Get paid to care for family in Northwest Arctic Borough
Most of the 666 people in Northwest Arctic Borough who are 65 or older are cared for at home, by a relative. Alaska Medicaid can pay you for that work.
Northwest Arctic Borough at a glance
- Aged 65+
- 666
- Aged 85+
- 65
- Rank in AK
- 17th
- Median age
- 27.0
9.3% of residents
when daily help usually starts
of 30 counties, by residents 65+
younger than the country
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Population Estimates (Vintage 2024). Northwest Arctic Borough is one of the most rural counties in the country (Rural-Urban Continuum Code 9).
- 50 + DC
- states covered
- 3,144
- counties with local data
- $0
- it is always free to apply
- 2 min
- to see if you qualify
Population figures from the U.S. Census Bureau · Rules from each state's published Medicaid program
Care in Northwest Arctic
What being a paid caregiver looks like here
About 666 people in Northwest Arctic Borough are 65 or older — 9.3% of everyone who lives here. Northwest Arctic Borough skews younger than Alaska overall, but the families caring for an older parent here face the same bills. Roughly 65 are 85 or older, the age when daily help usually starts. Out here, hiring an outside agency often is not realistic at all. Being paid to do the care yourself is not a workaround — it is how these programs were designed to work.
Statewide, 109,200 people in Alaska are 65 or older — 15% of the state, across 30 counties.
What Alaska pays family caregivers
$24–$26/hr
Your exact pay is set by the program and your care plan. We'll tell you your real number before you enroll.
Source: Alaska Medicaid program data · Updated September 2026
Alaska's programs at a glance
- Personal Care Services (PCS)
- Community First Choice (CFC)
- Children's waivers (CCMC & IDD)
- Spouse paid?
- Sometimes
- Parent paid for a child?
- Sometimes
- Waitlist
- No waitlist.
These rules are set by the state, so they are the same in every county. Read the full Alaska guide →
Towns and cities in Northwest Arctic Borough
Alaska sets eligibility, not your town — so a family in Kotzebue and a family at the far edge of the county apply the same way. The largest communities in Northwest Arctic Borough:
- Kotzebue2,889
- Selawik737
- Noorvik625
- Buckland499
- Kiana408
- Kivalina400
- Ambler247
- Shungnak246
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Subcounty Population Estimates.
How families in Northwest Arctic apply
You do not need a county office to start. Families in Northwest Arctic Borough start with Alaska's program:
Contact a PCS provider agency or SDS to complete the PCA-08 Initial Application (doh.sds.info@alaska.gov, 907-269-3666); an Aging and Disability Resource Center can help; approval can take ~3 months.
Or skip the phone tag — our free 2-minute check tells you which Alaska program fits your family, then we help with the forms.
See if you qualify →Northwest Arctic questions, answered honestly
Can I get paid to care for a family member in Northwest Arctic Borough?
Yes. Alaska runs real Medicaid programs — like Personal Care Services (PCS) — that pay family caregivers, and they cover families in Northwest Arctic Borough. We help you enroll, and applying costs you nothing.
How much do family caregivers earn in Northwest Arctic Borough?
Reported figures in Alaska are around $24–$26/hr, but rates vary — the program sets your exact pay. We'll tell you your real number before you enroll.
Where do families in Northwest Arctic Borough apply?
Families in Northwest Arctic Borough start with the state, not the county. Contact a PCS provider agency or SDS to complete the PCA-08 Initial Application (doh.sds.info@alaska.gov, 907-269-3666); an Aging and Disability Resource Center can help; approval can take ~3 months.
Can I get paid to care for my spouse in Northwest Arctic Borough?
Sometimes — it depends on the program. The fine print for Alaska: limited — since 8/1/2025 a spouse can be paid for Community First Choice personal care when hired through a CFC personal-care agency (SDS memo 6/27/2025); State Plan PCS still bars spouses
How many people in Northwest Arctic Borough might need this?
666 residents of Northwest Arctic Borough are 65 or older and about 65 are 85 or older, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2024 population estimates. Most of them are cared for at home by a relative rather than in a facility. Alaska's programs exist to pay for exactly that care.
Which towns in Northwest Arctic do you cover?
All of Northwest Arctic Borough — including Kotzebue, Selawik, Noorvik, Buckland and Kiana. Eligibility is set by Alaska, not by your town, so where you live inside the county does not change whether you qualify.
Program facts come from Alaska's published Medicaid program rules · Population figures from the U.S. Census Bureau · Updated September 2026. Rules change — always confirm with the program.
Guides
For families in Northwest Arctic Borough
Start with the Alaska caregiver program, then read how the pieces fit together.
Nearby
Counties next to Northwest Arctic
The counties Northwest Arctic touches, by Census boundaries — a few of those borders run across water.
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