October 11, 2026).
- Schools: National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE public school locations 2024-25; budgets: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2024; National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE Private School geocodes (Private School Survey 2023-24). Nursing homes: U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Nursing Home Provider Information and Penalties (September 2026). Stations: U.S. Geological Survey, National Structures Dataset (Fire Stations/EMS Stations), October 2026 pull.
- Parks: USGS Protected Areas Database of the U.S. (PAD-US 4.1); state park agencies' open data (CA, NY, PA, TN, TX, FL, NJ, KY, HI, UT, MT and others); OpenStreetMap contributors for some hours, phones, fees and camping; U.S. National Park Service: unit boundaries (Land Resources Division), Acreage Report (Sept 30, 2026), park pages on nps.gov (hours, fees), Visitor Use Statistics (2025).
Map the Block shows public statistics about places, not people, and does not rate or rank neighborhoods as places to live. Figures are as published by each source; check the source before relying on a number.
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