Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Nome's standout: natural-hazard risk is low. Overall it grades C−, ranked 39th of 41 in Alaska. It is more walkable than 93% of U.S. towns. Its weakest subject is safety: it reports more crime per resident than 91% of U.S. towns, including 41 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025. Nome’s average trip to work is 6 minutes, below both the Alaska town median (21 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). On cost of living, just 4 of Alaska’s 65 towns do worse. Nome has 5 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Cape Nome Mining District Discovery Sites and Anvil Creek Gold Discovery Site.
Where Nome beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Alaska), ordered by how far Nome is from typical.
Its grades run from A+ for hazard risk (better than 99% of comparable towns) to D for safety (better than 9%), so the C− overall blends very different results.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Cape Nome Mining District Discovery Sites is one of 2 National Historic Landmarks here, the National Register’s top tier.
Census counts: 12,488 in 1900, a low of 852 in 1920, 3,699 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1898 and a map from 1950 on.
5 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Nome, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Nome.
Nome carries less natural-hazard risk than most of Alaska (mostly cold waves) and has a shorter frost-free season than nearly all U.S. towns, but it is a long drive from an emergency room.
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk lower than 85% of Alaska towns; that rating is what its A+ for hazard risk is built on.
The FEMA risk score in Nome is 2 of 100. Since 1992, 20 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Nome.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Its public schools are run by the Nome Public Schools. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nome ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 306 | C |
| Nome-Beltz Middle/HighLargest public high schoolGrades 6–12 | Grades 6–12 | 274 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within AK on state tests and graduation
Nome’s violent crime rate is 11.2 per 1,000 residents. Nome reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 91% report less. Within Alaska, it does better than 29% of towns.
| Nome | Alaska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 11.2 per 1,000 residents | 3.3 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 6.6 per 1,000 residents | 9.3 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
The Nome Muni Ap weather station records that the frost-free season runs about 88 days, shorter than in 99% of U.S. towns. The Nome Muni Ap weather station records that 81 inches of snow fall in a normal winter, more than in 95% of U.S. towns.
Nome has cold, snowy winters and cool summers, with very little rain. Among 41 Alaska towns, just 2 have a lower July high than Nome.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
2.8 miles of trail in 0 parks and preserves.
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The nearest emergency room, Norton Sound Regional Hospital, is 27.7 miles away in a straight line. Within Alaska it is less healthy than 72% of the 41 graded towns: Alaska sets a high bar.
28% of Nome adults have high blood pressure. Nome beats the Alaska average on 3 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 7. 20% of Nome adults have been diagnosed with depression.
| Nome | Alaska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 64% | 68% | 79% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 17% | 16% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 15% | 14% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 34% | 36% |
| What stands out | Nome | AK |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5.5% | 7% |
| Fewer adults with arthritis | 19.4% | 23.3% |
| More adults without reliable transportation | 11.7% | 9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
People 65 and older are 9% of residents (14% statewide); children under 18 are 29% of residents (24% statewide). 30% of residents are under 18 in Nome. Among 41 Alaska towns, just 3 have a lower median age than Nome.
| Nome | Alaska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 30% | 24% | 22% |
| Median age | 31.4 years | 37 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 8.4% | 13% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 22% | 29% | 29% |
52% women, 48% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±3.7 points. Across Alaska, 47.5% of residents are women.
| Nome | AK | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 14.9% | 13.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 14.5% | 10.9% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 10.3% | 9.2% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 15.1% | 15.4% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.4% | 14.2% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.2% | 11.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 11.1% | 11.9% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 5.5% | 9.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 3% | 4.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 5.6% | 6.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 39.1% | 28.9% | 26% |
| Some college | 27.8% | 24% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 5.5% | 9.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 12.6% | 19.8% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 9.5% | 11.8% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 3,700, single groups can be off by several points
5 places in Nome on the National Register of Historic Places.
12 notable people were born in Nome.
City in Alaska, U.S.
Nome (; Inupiaq: Sitŋasuaq, pronounced [sitŋɐsuɑq], also Sitŋazuaq, Siqnazuaq) is a city in the Nome Census Area in the Unorganized Borough of the US state of Alaska. The city is located on the southern Seward Peninsula coast on the Norton Sound of the Bering Sea. It had a population of 3,699 in 2020, up from 3,598 in 2010. Nome was incorporated on April 9, 1901. It was once the most populous city in Alaska. Nome lies within the region of the Bering Straits Native Corporation, which is headquartered in Nome. Prior to being settled by non-indigenous people, the area around Nome was home to Iñupiat natives. The area came to world attention in 1898, when three Nordic-Americans discovered gold …
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Nome grades C− overall, better than 18% of U.S. towns and #39 of 41 in Alaska. It grades B for health, D for safety and C+ for schools. Safety is its weak spot, with a D.
Within Alaska, it does better than 29% of towns.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.
12 notable people were born here, including L. James Sullivan and Donald Olson.
