Port Heiden, Alaska — Trends and Changes
How has Port Heiden, Alaska changed since 2009?
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The population has shrunk about 16 percent, from 87 to 73 people; the median household income has fallen from $80,714 to $61,250 (not adjusted for inflation); the typical home has gone from $55,000 to $130,000. Figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-year releases, so each point is a rolling five-year estimate.
Each line starts at 100 in 2009; a line reaching 200 means that measure doubled. Exact values for each measure are in the charts and tables below. Source: ACS 5-year estimates.
| Measure | 2009 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 87 | 73 | -16% |
| Median household income | $80,714 | $61,250 | -24% |
| Median home value | $55,000 | $130,000 | +136% |
| Median rent | $294 | $725 | +147% |
| Median age | 15.5 yrs | 29.8 yrs | +14.3 yrs |
| Average commute | 5.2 min | 6.2 min | +1.0 min |
| College educated | 0.0% | 10.5% | +10.5 points |
| Working from home | 0.0% | 0.0% | +0.0 points |
| Poverty rate | 19.5% | 24.7% | +5.2 points |
| Unemployment | 10.3% | 8.7% | -1.6 points |
| Homeownership | 58.3% | 54.5% | -3.8 points |
| Rent as share of income | 10.0% | 12.5% | +2.5 points |
| Broadband at home | 71.4% | 81.8% | +10.4 points |
Dollar figures are not adjusted for inflation. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates.
A typical household in Port Heiden earned $80,714 a year in 2009. By 2024 that figure had fallen to $61,250, a change of -24 percent before inflation.
| Year | Income | Alaska average |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | $80,714 | $64,363 |
| 2010 | $51,500 | $67,516 |
| 2011 | $59,792 | $69,983 |
| 2012 | $60,313 | $70,860 |
| 2013 | $54,583 | $71,339 |
| 2014 | $58,750 | $72,263 |
| 2015 | $59,375 | $72,684 |
| 2016 | $48,750 | $74,527 |
| 2017 | $47,083 | $75,897 |
| 2018 | $51,250 | $77,173 |
| 2019 | $46,875 | $77,934 |
| 2020 | $46,250 | $78,567 |
| 2021 | $43,750 | $81,687 |
| 2022 | $87,342 | |
| 2023 | $67,917 | $90,539 |
| 2024 | $61,250 | $94,424 |
The median home in Port Heiden was worth $55,000 in 2009. Values slid as low as $49,000 in 2020 before recovering, and by 2024 the typical home was worth $130,000.
| Year | Home Value | Alaska average |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | $55,000 | $219,557 |
| 2010 | $59,000 | $229,113 |
| 2011 | $131,300 | $234,839 |
| 2012 | $72,500 | $237,084 |
| 2013 | $77,500 | $241,205 |
| 2014 | $100,000 | $245,022 |
| 2015 | $118,800 | $248,350 |
| 2016 | $100,000 | $253,984 |
| 2017 | $81,700 | $260,239 |
| 2018 | $73,300 | $263,444 |
| 2019 | $55,000 | $268,967 |
| 2020 | $49,000 | $274,691 |
| 2021 | $49,000 | $282,133 |
| 2022 | $81,000 | $316,270 |
| 2023 | $137,500 | $331,130 |
| 2024 | $130,000 | $349,158 |
Port Heiden counted 87 residents in 2009 and 73 in 2024. The population peaked around 88 in 2019.
| Year | Residents |
|---|---|
| 2009 | 87 |
| 2010 | 86 |
| 2011 | 75 |
| 2012 | 70 |
| 2013 | 69 |
| 2014 | 84 |
| 2015 | 81 |
| 2016 | 73 |
| 2017 | 60 |
| 2018 | 78 |
| 2019 | 88 |
| 2020 | 62 |
| 2021 | 65 |
| 2022 | 63 |
| 2023 | 73 |
| 2024 | 73 |
Renters here paid a median of $294 a month in 2010 and $725 by 2018. Rents have grown noticeably faster than local incomes over that stretch.
| Year | Rent |
|---|---|
| 2010 | $294 |
| 2011 | $950 |
| 2012 | $775 |
| 2013 | $775 |
| 2014 | $425 |
| 2015 | $850 |
| 2016 | $700 |
| 2017 | $725 |
| 2018 | $725 |
The share of adults holding a college degree went from 0.0% to 10.5%. Meanwhile remote work went from 0.0% of workers to 0.0%. Broadband reached 81.8% of households, from 71.4% in 2017.
| Year | College educated | Broadband at home |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 16.7% | |
| 2011 | 27% | |
| 2012 | 34.2% | |
| 2013 | 26.8% | |
| 2014 | 25.5% | |
| 2015 | 16% | |
| 2016 | 8.9% | |
| 2017 | 7.9% | 71.4% |
| 2018 | 13.6% | 74.1% |
| 2019 | 15.6% | 82.8% |
| 2020 | 16.2% | 86.4% |
| 2021 | 16.3% | 83.3% |
| 2022 | 30% | 85.7% |
| 2023 | 10.5% | 89.5% |
| 2024 | 10.5% | 81.8% |
Percent of adults with a college degree; percent of workers who work from home; percent of households with a broadband subscription (tracked since 2017).
