Home Insurance in Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska
With a median home value of $199,100, Northwest Arctic Borough is 44% lower than the Alaska median.
Aging wiring, roofing and plumbing in older homes can push up the cost to insure or rebuild them. The typical home in Northwest Arctic Borough was built around 1987. About 2% of homes were built before 1960, about 6 points below Alaska's 8%.
In Northwest Arctic Borough, the housing stock is 82% single-family homes, 9% apartments in buildings with 5+ units and 1% mobile or manufactured homes.
In Northwest Arctic Borough, about 28% of owner-occupied homes have a mortgage - lenders require hazard insurance on every mortgaged home.
About 64% of occupied homes in Northwest Arctic Borough are owner-occupied. The vacancy rate is 33%; vacant or unoccupied homes typically need a different coverage form than an owner-occupied policy.
In Northwest Arctic Borough, 85% of homes are primarily heated with fuel oil. Homes heated with fuel oil and wood can carry added fire risk. Fuel-tank leaks and spills are often excluded from standard homeowners policies.
The top hazards for Northwest Arctic Borough, per FEMA's National Risk Index, are winter weather (Relatively Moderate), wildfire (Relatively Low) and earthquake (Relatively Low). Standard homeowners policies exclude earthquake, so separate coverage is usually needed.
As of September 2026, Northwest Arctic Borough has 20 active NFIP flood insurance policies. Standard homeowners insurance does not cover flood damage, so flood coverage needs a separate NFIP or private flood policy.
According to the NAIC homeowners insurance report (2023 data), a standard HO-3 homeowners policy in Alaska carries a statewide average premium of $1,216 per year.
Key figures
| Median home value | $199,100 |
|---|---|
| Median year built | 1987 |
| Owner-occupied share | 64% |
| Share of owner-occupied homes with a mortgage | 28% |
| Top hazards (FEMA National Risk Index) | Winter Weather (Relatively Moderate), Wildfire (Relatively Low), Earthquake (Relatively Low) |
| Active NFIP flood policies (county) | 20 |
| Home insurance premium | $1,216 - statewide average (NAIC, 2023 data) |
Towns and cities
Smaller communities
-
Kobuk
- Median year built: 1991
- Owner-occupied share: 51%
- Share of owner-occupied homes with a mortgage: 37%
-
Shungnak
- Median year built: 1986
- Owner-occupied share: 89%
- Share of owner-occupied homes with a mortgage: 35%
Sources
Data last updated: 2026-09-29
- U.S. Census Bureau Gazetteer Files (2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates (2024)
- FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025)
- FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Policies v3 (2026)
- NAIC Dwelling Fire, Homeowners Owner-Occupied, and Homeowners Tenant and Condominium/Cooperative Unit Owners Insurance: Data for 2023 (published 2026) (2023)