Sts. Sergius and Herman of Valaam Church · National Register of Historic Places
Nanwalek’s story
Nanwalek in pictures
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →NanwalekAK
199 people live in this town in Alaska.
1 bordering townMap →
Sts. Sergius and Herman of Valaam Church · Photo: Jet Lowe · Public domain
Population
199
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$131K
Census ACS
Household income
$69K
median
Median age
19.6
years
Land area
8 sq mi
Is Nanwalek a good place to live?
Nanwalek’s mean commuting time is 6 minutes, below both Alaska’s towns (21 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes). No town among the 42 in Alaska we compare has a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than Nanwalek. Nanwalek has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
199 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Port GrahamNanwalek
Getting set up
Moving to Nanwalek: who provides what
Nanwalek is unincorporated, so Kenai Peninsula Borough and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerChugach Electric Assn23.0¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterNanwalek water system2 health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
InternetProviders and speedsData pending · D4
Trash & county servicesKenai Peninsula BoroughKenai Peninsula Borough provides services here
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 code9960399603 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 Nanwalek.
Natural hazards
Nanwalek faces a very high natural-hazard risk, led by avalanches
85% of Nanwalek’s expected losses from natural hazards come from avalanches, followed by earthquakes at 9%. Expected damage from storms and floods is higher here than in 91% of U.S. communities.
91risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
AvalanchesEarthquakesTsunamis
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Schools
The schools Nanwalek’s kids attend
Its one school is below. The public schools here belong to the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District. Nanwalek’s only public school teaches 60 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nanwalek SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades PK–12 | Grades PK–12 | 60 | D |
NCES · EDFacts
Climate
In Nanwalek, expect four seasons and pleasant summers
The typical July afternoon high in Nanwalek is 62°F.
62°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter23–32°
Spring30–43°
Summer47–60°
Fall34–45°
Oct 1
typical first frost
May 10
typical last frost
62°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
A larger share of adults report frequent physical distress in Nanwalek than in most of Alaska or the rest of the country
Of the 42 Alaska towns we compare, none has a higher share of adults who have diabetes than Nanwalek. Among adults locally, 38% feel lonely. 31% of adults in Nanwalek worry about having enough food; 61% had a checkup this year.
| Nanwalek | Alaska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 16% | 14% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 13% | 14% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 61% | 68% | 79% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 13% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Alaska
1 better8 too close to call23 worse
| What stands out | Nanwalek | AK |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5.2% | 7% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 31.3% | 14.3% |
South Peninsula Hospital
26.6 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Outdoors
0% of Nanwalek is conserved land
2.9 miles of trail. In Nanwalek, the trail density is 0.4 miles per square mile.
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 5,326 acres
2.9 mi
of trails · 0.3 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Nanwalek
16pages on Nanwalek
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Nanwalek; the nearest are
About 6 of every 100 Nanwalek residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Alaska.
About Nanwalek
Census-designated place in Alaska, United States
Nanwalek (‘place by lagoon’; Russian: Нануалек), formerly Alexandrovsk (Russian: Александровск) and later English Bay, is a census-designated place (CDP) in the Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska, United States, that contains a traditional Alutiiq village. The population was 247 at the 2020 United States census, down from 254 in 2010. There is one school located in the community, attended by 81 students. Subsistence activities are a large part of the culture for indigenous people, and Nanwalek is no exception, especially when it comes to salmon and seal harvesting. The sale of alcohol is banned in the village, although importing and possession are allowed.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 8.4 sq mi
Questions about Nanwalek
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Nanwalek, AK a good place to live?
Nanwalek has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real. 199 people live in this town in Alaska.