CYF airport, 2006
Chefornak’s story
65 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1996.
- 1961Chefornak is settled
ChefornakAK
A town of 486, settled in 1961.
Photo: Andrea Pokrzywinski from Cheqamegon National Forest, USA · CC BY 2.0
Population
486
2025 Census estimate · −4.5% since 2020
Median home value
$125K
Census ACS
Household income
$52K
median
Median age
25.5
years
Land area
6 sq mi
Is Chefornak a good place to live?
Chefornak’s mean commuting time is 5 minutes, where Alaska’s towns sit at 21 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. No town among the 42 in Alaska we compare has a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than Chefornak. Chefornak has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
486 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 Chefornak: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Chefornak, and how to reach them.
PowerCity of ChefornakEIAHIFLD · EIA
WaterChefornak Water System3 health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
InternetProviders and speedsData pending · D4
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Chefornak’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 code9956199561 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 Chefornak.
Natural hazards
Chefornak faces a very low natural-hazard risk, led by cold waves
Chefornak’s FEMA risk score comes in at 1 of 100. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Chefornak after 2 declared disasters, most recently in 2025. 88% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from cold waves, followed by inland flooding at 6%.
1risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Cold wavesInland flooding
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Schools
The schools Chefornak’s kids attend
Public schools: the Lower Kuskokwim School District. Its one school is below. 133 students attend Chefornak’s public school.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chaputnguak SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades PK–12 | Grades PK–12 | 133 | D− |
NCES · EDFacts
Health
A larger share of adults in Chefornak smoke cigarettes than in the typical Alaska or U.S. town
Nearly a quarter of adults report frequent mental distress in Chefornak. Of the 42 Alaska towns we compare, none has a higher share of adults who get no exercise outside work than Chefornak. Among adults in the town, 44% sleep under 7 hours, above both the Alaska town median (35%) and the median of U.S. towns (36%). Against the Alaska average, Chefornak comes out ahead on 1 CDC measures out of 32, and behind on 26.
| Chefornak | Alaska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 18% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 36% | 16% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 16% | 17% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 13% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Alaska
1 better5 too close to call26 worse
| What stands out | Chefornak | AK |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 4.6% | 7% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 46.8% | 14.3% |
Yukon Kuskokwim Delta Regional Hospital
94 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Chefornak
13pages on Chefornak
The big questions
Out and about
About Chefornak
City in Alaska, United States
Chefornak (Central Yupik: Cevvʼarneq) is a rural city in Bethel Census Area, Alaska, United States. As of the 2020 census, Chefornak had a population of 506.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1974
- Area
- 6.4 sq mi
- Elevation
- 0 ft
- ZIP code
- 99561
Questions about Chefornak
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Chefornak, AK a good place to live?
Chefornak has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.