Population 3,001 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Kotzebue
Household size in Kotzebue
| Period | Kotzebue | Alaska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.36 | 2.79 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 3.51 | 2.88 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 3.24 | 2.91 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 3.38 | 2.72 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.02 | −0.07 | −0.03 |
Kotzebue is a place of big households: 3.38 people per home on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. Numbers like that usually point to plenty of families with kids.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Kotzebue
| Period | Kotzebue | Alaska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 29.2 | 35.0 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 28.5 | 35.2 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 31.1 | 35.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 30.4 | 37.1 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.1 | +2.1 | +2.3 |
With a median age of just 30.4, Kotzebue is far younger than the country as a whole (40.1), a population that tilts toward young families with children. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 29.2, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Kotzebue
| Period | Kotzebue | Alaska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 22.7% | 14.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 20.2% | 13.4% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 26.5% | 12.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 20.6% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| Change | −2.1 pts | −2.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head just over one in five households in Kotzebue (20.6%), well above the national share of 11.6%.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Kotzebue
Renters in Kotzebue
| Period | Kotzebue | Alaska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 56.5% | 35.3% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 53.9% | 36.7% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 57.8% | 35.7% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 51.9% | 33.2% | 34.8% |
| Change | −4.6 pts | −2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renters far outnumber owners in Kotzebue: 51.9% of households rent their homes, against 34.8% nationally. Nearly two-thirds of owners (64.2%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Kotzebue
| Period | Kotzebue | Alaska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.5% | 14.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 17.5% | 15.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 24.5% | 16.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 20.8% | 15.2% | 9.6% |
| Change | +6.2 pts | +1.0 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Kotzebue: 20.8% of homes are empty, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Kotzebue
| Period | Kotzebue | Alaska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1981 | 1982 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1983 | 1984 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1982 | 1985 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1984 | 1987 | 1980 |
| Change | +3 | +5 | +6 |
Homes in Kotzebue are a bit newer than the national norm: the median home was built in 1984, versus 1980 across the U.S. Alaska as a whole looks much the same.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Kotzebue
| Period | Kotzebue | Alaska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,096 | $1,067 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,314 | $1,192 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,475 | $1,322 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,478 | $1,518 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$382 | +$451 | +$606 |
Rent in Kotzebue runs $1,478 a month at the median, utilities included, below the U.S. median of $1,571. That is in line with the rest of Alaska. Rent takes 16.9% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Kotzebue
Bachelor's degrees in Kotzebue
| Period | Kotzebue | Alaska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 18.4% | 26.3% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 19.4% | 26.8% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 17.1% | 29.1% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 17.8% | 31.1% | 35.6% |
| Change | −0.6 pts | +4.9 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Kotzebue have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 17.8%, against 35.6% nationally.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Kotzebue
| Period | Kotzebue | Alaska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 83.7% | 90.6% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 83.1% | 91.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 88.9% | 92.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 90.8% | 93.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +7.2 pts | +2.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
About nine in ten adults in Kotzebue have finished high school (90.8%), a bit above the national rate of 89.3%. Even so, the rate is lower than in Alaska overall (93.3%).
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Kotzebue
| Period | Kotzebue | Alaska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 20.8% | 9.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 16.0% | 9.1% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.2% | 7.6% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.3% | 6.2% | 5.4% |
| Change | −14.4 pts | −3.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment runs a little high in Kotzebue: 6.3% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. The picture is much the same across Alaska. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Kotzebue compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kotzebue | 3.38 | 30.4 | 20.6% | 51.9% | 20.8% | 1984 | $1,478 | 17.8% | 90.8% | 6.3% |
| Noorvik | 4.27 | 29.1 | 35.0% | 30.7% | 49.4% | 1991 | $963 | 7.0% | 82.3% | 30.4% |
| Noatak | 4.71 | 24.7 | 37.8% | 16.5% | 33.0% | 1986 | $1,078 | 2.7% | 82.6% | 26.0% |
| Deering | 3.82 | 24.2 | 39.2% | 19.1% | 33.2% | 1988 | $820 | 5.1% | 82.4% | 25.9% |
| Kiana | 4.27 | 29.1 | 35.0% | 30.7% | 49.4% | 1991 | $963 | 7.0% | 82.3% | 30.4% |
| Selawik | 4.65 | 18.7 | 42.6% | 33.9% | 49.4% | 1987 | $656 | 3.2% | 68.5% | 36.1% |
| Buckland | 3.82 | 24.2 | 39.2% | 19.1% | 33.2% | 1988 | $820 | 5.1% | 82.4% | 25.9% |
| Kivalina | 4.71 | 24.7 | 37.8% | 16.5% | 33.0% | 1986 | $1,078 | 2.7% | 82.6% | 26.0% |
| Shishmaref | 3.64 | 27.5 | 37.3% | 24.8% | 29.5% | 1987 | $1,046 | 7.5% | 86.4% | 24.4% |
| Ambler | 2.95 | 28.0 | 19.2% | 22.6% | 41.8% | 1991 | $950 | 1.7% | 78.6% | 15.8% |
| Shungnak | 2.95 | 28.0 | 19.2% | 22.6% | 41.8% | 1991 | $950 | 1.7% | 78.6% | 15.8% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Arp, TX · Wilton, ME · West Townsend, MA · Troy, PA · Toyahvale, TX · Tipton, MI · Tahoe City, CA · Shalimar, FL · Hoopa, CA · Honaker, VA
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Kotzebue. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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