Northwest Arctic Borough, AK
Get paid to care for your family member in Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska
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.
Who needs care in Northwest Arctic
- People 65 and older
- 666
- People 85 and older
- 65
- Median age
- 27.0
- Rank in Alaska
- 17th
9.3% of Northwest Arctic residents
the age daily help usually starts
younger than the country as a whole
of 30 counties, by residents 65+
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Population Estimates (Vintage 2024). Northwest Arctic Borough is one of the most rural counties in the country (USDA Rural-Urban Continuum Code 9). Alaska as a whole is 15% aged 65 or older.
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?
- Not right now
- 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?
Not right now — but other family members often can be. The fine print for Alaska: no — spouses (and legal guardians) are prohibited from being hired under PCS/CDPCS; other relatives such as adult children may be hired
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.
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