Atqasuk City has a population of 244 people, and the median home value is $164,700. In 2003, it was reported that 87% of residents were single-family homes. This is a lower percentage than the state and nation averages. However, the population of the area remains disproportionately older. In Atqasuk, one in five people is 65 or older, compared to only 14.9% of the U.S. population.
Atqasuk is located on the Meade River, about 60 miles southwest of Utqiagvik. Early residents of the area were hunters and fishermen. Abandoned sod houses and gravesites attest to their past existence. During World War II, the town became a coal mining center, with coal being freighted to Utqiagvik. The city's population decreased to a few hundred by the 1960s, but after the town's incorporation as a second-class city in 1982, some residents relocated back.
The violent crime rate in Atqasuk City varies widely from one neighborhood to another. In some neighborhoods, the rate is as high as one crime for every 74 residents, while it is slightly lower in the center of the city. While this isn't intuitive, a map of the city's violent crime rate shows a simple count of violent crimes in specific neighborhoods. While this map doesn't necessarily indicate that Atqasuk residents are in danger, it is still better to be safe than sorry.
The population of Atqasuk City has fluctuated from one census to the next, depending on the economic and social conditions of the community. Its average age is younger than the national and state average, and the proportion of dependents to wage earners is high.