Nome Census Area
Borough
Iditarod Trail Shelter Cabins, Cape Nome Roadhouse, Cape Nome
Location within the U.S. state of Alaska
Alaska's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 64°44′N 164°11′W / 64.74°N 164.19°W / 64.74; -164.19
Country	United States
State	Alaska
Established	1980[1]
Named for	Nome
Largest city	Nome
Area
• Total	28,278 sq mi (73,240 km2)
• Land	22,962 sq mi (59,470 km2)
• Water	5,316 sq mi (13,770 km2)  18.8%
Population  (2020)
• Total	10,046
• Estimate  (2022)	9,835
• Density	0.36/sq mi (0.14/km2)
Time zone	UTC−9 (Alaska)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−8 (ADT)
Congressional district	At-large

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.^[2] 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 28,278 square miles (73,240 km²), of which 22,962 square miles (59,470 km²) is land and 5,316 square miles (13,770 km²) (18.8%) is water.^[3] 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

• Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge (part of the Bering Sea unit)
  • Besboro Island
  • King Island
  • Sledge Island
• Bering Land Bridge National Preserve (part)
• Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge (part)
  • Andreafsky Wilderness (part)

Politics

Demographics

2020 Census

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 0.3 people per square mile (0.12 people/km²). There were 3,649 housing units at an average density of 0 per square mile (0/km²). 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.^[11]

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 the population was spread out, with 37.10% under the age of 18, 9.30% from 18 to 24, 29.00% from 25 to 44, 18.60% from 45 to 64, and 5.90% 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

• Haycock
• Solomon