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Kotzebue, AK

Full City Profile · Alaska · Northwest Arctic Borough County

3.3 /5.0
B Good
3,046 Population 125/sq mi density
$106,328 Median Income $42,341 per capita
$264,500 Home Value $435,931 Zillow
$1,610 Median Rent 18.9% income on rent
24°F Avg Temperature 274 sunny days/yr
2,353 Violent Crime/100K 2,537 property/100K
B
Overall
3.3 / 5.0
Good overall score based on economy, affordability, safety and education
A
Economy
4.4 / 5.0
$106,328 median income, 4.1% unemployment
A+
Affordability
5.0 / 5.0
$264,500 home value, $1,610/mo rent
F
Safety
1.0 / 5.0
2,353 violent crimes/100K (519% above avg)
C+
Education
2.6 / 5.0
20.0% bachelor's degree or higher
Kotzebue has a cool climate with an average annual temperature of 24°F (-4°C). Winters average -2°F in January while summers reach 55°F in July. The area gets 274 sunny days per year. Annual precipitation totals 11.4 inches. The area receives 64.2 inches of snow annually. Air quality is rated Good with a median AQI of 21.

Temperature

-2°F Jan (-19°C) 55°F Jul (13°C)
Annual Average24.0°F
56% below US avg
January Average-2°F (-19°C)
July Average55°F (13°C)
Sunny Days274 days/yr

Geography

Elevation79 ft (24 m)
Area24.4 sq mi (63.2 km²)
Population Density125/sq mi
Coordinates66.8771°N, 162.5035°W
TimezoneAmerica/Anchorage
CountyNorthwest Arctic Borough County
Nearest AirportFairbanks International (FAI)
437 miles away

Precipitation & Snow

Annual Rainfall 11.4"
70% below US avg
Snowfall 64.2"
Wettest Month (Aug) 2.05"
Driest Month (Mar) 0.39"

Air Quality

AQI Median21.0
RatingGood

Natural Hazard Risk

Overall RiskRelatively Low
Risk Score54.6 / 100
Social Vulnerability99.8 / 100
Community Resilience5.9 / 100

Hazard Breakdown

Tornado Very Low
Earthquake Relatively Low
Wildfire Relatively Low
Flood Very Low
Hail No Rating
Strong Wind No Rating
Winter Weather Relatively Moderate
Lightning Very Low
Ice Storm Very Low
Drought No Rating
Cold Wave Relatively High
Landslide Relatively Low
Coastal Flood No Rating
Volcano Very Low
Avalanche Very Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (Dec 2025)

Earthquake History

582 earthquakes (M2.5+) within 150 km since 1990. Strongest: M5.8. Most recent: M2.6 on Aug 13, 2025.

Jun 7, 2014 northern Alaska M5.8 94 km
Jun 16, 2014 29 km ENE of Noatak, Alaska M5.7 88 km
May 3, 2014 25 km NE of Noatak, Alaska M5.7 94 km
Apr 18, 2014 22 km NE of Noatak, Alaska M5.7 92 km
Apr 18, 2014 18 km NE of Noatak, Alaska M5.7 92 km
May 3, 2014 23 km NE of Noatak, Alaska M5.0 93 km
Apr 19, 2014 23 km ENE of Noatak, Alaska M5.0 89 km
May 3, 2014 25 km ENE of Noatak, Alaska M4.9 91 km
May 3, 2014 30 km NE of Noatak, Alaska M4.9 96 km
Jul 18, 2014 51 km E of Noatak, Alaska M4.9 86 km
Sep 16, 1993 35 km WSW of Red Dog Mine, Alaska M4.8 120 km
May 30, 2014 29 km ENE of Noatak, Alaska M4.7 86 km
Apr 19, 2014 26 km ENE of Noatak, Alaska M4.6 87 km
May 5, 2014 24 km NE of Noatak, Alaska M4.6 96 km
Jun 7, 2014 30 km ENE of Noatak, Alaska M4.5 93 km
May 5, 2014 19 km NE of Noatak, Alaska M4.5 93 km
Aug 17, 2007 74 km N of Kiana, Alaska M4.5 130 km
Jun 7, 2014 33 km NE of Noatak, Alaska M4.4 96 km
Jul 18, 2014 60 km E of Noatak, Alaska M4.4 89 km
Dec 6, 1994 82 km N of Kiana, Alaska M4.4 118 km
Source: USGS (M2.5+, 1990–2025)

Nearby Volcanoes

1 volcano within 200 km. Closest: Imuruk Lake (157 km).

Name Type Elevation Last Eruption Distance
Imuruk Lake Shield(s) 610 m (2,001 ft) 300 157 km
Source: Smithsonian Institution Global Volcanism Program (GVP). Sorted by distance.

Wildfire History

8 wildfires (100+ acres) within 100 km. Largest: ELI RIVER (14,394 ac, 2010).

Year Name Acres Distance
2010 ELI RIVER 14,394 83 km
2004 UVGOON CREEK 11,027 98 km
1991 IAN NW 30 10,082 72 km
2012 OTTER CREEK 3,854 98 km
1995 532391 2,903 78 km
2015 CAPE ESPENBERY 1,575 69 km
2019 BUCKLAND 1 1,536 98 km
1995 OTZ NE 55 1,257 97 km
Source: NIFC/IRWIN (100+ acres)

Monthly Weather

Month Avg Temperature Precipitation Summary
January -2°F (-19°C) 0.6 in
February -2°F (-19°C) 0.4 in Coldest
March 2°F (-17°C) 0.4 in Driest
April 14°F (-10°C) 0.4 in
May 31°F (-0°C) 0.4 in
June 46°F (8°C) 0.6 in
July 55°F (13°C) 1.4 in Warmest
August 51°F (11°C) 2.1 in Wettest
September 42°F (5°C) 1.7 in
October 26°F (-4°C) 0.9 in
November 10°F (-12°C) 0.7 in
December 0°F (-18°C) 0.6 in

Kotzebue has a seasonal temperature swing of 58°F / from -2°F in February to 55°F in July. Total annual precipitation is 10.1 inches, with August being the wettest month (2.1") and March the driest (0.4").

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