AFM-AerialMap-A, 1998
Ambler’s story
66 years in pictures
Census counts: 70 in 1960, 274 in 2020. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 1998 and 2 maps from 1955 on.
- 1960Ambler is settled
AmblerAK
A town of 246, settled in 1960.
Photo: National Park Service · Public domain
Population
246
2025 Census estimate · −10.2% since 2020
Median home value
$97K
Census ACS
Household income
$41K
median
Median age
33.3
years
Land area
11 sq mi
Is Ambler a good place to live?
Ambler’s average trip to work is 3 minutes, below both Alaska’s towns (21 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes). Of the 42 Alaska towns we compare, none has a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than Ambler. Ambler has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
246 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Ambler: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Ambler, and how to reach them.
PowerAlaska Village Elec Coop65.9¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterAmbler Community Water System3 health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
InternetProviders and speedsData pending · D4
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Ambler’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Alaska you can register online until 30 days before Election Day, in person until 30 days before Election Day, or by mail (received 30 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereAbsentee and Petition OfficeState of Alaska; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code9978699786 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Ambler.
Natural hazards
Cold waves leads a very low hazard risk in Ambler
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 93% of U.S. communities.
7risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Cold waves
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Schools
The schools Ambler’s kids attend
Its public schools are run by the Northwest Arctic Borough School District. No of its 1 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|
NCES · EDFacts
Health
More of Ambler’s adults say their health is fair or poor than in the typical Alaska or U.S. town
35% of Ambler adults say their health is fair or poor, where Alaska’s towns sit at 18% and U.S. towns at 19%. 23% of adults report frequent mental distress in Ambler. No town among the 42 in Alaska we compare has a higher share of adults who report frequent physical distress than Ambler.
| Ambler | Alaska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 35% | 18% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 16% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 8.8% | 12% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 16% | 17% |
32 measures vs. Alaska
1 better7 too close to call24 worse
| What stands out | Ambler | AK |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 6% | 7% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 39.8% | 14.3% |
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 7,497 acres
4.7 mi
of trails · 0.4 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Ambler
15pages on Ambler
The big questions
Out and about
About Ambler
City in the United States
Ambler (Inupiaq: Ivisaappaat, IPA: [ivisaːpːaːt]) is a city in Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska, United States. As of the 2020 census, Ambler had a population of 274. The city is located in the large Iñupiaq language speaking region of Alaska, and the local dialect is known as the Ambler dialect (related to the Shugnak dialect). As of 1999, over 91% of the community speaks and understands the language (Kraus, 1999), with many young children actively learning the language in school. It has important relationships with the "hub" city of Kotzebue, Alaska and has important relationships with Maniilaq Health Association.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1971
- Area
- 11 sq mi
- Elevation
- 79 ft
- ZIP code
- 99786
- Area code
- 907
Questions about Ambler
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Ambler, AK a good place to live?
Ambler has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.