Hooper Bay homes, 1929
Hooper Bay’s story
146 years in pictures
Census counts: 175 in 1880, 1,375 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1929 and a map from 1952 on.
- 1880Hooper Bay is settled
Hooper BayAK
A town of 1,297, settled in 1880.
Photo: Thester11 · CC BY 3.0
Population
1,297
2025 Census estimate · −5.5% since 2020
Median home value
$150K
Census ACS
Household income
$50K
median
Median age
27.8
years
Land area
9 sq mi
Is Hooper Bay a good place to live?
The best of Hooper Bay’s subject grades is an A− for walkability; the weakest is a D− for health. Hooper Bay’s average trip to work is 5 minutes, where Alaska’s towns sit at 21 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. No town in Alaska scores lower than Hooper Bay on health. The median household income is $50K, and 23% of residents live below the poverty line. Hooper Bay’s trail density is 1.3 miles per square mile, against 0.4 in Alaska’s towns and 0.4 across U.S. towns. No town in Alaska scores lower than Hooper Bay on civic life. Hooper Bay has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Hooper Bay stand out
Where Hooper Bay beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Natural hazardsA+
Lower risk than 99% of U.S. communities
Very low risk of storm and flood damage
FEMA National Risk Index.
WalkabilityA−
More walkable than 80% of U.S. towns
32.3% of workers walk, bike or ride transit
EPA National Walkability Index; Census ACS.
32 measures vs. Alaska
1 better5 too close to call26 worse
| Widest gap | Hooper Bay | AK |
|---|---|---|
| More adults facing food insecurity | 47.8% | 14.3% |
Worth knowing · HealthD−
Less healthy than 99% of U.S. towns
Trails AK on 26 of 32 CDC measures, beats it on 1
Less healthyHealthier
CDC PLACES 2025 estimates.
A growing town
Hooper Bay has grown 19% since 2010
1,093 counted in 2010 and 1,375 in 2020; an estimated 1,297 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
How Hooper Bay grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Alaska), ordered by how far Hooper Bay is from typical.
Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 0% of U.S. communities; cold waves tops the listA+Open →HealthNear the bottom of U.S. towns on CDC estimatesD−Open →Jobs & income22.7% below the poverty lineD−Open →SchoolsDOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.7 of 20; 89.3% of households have no carA−Open →Cost of livingTypical home $150K, 2.9 years of the county’s $51K median household incomeBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors9 miles of trails; 3% conserved landCOpen →HistoryDOpen →Civic life0 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsCOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Hooper Bay: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Hooper Bay, and how to reach them.
PowerAlaska Village Elec Coop65.9¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of Hooper Bay water system3 health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
InternetProviders and speedsData pending · D4
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Hooper Bay’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 code9960499604 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 Hooper Bay.
HealthD−
Compared with most of Alaska and the rest of the country, more of Hooper Bay’s adults say their health is fair or poor
38% of Hooper Bay adults say their health is fair or poor. No town among the 42 in Alaska we compare has a higher share of adults who report frequent mental distress than Hooper Bay. 22% of Hooper Bay adults report frequent physical distress.
1%healthier than U.S. townsD−Health Grade
| Hooper Bay | Alaska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 18% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 16% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 16% | 17% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 13% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Alaska
1 better5 too close to call26 worse
| What stands out | Hooper Bay | AK |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 4.5% | 7% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 47.8% | 14.3% |
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
SchoolsD
Hooper Bay’s public schools trail 90% of Alaska districts
Its public schools are run by the Lower Yukon School District. Its two schools are below. The largest public high school is Hooper Bay School, with 364 students.
10%of AK districts it outscoresDSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hooper Bay Charter SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 4–8 | Grades 4–8 | 65 | C− |
| Hooper Bay SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades PK–12 | Grades PK–12 | 364 | D− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within AK on state tests and graduation
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A+
Hooper Bay faces a very low natural-hazard risk, led by cold waves
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 100% of U.S. communities.
0risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Cold waves
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
OutdoorsC
Hooper Bay has set aside 3.1% of its land for conservation
9.2 miles of trail in 0 parks and preserves.
3.1%conserved
3.1%
conserved · 142 of 4,640 acres
9.2 mi
of trails · 1.3 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Hooper Bay
14pages on Hooper Bay
The big questions
Out and about
Small town
1,297 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
About Hooper Bay
Town in Alaska
Hooper Bay (Central Yupik: Naparyarmiut) is a city in Kusilvak Census Area, Alaska, United States. At the 2020 census the population was 1,375, up from 1,093 in 2010. On August 3, 2006, a major fire destroyed approximately fifteen acres of the city including thirty-five structures, twelve homes, the elementary school, middle school, high school, teacher housing complex, stores, offices and storage shelters, leaving 70 people homeless.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1966
- Area
- 8.5 sq mi
- Elevation
- 26 ft
- ZIP code
- 99604
- Area code
- 907
Questions about Hooper Bay
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Hooper Bay, AK expensive?
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.