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Wainwright, AK

Full City Profile · Alaska · Northwest Arctic Borough County

2.6 /5.0
C+ Fair
612 Population 59/sq mi density
$85,750 Median Income $27,123 per capita
$109,100 Home Value $290,656 Zillow
$765 Median Rent 46.3% income on rent
15°F Avg Temperature 200 sunny days/yr
1,490 Violent Crime/100K 4,348 property/100K
C+
Overall
2.6 / 5.0
Fair overall score based on economy, affordability, safety and education
B
Economy
3.2 / 5.0
$85,750 median income, 10.2% unemployment
A+
Affordability
5.0 / 5.0
$109,100 home value, $765/mo rent
F
Safety
1.0 / 5.0
1,490 violent crimes/100K (292% above avg)
F
Education
1.3 / 5.0
3.6% bachelor's degree or higher
Wainwright has a cool climate with an average annual temperature of 15°F (-9°C). Winters average -11°F in January while summers reach 46°F in July. The area gets 200 sunny days per year. Air quality is rated Good with a median AQI of 21.

Temperature

-11°F Jan (-24°C) 46°F Jul (8°C)
Annual Average14.8°F
73% below US avg
January Average-11°F (-24°C)
July Average46°F (8°C)
Sunny Days200 days/yr

Geography

Elevation38 ft (12 m)
Area10.3 sq mi (26.7 km²)
Population Density59/sq mi
Coordinates70.6582°N, 159.9852°W
TimezoneAmerica/Anchorage
CountyNorthwest Arctic Borough County
Nearest AirportFairbanks International (FAI)
512 miles away

Precipitation & Snow

Wettest Month (Aug) 1.22"
Driest Month (Jan) 0.20"

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

9 earthquakes (M2.5+) within 150 km since 1990. Strongest: M3.5. Most recent: M3.4 on Aug 8, 2025.

Aug 13, 2014 20 km SSW of Barrow, Alaska M3.5 119 km
Mar 28, 2008 54 km NNW of Wainwright, Alaska M3.4 52 km
Aug 8, 2025 134 km NNW of Wainwright, Alaska M3.4 133 km
Feb 14, 2010 39 km WNW of Barrow, Alaska M3.0 118 km
Mar 27, 2008 50 km NNW of Wainwright, Alaska M2.9 49 km
Feb 17, 2025 104 km NW of Barrow, Alaska M2.9 147 km
Oct 26, 2013 22 km NNW of Barrow, Alaska M2.8 140 km
Mar 28, 2008 16 km NNE of Wainwright, Alaska M2.6 13 km
Mar 28, 2008 32 km NNW of Wainwright, Alaska M2.5 32 km
Source: USGS (M2.5+, 1990–2025)

Monthly Weather

Month Avg Temperature Precipitation Summary
January -11°F (-24°C) 0.2 in Driest
February -17°F (-27°C) 0.2 in Coldest
March -14°F (-26°C) 0.3 in
April 1°F (-17°C) 0.2 in
May 23°F (-5°C) 0.2 in
June 39°F (4°C) 0.4 in
July 46°F (8°C) 1.0 in Warmest
August 44°F (6°C) 1.2 in Wettest
September 35°F (2°C) 0.9 in
October 18°F (-8°C) 0.6 in
November 1°F (-17°C) 0.2 in
December -11°F (-24°C) 0.2 in

Wainwright has a seasonal temperature swing of 63°F / from -17°F in February to 46°F in July. Total annual precipitation is 5.6 inches, with August being the wettest month (1.2") and January the driest (0.2").

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