Nome Census Area, Alaska

Nome Census Area is a census area located in the U.S. state of Alaska, mostly overlapping with the Seward Peninsula. As of the 2020 census, the population was 10,046, up from 9,492 in 2010.^[2] It is part of the unorganized borough and therefore has no borough seat. Its largest community by far is the city of Nome.

Nome Census Area
Borough
Iditarod Trail Shelter Cabins, Cape Nome Roadhouse, Cape Nome
Location within the U.S. state of Alaska
Alaska's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 64°44′N 164°11′W
Country	United States
State	Alaska
Established	1980[1]
Named after	Nome
Largest city	Nome
Area
• Total	28,278 sq mi (73,240 km2)
• Land	22,962 sq mi (59,470 km2)
• Water	5,316 sq mi (13,770 km2)  18.8%
Population  (2020)
• Total	10,046
• Estimate  (2022)	9,835
• Density	0.36/sq mi (0.14/km2)
Time zone	UTC−9 (Alaska)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−8 (ADT)
Congressional district	At-large

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the census area has a total area of 28,278 square miles (73,240 km²), of which 22,962 square miles (59,470 km²) is land and 5,316 square miles (13,770 km²) (18.8%) is water.^[3] It also includes the large offshore St. Lawrence Island, which has about 14 percent of the census area's population and two of its larger cities in Gambell and Savoonga. Nome Census Area is the 7th largest county-equivalent in the state of Alaska.

Adjacent boroughs and census areas

• Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska - north
• Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska - east
• Kusilvak Census Area, Alaska - south
• Chukotsky District, Chukotka Autonomous Okrug - west

National protected areas

• Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge (part of the Bering Sea unit)
  • Besboro Island
  • King Island
  • Sledge Island
• Bering Land Bridge National Preserve (part)
• Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge (part)
  • Andreafsky Wilderness (part)

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1960	6,091		—
1970	5,749		−5.6%
1980	6,537		13.7%
1990	8,288		26.8%
2000	9,196		11.0%
2010	9,492		3.2%
2020	10,046		5.8%
2023 (est.)	9,763	[4]	−2.8%
U.S. Decennial Census[5] 1790-1960[6] 1900-1990[7] 1990-2000[8] 2010-2020[2]

2020 Census

Races (alone or in combination with other) in Nome Census Area (2020 United States census) ^[9]

Race	Percentage of Population
White	21.83%
Black or African American	1.16%
American Indian or Alaska Native	82.57%
Asian	2.19%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0.37%
Some other race	1.26%

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 9,196 people, 2,693 households, and 1,898 families living in the census area. The population density was 0.3 people per square mile (0.12 people/km²). There were 3,649 housing units at an average density of 0 per square mile (0/km²). The racial makeup of the census area was 19.32% White, 0.38% Black or African American, 75.20% Native American, 0.67% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.20% from other races, and 4.21% from two or more races. 1.00% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 16.32% reported speaking a Yupik language at home, while 8.75% speak Inupiaq; a further 2.02% reported speaking "Eskimo", a term that covers both Yupik and Inupiaq.^[10]

Of the 2,693 households, 45.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.40% were married couples living together, 15.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.50% were non-families. 23.20% of households were one person, and 3.30% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 3.33 and the average family size was 4.01.

In the census area 37.10% of the population was under the age of 18, 9.30% was from 18 to 24, 29.00% from 25 to 44, 18.60% from 45 to 64, and 5.90% was 65 or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females, there were 117.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 122.70 males.

Communities

Cities

• Brevig Mission
• Diomede
• Elim
• Gambell
• Golovin
• Koyuk
• Nome
• Savoonga
• Shaktoolik
• Shishmaref
• St. Michael
• Stebbins
• Teller
• Unalakleet
• Wales
• White Mountain

Census-designated place

• Port Clarence

Unincorporated communities

• Haycock
• Solomon

Politics

United States presidential election results for Nome Census Area, Alaska^[11]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	1,167	41.78%	1,424	50.98%	202	7.23%
2020	1,287	35.09%	2,131	58.10%	250	6.82%
2016	935	28.40%	1,689	51.31%	668	20.29%
2012	1,096	30.80%	2,264	63.61%	199	5.59%
2008	1,618	48.31%	1,728	51.60%	3	0.09%
2004	1,489	52.91%	1,171	41.61%	154	5.47%
2000	1,637	51.51%	1,217	38.29%	324	10.20%
1996	1,206	40.42%	1,444	48.39%	334	11.19%
1992	1,147	38.01%	1,222	40.49%	649	21.50%
1988	1,452	57.17%	993	39.09%	95	3.74%
1984	1,657	59.60%	1,059	38.09%	64	2.30%
1980	938	43.41%	953	44.10%	270	12.49%
1976	989	51.16%	887	45.89%	57	2.95%
1972	911	49.48%	812	44.11%	118	6.41%
1968	817	44.21%	929	50.27%	102	5.52%
1964	410	23.60%	1,327	76.40%	0	0.00%
1960	1,007	55.98%	792	44.02%	0	0.00%

Nome Census Area is somewhat of a national bellwether, having backed the national winner all but six times since statehood: in 1960, 1968, 1976, 1980, 2016, and 2024.

See also

• List of airports in the Nome Census Area
• Army Peak