Village of Nuiksut, 1972
Nuiqsut’s story
46 years in pictures
Census counts: 208 in 1980, 512 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1972 and a map from 1955 on.
- 1980Nuiqsut is settled
NuiqsutAK
A town settled in 1980, now home to 481 people.
Photo: National Park Service · Public domain
Population
481
2025 Census estimate · −6.1% since 2020
Median home value
$140K
Census ACS
Household income
$78K
median
Median age
29.6
years
Land area
9 sq mi
Is Nuiqsut a good place to live?
Nuiqsut’s average commute is 8 minutes, below both Alaska’s towns (21 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes). Of the 42 Alaska towns we compare, none has a higher share of children under 18 than Nuiqsut. Nuiqsut has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
481 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Nuiqsut: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Nuiqsut, and how to reach them.
PowerBarrow Utils & Elec CoopEIAHIFLD · EIA
WaterNsbu - Nuiqsut water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet1 providers85% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Nuiqsut’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 code9978999789 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 Nuiqsut.
Natural hazards
Nuiqsut has a very low natural-hazard risk, chiefly from cold waves
The FEMA hazard score for Nuiqsut comes to 1 of 100. 83% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from cold waves, followed by inland flooding at 8%. Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 99% of U.S. communities.
1risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Cold wavesInland flooding
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Schools
The schools Nuiqsut’s kids attend
The public schools here belong to the North Slope Borough School District. Its one school is below. Enrollment at Nuiqsut’s public school: 143 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nuiqsut Trapper SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades PK–12 | Grades PK–12 | 143 | D− |
NCES · EDFacts
Climate
Snowy winters and pleasant summers: that is Nuiqsut’s year
For Nuiqsut, the typical July afternoon high is 58°F.
58″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter-21–-7°
Spring-3–11°
Summer38–53°
Fall12–24°
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
More of Nuiqsut’s adults smoke cigarettes than in the typical Alaska or U.S. town
The share of adults in Nuiqsut who say their health is fair or poor: 28%. Of the 42 Alaska towns we compare, none has a higher share of adults who get no exercise outside work than Nuiqsut. 24% of adults in Nuiqsut report frequent mental distress; 40% feel lonely. The town beats the Alaska average on 3 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 22.
| Nuiqsut | Alaska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 16% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 16% | 17% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 32% | 33% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 36% | 13% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Alaska
3 better7 too close to call22 worse
| What stands out | Nuiqsut | AK |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 4% | 7% |
| Fewer adults with arthritis | 19% | 23.3% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 35.5% | 14.3% |
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Nuiqsut
15pages on Nuiqsut
The big questions
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Nuiqsut; the nearest are
About 0 of every 100 Nuiqsut residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across Alaska.
About Nuiqsut
City in Alaska, United States
Nuiqsut (Inupiaq: Nuiqsat, IPA: [nuiχsɐt]) is a city in North Slope Borough, Alaska, United States. The population was 512 at the 2020 Census and 92.5% Alaska Native. It is located in the midst of a vast quantity of oil reserves and the closest community to ConocoPhillips oil drilling project named Willow Project in the Alpine, Alaska oil field of the National Petroleum Reserve–Alaska. It owns the surface rights, but not the subsurface rights of the Alpine field, which are with the regional Arctic Slope Regional Corporation.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 9.4 sq mi
- Elevation
- 23 ft
- ZIP code
- 99789
- Area code
- 99789
Questions about Nuiqsut
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Nuiqsut, AK a good place to live?
Nuiqsut has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.