Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
3 people call this town in Alaska home.
67% of residents live below the poverty line in McCarthy, where Alaska’s towns sit at 8.8% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. 85% of the land in McCarthy is conserved, above both Alaska’s towns (15%) and U.S. towns (4.3%). The biggest place to walk is Wrangell-Saint Elias National Preserve, 71,820 acres with 34.3 miles of trail. McCarthy has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Census counts: 127 in 1920, a low of 25 in 1990, 107 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1898 and 2 maps from 1959 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →3 places in McCarthy on the National Register of Historic Places.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Ordered by what stands out in McCarthy.
Across 3 parks and preserves run 39 miles of trail. Between them, the parks and preserves give McCarthy 98,324 acres of open land. Also worth knowing: its trail network density is 0.3 miles per square mile.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Wrangell-Saint Elias National Preserve | 34.3 mi | 71,820 |
| 2. Wrangell-Saint Elias National Park | 4.9 mi | 22,918 |
| 3. Wrangell-Saint Elias Wilderness | — | 3,586 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 84% of U.S. communities. FEMA puts just over three quarters of McCarthy’s expected hazard losses down to avalanches, and 11% to earthquakes.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
McCarthy’s peak summer temperature works out to 71°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Only 3 of the 42 Alaska towns we compare have a higher share of adults who binge drink than McCarthy. 14% of adults report frequent physical distress locally. Among adults locally, 68% had a checkup this year and 19% smoke cigarettes.
| McCarthy | Typical Alaska town | Typical U.S. town | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 18% | 16% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 68% | 68% | 79% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 16% | 14% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 32% | 33% |
| What stands out | McCarthy | AK |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 17.8% | 13.5% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 8.5% | 7% |
| More adults with heart disease | 6.9% | 5.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
McCarthy is unincorporated, so Copper River Census Area and regional agencies provide most services.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026.
84.7% of the town is conserved land, across 3 parks and preserves.
None within 15 miles of McCarthy; the nearest are
About 0 of every 100 McCarthy residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across Alaska.
CDP in Alaska, United States
McCarthy is a census-designated place (CDP) in Copper River Census Area, Alaska, United States. It is in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve. The population was 107 at the 2020 census, up from 28 in 2010.
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Short answers, built from the data on this page.
McCarthy has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real. 3 people call this town in Alaska home.
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