Atqasuk, 2006
Atqasuk’s story
86 years in pictures
Census counts: 78 in 1940, a low of 30 in 1960, 276 in 2020. The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 2006 and a map from 1955 on.
- 1940Atqasuk is settled
AtqasukAK
A town of 258, settled in 1940.
Photo: Thester11 · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
258
2025 Census estimate · −5.8% since 2020
Median home value
$122K
Census ACS
Household income
$91K
median
Median age
27.3
years
Land area
42 sq mi
Is Atqasuk a good place to live?
Atqasuk has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
258 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Atqasuk: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Atqasuk, and how to reach them.
PowerBarrow Utils & Elec CoopEIAHIFLD · EIA
WaterNsbu - Atqasuk water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet1 providers84% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Atqasuk’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 code9979199791 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 Atqasuk.
Natural hazards
Top of a very low hazard risk in Atqasuk: cold waves
Expected losses in Atqasuk break down as 83% from cold waves and 8% from inland flooding. Storm and flood damage is expected to run lower than in 99% of U.S. communities.
1risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Cold wavesInland flooding
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Schools
The schools Atqasuk’s kids attend
The public schools here belong to the North Slope Borough School District. Its one school is below. Enrollment at Atqasuk’s public school: 86 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meade River SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades PK–12 | Grades PK–12 | 86 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts
Health
A larger share of adults feel lonely in Atqasuk than in most of Alaska or the rest of the country
30% of adults get no exercise outside work in Atqasuk. No town among the 42 in Alaska we compare has a higher share of adults who report frequent physical distress than Atqasuk. In Atqasuk, 23% of adults report frequent mental distress, where Alaska’s towns sit at 16% and U.S. towns at 17%. Only 2 of the 42 Alaska towns we compare have a lower share of adults who had a checkup this year than Atqasuk.
| Atqasuk | Alaska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 16% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 16% | 17% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 32% | 33% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 35% | 13% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Alaska
3 better6 too close to call23 worse
| What stands out | Atqasuk | AK |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 4% | 7% |
| Fewer adults with high cholesterol | 27.4% | 33.4% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 35.9% | 13.5% |
Samuel Simmonds Memorial Hospital
58.2 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
1.1%conserved
1.1%
conserved · 306 of 27,016 acres
4.6 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Atqasuk
15pages on Atqasuk
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Atqasuk; the nearest are
About 8 of every 100 Atqasuk residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across Alaska.
About Atqasuk
City in Alaska, United States
Atqasuk (English: /ˈɑtkəsuk/; Iñupiaq: [ɐtqɐsuk]) is a small Iñupiat city in the North Slope Borough, Alaska, United States. The population was 276 at the 2020 census and 233 at the 2010 census. The name of the city means “downslope” in the Iñupiaq language. The city is governed by the Native Village of Atqasuk, and maintains a predominantly subsistence-based lifestyle centered on hunting, fishing, and gathering.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1982
- Area
- 42 sq mi
- Elevation
- 56 ft
- ZIP code
- 99791
- Area code
- 907
Questions about Atqasuk
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Atqasuk, AK a good place to live?
Atqasuk has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.