Alaska›North Slope Borough

Prudhoe BayAK

A town in Alaska, home to 1,664 people.

Population

1,664

Census survey, 2020–24

Median age

40.0

years

Is Prudhoe Bay a good place to live?

The best of Prudhoe Bay’s subject grades is an A− for health; the weakest is a C for schools. Prudhoe Bay’s typical July afternoon high is 55°F, where Alaska’s towns sit at 66°F and U.S. towns at 85°F. On incomes, just 4 of Alaska’s 68 towns do better. 79% of the land in Prudhoe Bay is conserved, above both Alaska’s towns (15%) and U.S. towns (4.3%). Prudhoe Bay has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.

StrongestA⁺Hazard risk A⁻HealthWeakestCSchools

What makes Prudhoe Bay stand out

Where Prudhoe Bay beats most towns.

Natural hazardsA⁺

Lower risk than 99% of U.S. communities

Very low risk of storm and flood damage

FEMA National Risk Index.

32 measures vs. Alaska

16 better13 too close to call3 worse

Widest gap	Prudhoe Bay	AK
Fewer adults facing food insecurity	9.6%	14.3%

HealthA⁻

Healthier than 78% of U.S. towns

Beats AK on 16 of 32 CDC measures, trails it on 3

Less healthyHealthier

CDC PLACES 2025 estimates.

A shrinking town

Prudhoe Bay has shrunk 40% from 2010 to 2020

2,174 counted in 2010 and 1,310 in 2020.

2,1742010

1,3102020

U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts

How Prudhoe Bay grades

Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Alaska), ordered by how far Prudhoe Bay is from typical.

How grading works

Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 0% of U.S. communities; cold waves top the listA⁺Open →HealthGraded on how healthy residents areA⁻Open →SchoolsBehind 75% of Alaska districts on tests and graduationCOpen →Jobs & income6.3% below the poverty lineB⁺Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 3 of 20; 47.8% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB⁻Open →

Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.

OutdoorsLess open land and fewer trails than mostC⁻Open →

Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.

Who lives hereMedian age 40.0; 19% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →

How TownRatings grades towns →

Getting set up

Moving to Prudhoe Bay: who provides what

Prudhoe Bay is unincorporated, so North Slope Borough and regional agencies provide most services.

PowerBarrow Utils & Elec CoopEIAHIFLD · EIA

InternetProviders and speedsData pending · D4

Trash & county servicesNorth Slope BoroughNorth Slope Borough provides services here

SchoolsNorth Slope Borough School DistrictWhich school depends on your addressNCES

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.gov

Who runs elections hereAbsentee and Petition OfficeState of Alaska; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025

ZIP codes99734, 9951999734 79% · 99519 17%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 Prudhoe Bay.

OutdoorsC⁻

Open space protected for good: nearly a third of Prudhoe Bay

25 miles of trail. Among 42 Alaska towns, just one has a lower concentration of trails than Prudhoe Bay.

78.9%conserved

78.9%

conserved · 284,782 of 360,762 acres

25 mi

of trails · 0 per sq mi

Full pagePrudhoe Bay’s outdoors pageOpen the page

Trail map25 miles of trail, mapped Pick a walkPick a walk Conserved land78.9% conserved · 284,782 acres protected Questions“Where can I hike in Prudhoe Bay?”

Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US

Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A⁺

Very low risk in Prudhoe Bay, with cold waves at the top

Only 3 of the 41 Alaska towns we compare have a lower risk rating from FEMA than Prudhoe Bay. FEMA puts just over four fifths of the town’s expected hazard losses down to cold waves, and 9% to earthquakes. Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 100% of U.S. communities.

0risk score of 100

FEMA risk score

Cold wavesEarthquakesInland flooding

Full pagePrudhoe Bay’s hazards pageOpen the page

What it facesVery low risk Flood claims0 paid flood claims · No paid flood claims on record Past disasters6 disaster declarations · Declared for the county Get ready15 events a year, on average · Ready for cold waves

FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

HealthA⁻

Fewer of Prudhoe Bay’s adults report frequent physical distress than in the typical Alaska or U.S. town

In Prudhoe Bay, 16% of adults smoke cigarettes. No town among the 42 in Alaska we compare has a lower share of adults who feel lonely than Prudhoe Bay. 61% of adults here had a checkup this year; 16% have been diagnosed with depression. Only 2 of the 42 Alaska towns we compare have a lower share of adults who say their health is fair or poor than Prudhoe Bay.

78%healthier than U.S. townsA⁻Health Grade

	Prudhoe Bay	Alaska towns	U.S. towns
Binge drink (CDC PLACES)	26%	18%	16%
Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES)	61%	68%	79%
Depression (CDC PLACES)	16%	21%	23%
Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES)	14%	16%	17%

32 measures vs. Alaska

16 better13 too close to call3 worse

What stands out	Prudhoe Bay	AK
Fewer adults facing food insecurity	9.6%	14.3%
Fewer adults with COPD	4.1%	6.1%
More binge drinkers	25.6%	17.6%

2 of 3

care shortages: primary care, mental health

Full pagePrudhoe Bay’s health reportOpen the page

Everyday habitsMore binge drinkers Hospitals & doctors nearbyHospitals & doctors nearby How adults are doingFewer adults in fair or poor health Every CDC estimateBetter than AK on 16 of 32

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA

Climate

Prudhoe Bay stands out in Alaska and nationally: a typical January night there is colder

Prudhoe Bay brings cold, snowy winters and cool summers, with very little rain. July afternoons reach 55°, January nights drop to -22° and about 36 inches of snow falls in a winter.

36″snow a winter