Population & age
- Total population
- 277
- Median age
- 29.9
Ambler, AK (99786)
Northwest Arctic Borough · Population 277
Fresh.Data current as of Apr 24, 2026
Ambler, AK (ZIP 99786) sits in Northwest Arctic Borough. The page draws on 2 federal data feeds retrieved Apr 27. Top health signal: Obesity comes in above the national average at 43.1%. NCES lists 1 schools serving the area, 1 non-charter. 2 colleges and universities serve the area, with median in-state tuition of $6,998. BLS QCEW puts average annual pay at $89,651 per worker — about 37% above the US average and a clear high-wage signal. BLS LAUS records a 9.2% county unemployment rate (2024) — about 5.2 points above the US average and a labor-market distress signal. CDC's Social Vulnerability Index places this ZIP in the 93th percentile nationally — a highly vulnerable community profile. Severe Storm accounts for 57% of the 7 FEMA disaster declarations on record for this ZIP. County Health Rankings reports 19,918 years of potential life lost per 100,000 (2025) — well above the national county median. Per USDA's Food Environment Atlas, 46.2% of residents in this county live more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket — a deep food-access gap. Alaska has no state income tax (Tax Foundation 2025). IRS migration data (2022-2023) shows a net loss of 59 residents (34 households) — the ZIP's primary county is shrinking. Both healthcare access and on-paper school density skew lighter than national norms; what shows up here is a snapshot, not a verdict — neighborhood-level texture matters at this scale. Notable: median household income $37,857, fair market rent of $1,930 for a two-bedroom, and a 24.5% poverty rate (well above the ~12% US average). Every figure on this page links to its underlying federal dataset with a retrieval date so you can audit the freshness yourself.
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Demographics
Race & ethnicity
- White
- 15.9%
- Black
- 0.0%
- Asian
- 0.0%
- Hispanic / Latino
- 0.0%
- Other / multi-racial
- 1.4%
Income & housing
- Median household income
- $37,857
- Median home value
- $86,700
Education
- Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+)
- 22.0%
Employment
- Unemployment rate
- 21.6%
Housing
- Owner-occupied
- 76(88.4%)
- Renter-occupied
- 10(11.6%)
- Vacant units
- 31
- Built (median)
- 1988
Commute
- Public transit
- 0(0.0%)
- Work from home
- 5(7.5%)
- Avg commute
- 2.7 min
Economic wellbeing
- Below poverty line
- 68(24.5%)
- Uninsured
- 13(4.7%)
Digital access
- Broadband access
- 48(55.8%)
- No broadband
- 38(44.2%)
Language & nativity
- Foreign-born
- 0(0.0%)
- Non-English at home
- 144(57.4%)
Fair Market Rent
Fresh.HUD SAFMR · May 1, 2026Studio
$1,330
/month
1 Bed
$1,470
/month
2 Bed
$1,930
/month
3 Bed
$2,550
/month
4 Bed
$2,680
/month
HUD Fair Market Rents represent the 40th percentile of standard-quality rental housing in this area. FY2026 data.
New housing construction
New housing units permitted
3
Across 3 permitted buildings. Total construction value: $499,200.
Single-family
3
100% of total units
Multifamily (2+ unit)
0
0% of total units
Single-family value
$499,200
construction value
Multifamily value
$0
construction value
Based on county-level data (2024).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (census.gov/construction/bps). Public domain. BPS reports annual residential building permits from local permit-issuing jurisdictions, aggregated to county. A permit reflects intent to build, not a completed unit — actual construction lags by 6-24 months for multifamily projects.
Employment & wages
Average annual pay
$89,651
Average weekly wage
$1,724
Total employment
2,999
Total establishments
148
That is roughly 37% above the US national average of $65,470 per worker.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (bls.gov/cew). Public domain. QCEW is derived from state unemployment-insurance filings and covers ~95% of US jobs. Figures are county-level totals assigned to ZIPs whose primary county matches; small-employer cells are suppressed by BLS to protect employer confidentiality.
