Is Kivalina, AK a Good Place to Live?
Kivalina is a small town of 769 in Alaska, with a median household income of $68,750 and a 22.5% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 95 (US average = 100), which is 5% below the national average.
Strengths: Kivalina stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices, short average commutes.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Kivalina is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Kivalina city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 94.9Kivalina's overall cost of living index is 94.9, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Kivalina costs roughly 5% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Kivalina, AK | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $112,500 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $925 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 79.9% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $68,750 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Crime data for Kivalina is not currently available from the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program. Not all local agencies report to the UCR each year.
Schools & Education
Kivalina is served primarily by Northwest Arctic Borough School District. The student-to-teacher ratio is 15.9:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Kivalina, AK | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Northwest Arctic Borough School District | — |
| Elementary Schools | 1 | — |
| Middle Schools | N/A | — |
| High Schools | 1 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 15.9:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 2.9% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 77.8% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Kivalina sees average highs of 6.6°F in January and 56.3°F in July, with 9.7 inches of annual precipitation and 64.2 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Kivalina, AK |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 6.6°F |
| Average High — July | 56.3°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 9.7" |
| Annual Snowfall | 64.2" |
Demographics
| Metric | Kivalina, AK | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 769 | — |
| Median Age | 24.3 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 22.5% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 3.3 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 2.0% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 0.0% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 0.0% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 0.0% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 43.6% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 5.6% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Kivalina
Kivalina, AK is covered by 1 ZIP code: