Selawik’s typical journey to work 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 Selawik. 29% of the land in Selawik is conserved, above both Alaska’s towns (15%) and U.S. towns (4.3%). The biggest park or preserve is Selawik National Wildlife Refuge, at 397 acres. Selawik has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.

Small town

729 people, and everyone knows the way

In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.

Selawik women, 1929

Selawik’s story

146 years in pictures

Census counts: 100 in 1880, 809 in 2020. The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 1929 and a map from 1951 on.

1880Selawik is settled

Explore the history →

Getting set up

Moving to Selawik: who provides what

Who provides power, water and the rest in Selawik, and how to reach them.

The full setup list →

PowerAlaska Village Elec Coop65.9¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA

WaterSelawik Safewater Facility25 health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA

InternetProviders and speedsData pending · D4

Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Selawik’s trash rules yet

SchoolsNorthwest Arctic 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 code9977099770 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 Selawik.

Schools

The schools Selawik’s kids attend

It has one school. Public schools: the Northwest Arctic Borough School District. Selawik’s only public school teaches 252 students.

School	Level	Students	Letter

Full pageSelawik’s schools pageOpen the page

The districtsNorthwest Arctic Borough School District Every school1 school · Davis-Ramoth School Questions“Are Selawik’s schools good?”

NCES · EDFacts

Natural hazards

Selawik has a very low natural-hazard risk, chiefly from cold waves

For Selawik, the risk rating from FEMA is 7 of 100. FEMA puts 92% of the town’s expected hazard losses down to cold waves. Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 93% of U.S. communities.

7risk score of 100

FEMA risk score

Cold waves

Full pageSelawik’s hazards pageOpen the page

What it facesVery low risk Flood claims0 paid flood claims · No paid flood claims on record Past disasters5 disaster declarations · Declared for the county Get ready9.8 events a year, on average · Ready for cold waves

FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

Outdoors

Selawik has set aside nearly a quarter of its land for conservation

Trails total 0.7 miles in 1 park or preserve. Selawik’s trail density stands at 0.2 miles per square mile.

28.7%conserved

28.7%

conserved · 537 of 1,871 acres

0.7 mi

of trails · 0.2 per sq mi

Biggest places to walk	Trails	Acres
1. Selawik National Wildlife Refuge	—	397

Full pageSelawik’s outdoors pageOpen the page

Trail map0.7 miles of trail, mapped Pick a walk397 acres · Selawik National Wildlife Refuge Conserved land28.7% conserved · 537 acres protected Questions“Where can I hike in Selawik?”

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

Health

A larger share of adults in Selawik say their health is fair or poor than in the typical Alaska or U.S. town

65% of adults had a checkup this year in Selawik. Of the 42 Alaska towns we compare, none has a higher share of adults who feel lonely than Selawik. Two figures for adults in the town: 35% smoke cigarettes, 24% report frequent mental distress. This Alaska town beats the Alaska average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 25.

	Selawik	Alaska towns	U.S. towns
Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES)	35%	18%	19%
Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES)	35%	16%	14%
Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES)	24%	16%	17%
Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES)	21%	13%	14%

32 measures vs. Alaska

1 better6 too close to call25 worse

What stands out	Selawik	AK
Fewer adults who have had cancer	4.7%	7%
More adults facing food insecurity	42.5%	14.3%

Maniilaq Health Center

57.1 mi away · emergency room

1 of 3

care shortages: mental health

Full pageSelawik’s health reportOpen the page

Everyday habitsMore smokers Hospitals & doctors nearby57.1 miles to an ER · Maniilaq Health Center How adults are doingMore adults in fair or poor health Every CDC estimateBetter than AK on 1 of 32

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

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Selawik

14pages on Selawik

The big questions

Schools1 school HealthBetter than AK on 1 of 32 CDC measures Cost of livingWork & commute$53K median household income Natural hazardsFEMA risk higher than 7% of U.S. communities · cold waves

Out and about

Outdoors1 mi of trails · 29% conserved land Places

The story

HistorySettled 1880 Town Hall & politicsOne full-time town employee per 146 residents

Day to day

NewsWeatherHandbookZIP code 99770 Town SquareNeighbors

About Selawik

City in Alaska, United States

Selawik () (Iñupiaq: Siiḷ(i)vik or Akuliġaq) is a city in Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska, United States. As of the 2020 census, Selawik had a population of 809. Selawik comes from siiḷivik, which means "place of sheefish" in Inupiaq.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Established: 1977
Area: 4.1 sq mi
Elevation: 0 ft
ZIP code: 99770
Area code: 99770

Questions about Selawik

Short answers, built from the data on this page.

Is Selawik, AK a good place to live?

Selawik has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.

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