Elim’s typical journey to work is 3 minutes, below both the Alaska town median (21 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). No town among the 42 in Alaska we compare has a higher share of children under 18 than Elim. Elim has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.

Small town

363 people, and everyone knows the way

In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.

Nearby towns

Golovin · 22 mi

ElimAlaska (cropped), 1993

Elim’s story

106 years in pictures

Census counts: 162 in 1920, a low of 97 in 1930, 366 in 2020. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 1993 and a map from 1950 on.

1920Elim is settled

Explore the history →

Getting set up

Moving to Elim: who provides what

Who provides power, water and the rest in Elim, and how to reach them.

The full setup list →

PowerAlaska Village Elec Coop65.9¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA

WaterElim Water Supply7 health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA

InternetProviders and speedsData pending · D4

Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Elim’s trash rules yet

SchoolsBering Strait School DistrictWhich school depends on your addressNCES

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.gov

Who runs elections hereAbsentee and Petition OfficeState of Alaska; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025

ZIP code9973999739 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 Elim.

Natural hazards

Elim faces a very low natural-hazard risk, led by cold waves

Expected damage from storms and floods is lower here than in 98% of U.S. communities. Federal aid has come to Elim households in 3 declared disasters; the latest was in 2022.

2risk score of 100

FEMA risk score

Cold wavesInland flooding

federal disasters paid out here

Full pageElim’s hazards pageOpen the full Hazards page

What it facesVery low risk Flood claims0 paid flood claims · No paid flood claims on record Past disasters3 federal disasters · Paid out in Elim Get ready10 events a year, on average · Ready for cold waves

FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

Schools

The schools Elim’s kids attend

Its one school is below. The public schools here belong to the Bering Strait School District. Elim’s only public school teaches 90 students.

School	Level	Students	Letter
Aniguiin SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades PK–12	Grades PK–12	90	D

Full pageElim’s schools pageOpen the full Schools page

The districtsBering Strait School District Every school1 school · Aniguiin School Questions“Are Elim’s schools good?”

NCES · EDFacts

Health

More of Elim’s adults report frequent mental distress than in the typical Alaska or U.S. town

In Elim, 43% of adults have obesity. No town among the 42 in Alaska we compare has a higher share of adults who report frequent physical distress than Elim. CDC measures, 32 in all: Elim beats Alaska on 1 and trails on 24. Only 2 of the 42 Alaska towns we compare have a lower share of adults who had a checkup this year than Elim.

	Elim	Alaska towns	U.S. towns
Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES)	34%	18%	19%
Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES)	37%	16%	14%
Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES)	24%	16%	17%
Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES)	20%	13%	14%

32 measures vs. Alaska

1 better7 too close to call24 worse

What stands out	Elim	AK
Fewer adults who have had cancer	4.4%	7%
More adults facing food insecurity	44.4%	14.3%

Norton Sound Regional Hospital

70.8 mi away · emergency room

1 of 3

care shortages: mental health

Full pageElim’s health reportOpen the full Health report

Everyday habitsMore smokers Hospitals & doctors nearby70.8 miles to an ER · Norton Sound Regional Hospital How adults are doingMore adults in fair or poor health Every CDC estimateBetter than AK on 1 of 32

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA

Outdoors

0% of Elim is conserved land

1.5 miles of trail. For Elim, the trail density is 0.6 miles per square mile.

0%conserved

conserved · 0 of 1,678 acres

1.5 mi

of trails · 0.6 per sq mi

Full pageElim’s outdoors pageOpen the full Outdoors page

Trail map1.5 miles of trail, mapped Pick a walkPick a walk Conserved land0% conserved · 0 acres protected Questions“Where can I hike in Elim?”

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Elim

14pages on Elim

The big questions

Schools1 school HealthBetter than AK on 1 of 32 CDC measures Cost of livingWork & commute$37K median household income Natural hazardsFEMA risk higher than 2% of U.S. communities · cold waves

Out and about

Outdoors2 mi of trails · 0% conserved land Places

The story

HistorySettled 1920 Town Hall & politics

Day to day

NewsWeatherHandbookZIP code 99739 Town SquareNeighbors

About Elim

City in Alaska, United States

Elim (Central Yupik: Neviarcaurluq; Inupiaq: Nivviaqhchauġluq) is a city in Nome Census Area, Alaska, United States. As of the 2020 census, Elim had a population of 366.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Area: 2.4 sq mi
Elevation: 36 ft
ZIP code: 99739
Area code: 99739

Questions about Elim

Short answers, built from the data on this page.

Is Elim, AK a good place to live?

Elim has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.

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