Population 559 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Shishmaref
Household size in Shishmaref
| Period | Shishmaref | Alaska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.28 | 2.79 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 3.94 | 2.88 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 3.44 | 2.91 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 3.64 | 2.72 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.64 | −0.07 | −0.03 |
Shishmaref is a place of big households: 3.64 people per home on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. Numbers like that usually point to plenty of families with kids. Household size has dropped from 4.28 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
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 Shishmaref
| Period | Shishmaref | Alaska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 18.9 | 35.0 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 23.7 | 35.2 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 26.4 | 35.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 27.5 | 37.1 | 40.1 |
| Change | +8.6 | +2.1 | +2.3 |
With a median age of just 27.5, Shishmaref is far younger than the country as a whole (40.1), a population that tilts toward families with many children.
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 Shishmaref
| Period | Shishmaref | Alaska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 41.4% | 14.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 43.6% | 13.4% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 34.7% | 12.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 37.3% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| Change | −4.1 pts | −2.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head nearly four in ten households in Shishmaref (37.3%), 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 Shishmaref
Renters in Shishmaref
| Period | Shishmaref | Alaska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 37.9% | 35.3% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 36.5% | 36.7% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 28.5% | 35.7% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 24.8% | 33.2% | 34.8% |
| Change | −13.2 pts | −2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Shishmaref is largely a place of homeowners: only 24.8% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Among homeowners, 77.0% have no mortgage at all, 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 Shishmaref
| Period | Shishmaref | Alaska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 33.6% | 14.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 26.2% | 15.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 37.3% | 16.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 29.5% | 15.2% | 9.6% |
| Change | −4.1 pts | +1.0 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Shishmaref: 29.5% 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 Shishmaref
| Period | Shishmaref | Alaska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1982 | 1982 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1977 | 1984 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1979 | 1985 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1987 | 1987 | 1980 |
| Change | +5 | +5 | +6 |
Homes in Shishmaref are newer than the national norm: the median home was built in 1987, versus 1980 across the U.S. That is in line with the rest of Alaska.
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 Shishmaref
| Period | Shishmaref | Alaska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $546 | $1,067 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $564 | $1,192 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $800 | $1,322 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,046 | $1,518 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$500 | +$451 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Shishmaref costs $1,046 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent takes 16.7% 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 Shishmaref
Bachelor's degrees in Shishmaref
| Period | Shishmaref | Alaska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.5% | 26.3% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 3.2% | 26.8% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 8.5% | 29.1% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 7.5% | 31.1% | 35.6% |
| Change | +1.0 pts | +4.9 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Shishmaref: 7.5% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%.
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 Shishmaref
| Period | Shishmaref | Alaska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 78.4% | 90.6% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 77.2% | 91.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 81.4% | 92.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 86.4% | 93.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +8.1 pts | +2.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
Nearly one in seven adults in Shishmaref never finished high school, a bit more than nationally: 86.4% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S.
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 Shishmaref
| Period | Shishmaref | Alaska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 24.3% | 9.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.9% | 9.1% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 16.9% | 7.6% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 24.4% | 6.2% | 5.4% |
| Change | +0.1 pts | −3.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Shishmaref runs well above the national rate: 24.4% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4%. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's 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).
Shishmaref 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shishmaref | 3.64 | 27.5 | 37.3% | 24.8% | 29.5% | 1987 | $1,046 | 7.5% | 86.4% | 24.4% |
| Brevig Mission | 3.64 | 27.5 | 37.3% | 24.8% | 29.5% | 1987 | $1,046 | 7.5% | 86.4% | 24.4% |
| Teller | 3.64 | 27.5 | 37.3% | 24.8% | 29.5% | 1987 | $1,046 | 7.5% | 86.4% | 24.4% |
| Wales | 3.64 | 27.5 | 37.3% | 24.8% | 29.5% | 1987 | $1,046 | 7.5% | 86.4% | 24.4% |
| Deering | 3.82 | 24.2 | 39.2% | 19.1% | 33.2% | 1988 | $820 | 5.1% | 82.4% | 25.9% |
| Kotzebue | 3.38 | 30.4 | 20.6% | 51.9% | 20.8% | 1984 | $1,478 | 17.8% | 90.8% | 6.3% |
| Kivalina | 4.71 | 24.7 | 37.8% | 16.5% | 33.0% | 1986 | $1,078 | 2.7% | 82.6% | 26.0% |
| Nome | 2.95 | 31.0 | 18.2% | 43.6% | 32.4% | 1982 | $1,620 | 23.9% | 94.6% | 8.7% |
| Noatak | 4.71 | 24.7 | 37.8% | 16.5% | 33.0% | 1986 | $1,078 | 2.7% | 82.6% | 26.0% |
| White Mountain | 3.64 | 27.5 | 37.3% | 24.8% | 29.5% | 1987 | $1,046 | 7.5% | 86.4% | 24.4% |
| Buckland | 3.82 | 24.2 | 39.2% | 19.1% | 33.2% | 1988 | $820 | 5.1% | 82.4% | 25.9% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Atlanta, MO · Tranquillity, TN · Uncertain, TX · Bar Mills, ME · Bancroft, ID · Balmorhea, TX · Austin, KY · Augsburg, AR · Attica Center, NY · Ascutney, VT
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 Shishmaref. 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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