Cold Bay, Alaska Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 145, Cold Bay's ACS estimates come from a small number of survey responses and carry wide margins of error. Individual percentages below — particularly rates that round to 0% or 100% — are approximations, not precise measurements. See data.census.gov for the published margins of error.

Population Overview

Cold Bay is a small community located in Alaska, within Aleutians East Borough. The total population is 145. It ranks as the 209th most populous out of 326 Census-designated places in Alaska.

Age Demographics

The median age in Cold Bay is 23.9 years. This is 33% lower than the state median of 35.8 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The ACS records no residents below the poverty line in Cold Bay. In a community this small the estimate rests on very few survey responses, so it should be read as an absence of measurement rather than a measured absence of poverty. The survey records no unemployed residents in Cold Bay, which reflects the size of the sample rather than a labor market without joblessness. 12.8% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 81% lower than the state average of 66.8%.

Race & Ethnicity

Cold Bay is a highly diverse community where no single racial or ethnic group constitutes a majority of the population. Asian residents account for 20.0%. The White (non-Hispanic) population (26.2%) is well below the state average of 57.7%. The Black or African American population (0.7%) is well below the state average of 2.9%. The Hispanic or Latino population (2.8%) is well below the state average of 7.3%. The Asian population is significantly higher than the state average (20.0% vs 6.3%).

Education

36.6% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 16% higher than the state rate of 31.7%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 97.2%. Notably, 26.8% of adults hold a graduate or professional degree, indicating a highly educated workforce.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Cold Bay, Alaska is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates. The ACS collects data from approximately 3.5 million households annually and pools five years of responses so that even small communities can be measured, though the margin of error widens as the population falls. Comparisons are made against Alaska state averages and national averages calculated from the same dataset. Rankings reflect the city's position among all 326 Census-designated places in Alaska. Read more about how these figures are produced on our methodology page, or visit data.census.gov for official data.