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Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska
A shallow water table limits basements on 64% of Northwest Arctic Borough's mapped land, a higher share than 77% of US counties and the 2nd highest of 22 Alaska counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 0%.
The soil survey maps 36% of the county's land area; these shares describe the mapped part. None of the county is in drought on the November 3, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 9 flood losses here since 2016. 31% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1987.
Data as of November 3, 2026 · sources
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
in drought, November 3, 2026
of homes built before 1980
Soil under Northwest Arctic Borough
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 64.5% |
| Septic fields very limited | 93.9% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.9% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.0% |
| Mapped soil | 8,150,069 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Uvluutit | under 1% | n/a |
| Urgiilik | under 1% | n/a |
| Kikku | under 1% | n/a |
| Tikigak | under 1% | n/a |
| Igniq | under 1% | n/a |
| Kunjik | under 1% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas AK728 (2025-09-02), AK753 (2025-09-02), AK758 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
On 64% of Northwest Arctic Borough's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 18.98 in, 3.49 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 15.49 in.
USDA rates 94% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
0% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the November 3, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 4 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 9.4% of its area, on the July 7, 2026 map.
| Category, November 3, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 0% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
9 flood losses since 2016, $93,767 paid. The worst year was 2024, with 5.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 5 |
| 2025 | 4 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 15.49 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 18.98 in (+3.49) |
| 2025 | 19.69 in (+4.20) |
| Wettest year since 1925 | 1965: 22.32 in |
| Driest year since 1925 | 1933: 9.09 in |
Homes
| Housing units | 2,744 |
| Median year built | 1987 |
| Built before 1980 | 31% |
| Built 2000 or later | 16% |
| Owner-occupied | 64% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $199,100 |
| Single-family detached | 82% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nome Census Area, AK | 193 mi | 0% | 63% |
| North Slope Borough, AK | 238 mi | 0% | 67% |
| Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, AK | 257 mi | 0% | 62% |
| Kusilvak Census Area, AK | 339 mi | n/a | n/a |
| Denali Borough, AK | 368 mi | n/a | n/a |
| Fairbanks North Star Borough, AK | 414 mi | 0% | 56% |
| Bethel Census Area, AK | 420 mi | n/a | n/a |
| Matanuska-Susitna Borough, AK | 451 mi | n/a | n/a |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 2, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (November 3, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status