Unemployment
Unemployment rate
9.2%
That is 5.2 percentage points above the US national unemployment rate of about 4.0%.
Labor force
3,149
Employed
2,860
Unemployed
289
Based on Northwest Arctic Borough, AK data (2024).
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (bls.gov/lau). Public domain. LAUS publishes monthly and annual labor-force estimates for every US county. Figures are county-level totals assigned to ZIPs whose primary county matches.
Community health centers
Federally funded health-center sites
1
Single health-center site
One federally funded community health center serves this ZIP. Residents who need same-day care or specialty services may rely on neighboring ZIPs.
FQHC sites
1
federally qualified
Look-Alike sites
0
FQHC equivalents
Avg hours / week
40
across sites in this ZIP
Sites in this ZIP
- 1.Ambler Clinic
Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and Look-Alike sites provide primary care on a sliding-fee scale, regardless of ability to pay. Active sites only; data refreshed 2026.
Source: HRSA Bureau of Primary Health Care (data.hrsa.gov). Per-ZIP counts of active service-delivery sites operated by Health Center Program grantees and Look-Alike organizations.
Federal Disaster Declarations
Federally Declared Disasters
7
Date Range
1994–2025
Most Recent Declaration
SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, AND REMNANTS OF TYPHOON HALONG
Flood — declared October 22, 2025 (DR-4893)
Incident period: October 8, 2025 – October 13, 2025
Top Incident Types
- Severe Storm4 (57%)
- Biological2 (29%)
- Flood1 (14%)
Individual Assistance
1
Direct help to disaster survivors
Households Program
2
Housing & temporary lodging support
Public Assistance
7
Repair of public facilities & roads
Hazard Mitigation
4
Funding to reduce future disaster risk
FEMA declares disasters at the county level; counts here include every federally declared disaster touching any county that overlaps this ZIP. Statewide declarations and pre-1964 records without county granularity are excluded. Program flags reflect which FEMA assistance categories were activated (Individual Assistance, Households, Public Assistance, Hazard Mitigation). Source: fema.gov/openfema. Public domain.
Community health profile
Years of potential life lost (per 100K)
19,918
That is roughly 11,718 years per 100,000 above the national county median (~8,200).
Premature death is the headline composite outcome CHR reports — age-adjusted, all-cause, before age 75.
Fair or poor health
27%
of adults self-report
Poor physical health days
6.1
avg per adult per month
Poor mental health days
6.5
avg per adult per month
Uninsured
16.6%
of residents under 65
Primary care MDs
79
per 100,000 residents
Preventable hospital stays
—
per 100K Medicare enrollees
Food environment (0-10)
4.6
10 = best access & security
Exercise access
3%
residents near a facility
Flu vaccinated
—
of Medicare enrollees
Low birth weight (under 2,500 g) accounts for 8.4% of live births in this county — an early-life health input that downstream outcomes track against.
Based on Northwest Arctic data (2025 CHR release).
Source: County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute (countyhealthrankings.org). Annual release. Underlying source datasets vary by measure (CDC BRFSS, NCHS Vital Statistics, AHA, USDA Food Environment Atlas, and others). Figures are county-level and assigned to every ZIP whose primary county matches.
Food access
Food access status
Limited food access for many residents
46.2% of Northwest Arctic County, AK residents live more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket.
Grocery stores
0.92
per 1,000 residents
Supercenters & clubs
—
per 1,000 residents
SNAP-authorized stores
2.47
accepting food benefits
Fast-food restaurants
—
per 1,000 residents
Among low-income residents, 29.2% are low-access — those without a supermarket within 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural).
Per-1,000 figures show how many of each store type exist in Northwest Arctic County, AK for every 1,000 residents. Higher grocery and supercenter density usually means easier access to fresh food; higher convenience-store-only density (with low grocery rate) often signals a food swamp.