The median resident of Port Heiden was 15.5 years old in 2009. The town has been getting older since: the median age reached 29.8 by 2024.
| Year | Median age |
|---|---|
| 2009 | 15.5 |
| 2010 | 17.9 |
| 2011 | 24.8 |
| 2012 | 27.3 |
| 2013 | 36.5 |
| 2014 | 35.5 |
| 2015 | 31.3 |
| 2016 | 30.5 |
| 2017 | 32 |
| 2018 | 29 |
| 2019 | 28.2 |
| 2020 | 30.7 |
| 2021 | 32.8 |
| 2022 | 36.3 |
| 2023 | 29.5 |
| 2024 | 29.8 |
Getting to work took an average of 5.2 minutes in 2009; it now takes about 6.2 minutes.
| Year | Minutes |
|---|---|
| 2009 | 5.2 |
| 2010 | 5 |
| 2011 | 5.4 |
| 2012 | 4.1 |
| 2013 | 4 |
| 2014 | 3.9 |
| 2015 | 3.9 |
| 2016 | 9.1 |
| 2017 | 9.8 |
| 2018 | 14.9 |
| 2019 | 9.2 |
| 2020 | 20.8 |
| 2021 | 5 |
| 2022 | 6.6 |
| 2023 | 5.5 |
| 2024 | 6.2 |
About 24.7% of residents live below the poverty line, up from 19.5% in 2009. Unemployment stands at 8.7%.
| Year | Poverty rate | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 19.5% | |
| 2010 | 27.9% | |
| 2011 | 5.3% | |
| 2012 | 5.7% | |
| 2013 | 4.3% | |
| 2017 | 10.3% | |
| 2018 | 9% | 20% |
| 2019 | 12.5% | 21.8% |
| 2020 | 27.4% | 21.9% |
| 2021 | 38.5% | 31.3% |
| 2022 | 46% | 29.6% |
| 2023 | 24.7% | 9.5% |
| 2024 | 24.7% | 8.7% |
The Gini index measures income inequality: 0 would mean every household earns the same, 1 would mean a single household earns everything. Port Heiden scores 0.32, down from 0.49 - incomes here have grown more equal.
| Year | Gini index |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 0.5 |
| 2011 | 0.4 |
| 2012 | 0.4 |
| 2013 | 0.4 |
| 2014 | 0.5 |
| 2015 | 0.6 |
| 2016 | 0.6 |
| 2017 | 0.6 |
| 2018 | 0.5 |
| 2019 | 0.4 |
| 2020 | 0.4 |
| 2021 | 0.4 |
| 2022 | 0.4 |
| 2023 | 0.3 |
| 2024 | 0.3 |
54.5% of occupied homes are owned by the people living in them, down from 58.3% in 2009. The typical renter puts 12.5% of household income toward rent. About 56.0% of housing units sit vacant, a level that usually signals seasonal or vacation homes.
| Year | Homeownership | Rent as share of income | Vacant units |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 58.3% | 51% | |
| 2010 | 78.1% | 10% | 43.9% |
| 2011 | 60% | 17.5% | 49% |
| 2012 | 67.7% | 10% | 43.6% |
| 2013 | 72.4% | 10% | 46.3% |
| 2014 | 56.3% | 10% | 41.8% |
| 2015 | 58.6% | 10% | 47.3% |
| 2016 | 69.6% | 10% | 54% |
| 2017 | 71.4% | 10% | 58% |
| 2018 | 66.7% | 12.5% | 49.1% |
| 2019 | 79.3% | 44.2% | |
| 2020 | 77.3% | 54.2% | |
| 2021 | 79.2% | 54.7% | |
| 2022 | 75% | 49.1% | |
| 2023 | 57.9% | 58.7% | |
| 2024 | 54.5% | 56% |
Residents identifying as something other than non-Hispanic white make up 94.5% of the town, up from 58.6% at the start of the period.
| Year | Nonwhite or Hispanic |
|---|---|
| 2009 | 58.6% |
| 2010 | 80.2% |
| 2011 | 56% |
| 2012 | 60% |
| 2013 | 55.1% |
| 2014 | 52.4% |
| 2015 | 60.5% |
| 2016 | 74% |
| 2017 | 73.3% |
| 2018 | 80.8% |
| 2019 | 84.1% |
| 2020 | 83.9% |
| 2021 | 75.4% |
| 2022 | 85.7% |
| 2023 | 98.6% |
| 2024 | 94.5% |