The Town FilesKipnuk, Alaska
Community in Bethel Census Area · population 704 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $51,000
- Household income
- $45,250
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 0
- Median age
- 25.7
Kipnuk is a community of 704 people in Bethel Census Area, Alaska. The median home is worth $51,000, below the typical Alaska town ($289,500). It ranks better transit than 77% of Alaska towns.
How Kipnuk ranks
Percentile among Alaska towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Alaska towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Kipnuk is worth $51,000, below the typical Alaska town ($289,500). Homes cost about 1.1 times the median household income of $45,250, which is more affordable than 97% of Alaska towns. Median rent is $838 a month. 78.5% of households own their home.
| Housing | Kipnuk | Typical Alaska town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $51,000 | $289,500 |
| Median rent | $838 | $1,146 |
| Median household income | $45,250 | $78,155 |
| Home value ÷ income | 1.1× | 3.3× |
| Homeownership | 78.5% | 72.6% |
| Median year built | 1991 | 1989 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Kipnuk
| People | Kipnuk | Typical Alaska town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 25.7 | 37.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 7.1% | 13.2% |
| Under 18 | 39.0% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 3.6% | 22.4% |
| Below the poverty line | 48.3% | 11.9% |
| Veterans | 5.6% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 0.0% | — |
| Work from home | 0.0% | 7.4% |
| Average commute | 4.8 min | 12.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 85.3% | 88.6% |
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
NOAA's Storm Events Database has no tornado within 10 miles of Kipnuk since 1950.
Severe weather in Bethel Census Area since 1996
Bethel Census Area has been included in 20 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, freezing.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| October 22, 2025 | Flood | DR-4893: Severe Storms, Flooding, And Remnants Of Typhoon Halong |
| August 23, 2023 | Flood | DR-4730: Flooding |
| September 23, 2022 | Severe Storm | DR-4672: Severe Storm, Flooding, And Landslides |
| August 26, 2022 | Flood | DR-4667: Flooding |
| April 9, 2020 | Biological | DR-4533: Covid-19 Pandemic |
Jobs and pay in Bethel Census Area
Bethel Census Area had 6,426 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $54,820 a year. Unemployment was 9.7% in 2023; in Kipnuk itself the ACS puts it at 30.7%.
Public schools in Kipnuk
1 public school with 206 students, about 18.7 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chief Paul Memorial School | PK-12 | 206 | 18.7 |
Towns near Kipnuk
- Chefornak, AK16.2 mi · 506 people · home $125,000
Kipnuk questions
Is Kipnuk, Alaska a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Kipnuk scores better for retirees than 14% of Alaska towns and quieter than 56%. 7.1% of residents are 65 or older (median age 25.7).
How much does a house cost in Kipnuk?
The median owner-occupied home in Kipnuk is valued at $51,000 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $45,250, so homes cost about 1.1 times income. Median rent is $838 a month.
Does Kipnuk get tornadoes?
No tornado has been recorded within 10 miles of Kipnuk in NOAA's Storm Events Database since 1950.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)