Signature · 1 LILA tracts (33.3% of tracts)
North Slope Borough, AK
North Slope Borough's signature pressure is desert tracts: 1 LILA tracts (33.3% of the book) alongside 37.9% low-access.
- 37.9%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 14.0%
- on SNAP
- 11K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County North Slope Borough, AK
LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-SINGLE · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-GAP · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-ELEVATED 37.9% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +15.8 pts vs US
- LILA-SINGLE 1 food-desert tract
- SNAP-HEAVY 14.0% SNAP
- VEH-GAP 37.0% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 33% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Fairbanks North Star Borough (+ 0.8 pts)
Upper-band low-access
North Slope Borough sits in the upper national band (37.9%, #490 of 3,079) with 1 LILA tracts.
- #490
- national by low-access %
- #12
- in AK
- 2
- low-access tracts
- 670
- food-desert residents
Upper-band counties often pair elevated low-access with clustered LILA tracts. Low access = >1 mile urban / >10 miles rural.
Signature read: 1 LILA tracts (33.3% of tracts) .
How North Slope Borough compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, North Slope Borough's 37.9% low-access share is elevated, higher than 84% of them and ranked #490 most-affected nationwide.
North Slope Borough's elevated USDA tier split
3 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 1 LILA.
All 3 of North Slope Borough's tracts are rural in the USDA classification, so every one is judged on the 10-mile test: a resident counts as low-access only when the nearest supermarket is more than 10 miles away.
North Slope Borough vs nearby high low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Alaska, not a full county-board reprint
- Lake and Peni…
Lake and Peni… 100%
100 % low-access
- Kodiak Island
Kodiak Island 42.7%
42.7 % low-access
- Aleutians East 39
Aleutians East 39%
39 % low-access
- Fairbanks Nor… 38.7
Fairbanks Nor… 38.7%
38.7 % low-access
- North Slope 37.9
North Slope 37.9%
37.9 % low-access
- Sitka City and 34.5
Sitka City and 34.5%
34.5 % low-access
- Kusilvak 0
Kusilvak 0%
0 % low-access
FARA 2019 · elevated low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 3 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 9,430 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 2 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 3,575 |
| Low-Access Share | 37.9%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 670 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 10,810 |
| Median Household Income | $95,694 |
| Poverty Rate | 11.1%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 320 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 14.0%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 37.0%well above the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 28.4% |
SNAP retailers in North Slope Borough
North Slope Borough has 12 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 3 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 6 locations (50% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Where the store book sits, by town
9 towns share the 12 authorized stores; Point Hope holds 17% of them. 8 of the 9 towns have no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Point Hope, Utqiagvik, Wainwright, Anaktuvuk Pass, Barrow, Kaktovik and 2 more.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Point Hope | 2 | none |
| Utqiagvik | 2 | none |
| Wainwright | 2 | none |
| Anaktuvuk Pass | 1 | none |
| Atqasuk | 1 | 1 |
| Barrow | 1 | none |
| Kaktovik | 1 | none |
| Nuiqsut | 1 | none |
| Point Lay | 1 | none |
Convenience Store · 6
- alisah jewels, point hope
- kikiktak store, kaktovik
- olgoonik corporation store, wainwright
- point lay native store, point lay
- stuaqpak quick stop, utqiagvik
- wainwright coop store, wainwright
Combination Grocery/Other · 5
- alaska commercial company 115, utqiagvik
- alaska commercial company 122, anaktuvuk pass
- alaska commercial company 302, point hope
- alaska commercial company 315, nuiqsut
- alaska commercial company 358, barrow
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- tauqsigvik, atqasuk
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Alaska
One of 29 counties in Alaska, 6 are shown here.
Compare North Slope Borough vs Aleutians East Borough → · All Alaska counties →
Counties near North Slope Borough's elevated low-access or SNAP band
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for North Slope Borough, both outside Alaska so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside AK (37.9% here).
- Martin County, FL · 37.9% low-access
- Vanderburgh County, IN · 37.9% low-access
- Montgomery County, NY · 37.9% low-access
- Baker County, OR · 37.9% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside AK (14.0% here).
- Monroe County, AL · 14.0% SNAP
- Shelby County, IL · 14.0% SNAP
- Wayne County, IL · 14.0% SNAP
- Caldwell County, KY · 14.0% SNAP
Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.
Alaska among Pacific states
Alaska ranks 1st of 5 Pacific states by population-weighted low-access (30.9%). North Slope Borough, at 37.9%, runs 7.0 pts above the Alaska rate.
- Alaska 30.9%
- Hawaii 26.7%
- Washington 23.1%
- Oregon 16.9%
- California 13.3%
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted by state; divisions per the U.S. Census Bureau. National state map
Read with this county
Sources: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019) · U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2024 5-Year Estimates · methodology · compiled .
PlainFoodAccess renders this county profile directly from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates), no number is typed in by an editor. Figures for North Slope Borough, AK are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 02185. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-06-23. Primary sources: USDA Food Access Research Atlas and Census ACS 5-year estimates.
Note: This page presents public USDA and Census data for informational purposes and is not professional advice. Figures reflect the cited dataset vintages and may differ from the most recent local conditions. How this data is sourced & verified.