Susitna North has been named the poorest town in Alaska.
According to the most recent 2025 analysis by 24/7 Wall St. that identifies the poorest town in each American state, Susitna North, Alaska holds this distinction.
Key Data on Alaska’s Poverty
While Susitna North is identified as the poorest town, the poverty data by Alaska’s boroughs and census areas shows:
| Borough/Census Area | Poverty Rate (2023) |
|---|---|
| Kusilvak Census Area | 31.2% |
| Bethel Census Area | 24.0% |
| Nome Census Area | 21.1% |
| Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area | 20.8% |
| Northwest Arctic Borough | 18.4% |
The Kusilvak Census Area has the highest poverty rate in Alaska at 31.2%, significantly higher than the state’s largest county (Anchorage Borough) at 9.3%.
Why Different Sources Give Different Answers
- 24/7 Wall St. (2025): Names Susitna North as Alaska’s poorest town
- RoadSnacks (2026): Previously cited Soldotna as the poorest place in Alaska
- Yahoo Finance (2020): Cited Anchorage as poorest, but only because it was the only Alaskan city in their dataset
SOURCES :
- https://usafacts.org/answers/what-is-the-us-poverty-rate/state/alaska/
- https://finance.yahoo.com/news/poorest-cities-every-us-state-130000229.html