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Environment Atlas (ers.usda.gov). County-level metrics fanned to ZIP via the primary county in the Census ZCTA-county relationship file. Variable years differ per family (stores ~2020, low-access ~2019).
Who’s moving in and out
Net migration (2022-2023)
▼−59 people
−34 households • −$3.9M net AGI flow
Moved in
86households
154 people • $5.4M AGI
Moved out
120households
213 people • $9.4M AGI
Where new residents came from
No county-level breakdown available.
Where departing residents went
- Anchorage Municipality, AK — 43 households
Incoming households reported an average AGI of $63,128 versus departing households' $78,092.
Source: U.S. Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income, Migration Data (irs.gov). Public domain. Migration is measured by year-over-year changes in the address on individual tax returns; figures are county-level totals attributed to ZIPs whose primary county matches. Foreign migration contributes to inflow/outflow totals but does not appear in the top-county lists. Small flows are suppressed by IRS to protect taxpayer confidentiality.
Taxes & benefits in Alaska
State-level rules that apply to every resident of ZIP 99786. Numbers reflect the most recent published year per source.
Tax rates
Income tax
None
No state income tax
Sales tax (combined)
1.82%
State 0.00% · avg local 1.82%
Property tax (effective)
0.86%
Median $757/year
Tax burden rank
1 of 50
5.60% of personal income
For ZIP 99786: Applied to this ZIP's typical home value of $86,700, that works out to roughly $748/year in property tax.
Paid family leave
Program
No program
No program
Safety net
SNAP eligibility
130% FPL
Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility (raises gross income limit above federal 130% floor). No asset test.
Sources: Tax Foundation (state tax rates & brackets), Bipartisan Policy Center (paid family leave), USDA FNS (SNAP categorical eligibility).
Data sources used on this page
SourcesFresh.CDC PLACES · Apr 24, 2026Fresh.NCES CCD via Urban Institute EDP · Apr 27, 2026Fresh.HUD SAFMR · May 1, 2026
All data on this page is sourced from federal government datasets · Not AI-generated · Methodology
Health profile
Crude prevalence estimates from CDC PLACES, derived from BRFSS small-area modeling. Population-level figures only.
Obesity
43.1%
10.1pp above the 33.0% national rate.
High Blood Pressure
40.5%
8.5pp above the 32.0% national rate.
Depression
22.2%
Tracks close to the 22.0% national rate.
Annual Checkup
67.1%
8.9pp below the 76.0% national rate.
Health Insurance
16.0%
3.0pp above the 13.0% national rate.
Diabetes
17.0%
6.0pp above the 11.0% national rate.
Schools in this ZIP
1 school serves this ZIP, including 1 non-charter.
| School | Type | Grades | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ambler School | Public | -1–12 | 71 |
Schools listed from NCES Common Core of Data via the Urban Institute Education Data Portal.
Fresh.NCES CCD via Urban Institute EDP · Apr 27, 2026Colleges & universities nearby
Colleges in this area
2
Median in-state tuition
$6,998
Median earnings (10 yr)
$44,204
- 4-Year
University of Alaska Fairbanks
Fairbanks, AK · 99775
- In-state tuition
- $8,736
- Out-of-state tuition
- $22,320
- Acceptance rate
- —
- Graduation rate
- 34.9%
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $48,866
- Median student debt
- $20,291
- 4-Year
Ilisagvik College
Barrow, AK · 99723
- In-state tuition
- $5,260
- Out-of-state tuition
- $5,260
- Acceptance rate
- —
- Graduation rate
- 42.5%
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $39,541
- Median student debt
- —
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (collegescorecard.ed.gov). Public domain data. Earnings figures reflect median earnings 10 years after entry for federally-aided students.
