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. It is part of the unorganized borough and therefore has no borough seat. Its largest community by far is the city of Nome.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the census area has a total area of, of which is land and is water. 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

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 10,046 and a median age of 29.8 years. 32.8% of residents were under the age of 18 and 8.4% of residents were 65 years of age or older.
For every 100 females there were 111.1 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 115.1 males age 18 and over.
The racial makeup of the county was 14.2% White, 0.5% Black or African American, 75.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 0.6% from some other race, and 8.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 1.9% of the population.
0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.
There were 3,030 households in the county, of which 46.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 25.0% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 24.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

Race / Ethnicity	Pop 1980	Pop 1990	Pop 2000	Pop 2010	Pop 2020	% 1980	% 1990	% 2000	% 2010	% 2020
White alone	1,266	1,987	1,752	1,511	1,393	19.37%	23.97%	19.05%	15.92%	13.87%
Black or African American alone	21	9	35	27	52	0.32%	0.11%	0.38%	0.28%	0.52%
Native American or Alaska Native alone	5,174	6,132	6,881	7,175	7,508	79.15%	73.99%	74.83%	75.59%	74.74%
Asian alone	32	51	62	88	109	0.49%	0.62%	0.67%	0.93%	1.09%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone	x	x	2	9	5	x	x	0.02%	0.09%	0.05%
Other race alone	17	3	2	8	25	0.26%	0.04%	0.02%	0.08%	0.25%
Mixed race or Multiracial	x	x	370	559	768	x	x	4.02%	5.89%	7.64%
Hispanic or Latino	27	106	92	115	186	0.41%	1.28%	1.00%	1.21%	1.85%
Total	6,537	8,288	9,196	9,492	10,046	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

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. There were 3,649 housing units at an average density of. 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.
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

Census-designated place

Port Clarence

Unincorporated communities

Politics

Nome Census Area is somewhat of a national bellwether, having backed the national winner all but six times since statehood. In recent years, it has become significantly Democratic, like other places with a large Native majority. Downballot, Nome has been more consistently left-wing and voted for Democrats until Mike Dunleavy's 2022 landslide.