The school , clinic, village council and stores are the primary employers. Some residents trap or sell firewood for income. The Neets'aii Gwichin of Arctic Village lead a subsistence-based lifestyle. The village council is combined with the nearby village of Venetie. These are the people who successfully fought off oil development in the arctic national wildlife refuge.
Air transportation provides the only year-round access to Arctic Village.
Ice fog frequently interferes with air service in winter months. Local transportation is by 4 wheeler and snowmachine. Several residents maintain dog teams. Arctic Village has a continental subarctic climate. Winters are long and harsh, summers are short but warm.