What these numbers say together
Ambler, AK (ZIP 99786) sits in Northwest Arctic Borough. The page draws on 2 federal data feeds retrieved Apr 27. Top health signal: Obesity comes in above the national average at 43.1%. NCES lists 1 schools serving the area, 1 non-charter. 2 colleges and universities serve the area, with median in-state tuition of $6,998. BLS QCEW puts average annual pay at $89,651 per worker — about 37% above the US average and a clear high-wage signal. BLS LAUS records a 9.2% county unemployment rate (2024) — about 5.2 points above the US average and a labor-market distress signal. CDC's Social Vulnerability Index places this ZIP in the 93th percentile nationally — a highly vulnerable community profile. Severe Storm accounts for 57% of the 7 FEMA disaster declarations on record for this ZIP. County Health Rankings reports 19,918 years of potential life lost per 100,000 (2025) — well above the national county median. Per USDA's Food Environment Atlas, 46.2% of residents in this county live more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket — a deep food-access gap. Alaska has no state income tax (Tax Foundation 2025). IRS migration data (2022-2023) shows a net loss of 59 residents (34 households) — the ZIP's primary county is shrinking. Both healthcare access and on-paper school density skew lighter than national norms; what shows up here is a snapshot, not a verdict — neighborhood-level texture matters at this scale. Notable: median household income $37,857, fair market rent of $1,930 for a two-bedroom, and a 24.5% poverty rate (well above the ~12% US average). Every figure on this page links to its underlying federal dataset with a retrieval date so you can audit the freshness yourself.
Both surfaces skew lighter than national averages. That isn’t a verdict — small-area estimates compress real neighborhood-level texture, and a single ZIP reading can miss a district line or a hospital corridor sitting just outside it. Treat this as a starting point for fieldwork, not a conclusion.
- Fair market rent for a two-bedroom ($1,930/month, HUD SAFMR) represents 61% of median household income ($37,857, Census ACS) — above the 30% affordability threshold commonly used by housing experts.
- Lower median household income ($37,857, Census ACS) sits alongside an above-average 43.1% obesity rate (CDC PLACES) — a pattern that correlates with reduced healthcare access in lower-income areas.
One concrete reading worth keeping: Depression prevalence sits near the national rate at 22.2%. Each figure on this page links to the original federal dataset with its retrieval date — this synthesis is a reading, not a substitute for the underlying records.
Frequently Asked Questions — ZIP 99786
What is the obesity rate in ZIP 99786?
43.1%, which is 10.1 percentage points above the national average of 33.0% (CDC PLACES, retrieved Apr 24, 2026).
What is the depression rate in ZIP 99786?
22.2%, which is 0.2 percentage points above the national average of 22.0% (CDC PLACES, retrieved Apr 24, 2026).
What is the high blood pressure rate in ZIP 99786?
40.5%, which is 8.5 percentage points above the national average of 32.0% (CDC PLACES, retrieved Apr 24, 2026).
How many schools are in ZIP 99786?
1 school serves this ZIP, including 1 public school (NCES CCD, retrieved Apr 27, 2026). No charter schools are listed in this ZIP by NCES CCD.
Does ZIP 99786 have charter schools?
No charter schools are listed in ZIP 99786 by NCES CCD (retrieved Apr 27, 2026).
Are there high schools in ZIP 99786?
Yes, 1 high school serves this ZIP: Ambler School. (NCES CCD, retrieved Apr 27, 2026).
What is the population of ZIP 99786?
277 people live in ZIP 99786, with a median age of 29.9 (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
What is the median household income in ZIP 99786?
$37,857 per year (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
Is ZIP 99786 mostly renters or homeowners?
In ZIP 99786, 88.4% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 11.6% are renter-occupied (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
How do people commute in ZIP 99786?
In ZIP 99786, 7.5% of workers work from home. Public transit is used by 0.0% of commuters (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
What is the poverty rate in ZIP 99786?
24.5% of the population in ZIP 99786 lives below the federal poverty line (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
What percentage of households in ZIP 99786 have broadband internet?
55.8% of households in ZIP 99786 have broadband internet access (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
How vulnerable is ZIP 99786 to disasters and public health emergencies?
