What is the population of Shishmaref, Alaska?

Shishmaref has a population of approximately 466 according to the latest available open data.

Where is Shishmaref, Alaska located?

Shishmaref is located in Alaska, United States, at approximate coordinates 66.2330°, -166.1253°.

What is the median household income in Shishmaref?

The median household income in Shishmaref is approximately $61,458 based on the most recent open data.

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Shishmaref

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Shishmaref

Total population

466

Median home value

$109,400

7.1%

Bachelor's+

Median income

$61,458

Shishmaref$61k

National$74k

Founded

1969

Elevation5 m

Land area18.82 km²

Weather37°F · Mostly Sunny

Coordinates66.23°, -166.13°

Demographic figures from US Census Bureau · ACS 5-year estimates. Overview below cites Wikipedia and may reference a different year.

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Active weather alerts

High Surf Advisory · Minor
High Surf Advisory issued October 5 at 2:51PM AKDT until October 9 at 4:00AM AKDT by NWS Fairbanks AK
High Wind Watch · Severe
High Wind Watch issued October 5 at 2:17PM AKDT until October 9 at 4:00AM AKDT by NWS Fairbanks AK

Source: NOAA National Weather Service.

City facts

Founded

1969

Elevation

5 m

Area

18.82 km²

Facts from Wikidata (CC0).

Overview

Shishmaref is a city in the Nome Census Area, Alaska, United States. It is located on Sarichef Island in the Chukchi Sea, just north of the Bering Strait and five miles from the mainland. Shishmaref lies within the Bering Land Bridge National Preserve. As of the 2020 census, Shishmaref had a population of 576.

History & geography

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it (61.62%) is water. Shishmaref was named in 1821 by explorer Lt. Otto von Kotzebue, of the Imperial Russian Navy, after Capt. Lt. Gleb Shishmaryov who accompanied him on his exploration. Sarichef Island (on which Shishmaref is located) is part of a dynamic, 100 km-long barrier island chain that records human and environmental history spanning the past 2000 years; the oldest subaerial evidence for the formation of this system is about 1700 years before present, according to carbon 14 dating (see References, below). Erosion at Shishmaref is unique along the islands because of its fetch exposure and high tidal prism, relatively intense infrastructure development during the 20th century, and multiple shoreline defense structures built beginning in the 1970s. The effect of global climate change upon Shishmaref is sometimes seen as the most dramatic in the world. Rising temperatures have resulted in a reduction in the sea ice which serves to buffer Shishmaref from storm surges. At the same time, the permafrost that the village is built on has also begun to melt, making the shore even more vulnerable to erosion. In recent years the shore has been receding at an average rate of up to 10 feet (3.3 m) per year. Although a series of barricades has been put up to protect the village, the shore has continued to erode at an alarming rate. The Army Corps of Engineers has built a series of walls but none have been completely effective against waves. The town's homes, water system and infrastructure are being undermined. Currently, Shishmaref has obtained funds to construct seawalls that protect some of the shoreline. The village had plans to relocate several miles…

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Excerpted from the corresponding Wikipedia article (CC BY-SA).