According to the CDC Social Vulnerability Index (2022), ZIP 99786 ranks in the 93th percentile nationally for social vulnerability — a very high vulnerability profile (retrieved May 3, 2026).
What is the biggest vulnerability factor in ZIP 99786?
Housing Type & Transportation is the highest-scoring CDC SVI theme for ZIP 99786, ranking in the 97th percentile nationally (CDC/ATSDR Social Vulnerability Index 2022, retrieved May 3, 2026).
How many federally declared disasters has ZIP 99786 experienced?
FEMA has recorded 7 federal disaster declarations affecting ZIP 99786 between 1994–2025 (FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations, retrieved May 3, 2026).
What kinds of disasters most often hit ZIP 99786?
Severe Storm is the most common federally declared disaster type affecting ZIP 99786, accounting for 4 of 7 declarations (57%, FEMA OpenFEMA, retrieved May 3, 2026).
What was the most recent disaster declared for ZIP 99786?
The most recent FEMA disaster declaration affecting ZIP 99786 was "SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, AND REMNANTS OF TYPHOON HALONG" — a flood declared in 2025 (DR-4893) (FEMA OpenFEMA, retrieved May 3, 2026).
What colleges are near ZIP 99786?
2 colleges and universities are listed near ZIP 99786 by the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, including University Of Alaska Fairbanks and Ilisagvik College (retrieved May 2, 2026).
What is the average tuition at colleges near ZIP 99786?
Median in-state tuition across 2 nearby institutions is $6,998 (College Scorecard, retrieved May 2, 2026).
What do graduates earn from colleges near ZIP 99786?
Graduates of nearby colleges earn a median of $44,204 ten years after entry (College Scorecard, retrieved May 2, 2026).
What taxes apply in ZIP 99786?
Alaska has no state income tax. The combined state and local sales tax rate is 1.82% (Tax Foundation 2025).
Does Alaska have paid family leave?
Alaska has no state paid family leave program (Bipartisan Policy Center 2026).
What data is available for ZIP 99786?
This page covers health outcomes from CDC PLACES (40 metrics), school information from NCES CCD (1 school), demographics from the Census ACS 5-Year (2022), colleges from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2 institutions), social vulnerability scores from the CDC/ATSDR SVI (2022), federal disaster declarations from FEMA OpenFEMA (7 on record), and state-level tax rates from the Tax Foundation. Data is refreshed on Mubboo's standard schedule.
How current is this data?
Health data retrieved Apr 24, 2026 from CDC PLACES. School data retrieved Apr 27, 2026 from NCES CCD. Demographics retrieved Apr 30, 2026 from Census ACS 5-Year (2022). College data retrieved May 2, 2026 from U.S. Dept of Education College Scorecard. Social vulnerability scores retrieved May 3, 2026 from CDC/ATSDR SVI (2022). Federal disaster declarations retrieved May 3, 2026 from FEMA OpenFEMA (7 on record). State-level tax rates retrieved 2026-05-05 15:58:22.284+00 from the Tax Foundation.
More Info topics
Have a specific question about ZIP 99786?
Ask Mubboo — launching Q4 2026.
Data refreshed via Mubboo's ETL pipeline; oldest source on this page retrieved Apr 24, 2026.
Social Vulnerability Index
Overall SVI
93rd percentile
Very High Vulnerability
Based on 1 census tract, population 12
Vulnerability Themes
Households Without Vehicle
2
Persons with Disability
1
Without HS Diploma
1
Without Health Insurance
2
Adults Age 65+
1
The Social Vulnerability Index uses U.S. Census data to identify communities most at risk during public health emergencies and natural disasters. Higher percentiles indicate greater vulnerability. Tract-level scores are aggregated to this ZCTA via Census 2020 ZCTA→Tract crosswalk, weighted by land-area share. Source: atsdr.cdc.gov. Public domain.