Nucla is a
Statutory Town in
Montrose County,
Colorado, United States. The population was 711 at the
2010 census. Its name comes from the town's founders intent that it serve as a "nucleus" for the surrounding farms and mines, although it has since come to be associated with the growth of
uranium mining in the region.
Geography
Nucla is located at (38.266775, -108.547146).
According to the
United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all of it land. Nucla is located in an area of desert land, surrounding the
Uncompahgre National Forest.
Demographics
As of the
census of 2000, there were 734 people, 311 households, and 208 families residing in the town. The
population density was 1,036.0 people per square mile (399.2/km). There were 369 housing units at an average density of 520.8 per square mile (200.7/km). The racial makeup of the town was 94.69%
White, 1.09%
Native American, 0.14%
Asian, 0.54% from
other races, and 3.54% from two or more races.
Hispanic or
Latino of any race were 3.68% of the population.
There were 311 households, out of which 31.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.8% were
married couples living together, 11.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.8% were non-families. 30.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.91.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 28.6% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 24.3% from 25 to 44, 27.9% from 45 to 64, and 12.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.9 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $28,466, and the median income for a family was $33,636. Males had a median income of $32,417 versus $21,726 for females. The
per capita income for the town was $12,982. About 14.4% of families and 17.0% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 23.4% of those under age 18 and 12.1% of those age 65 or over.
History

There are several prehistoric sites near Nucla on the
Colorado State Register of Historic Properties:
* Cottonwood Cave is a large
rock shelter inhabited by 270 BC and the earliest date at which corn was found in the state of Colorado.
* Tabeguache Cave is another prehistoric rock shelter.
* Tabeguache Pueblo is an example of an early, dispersed
Ancient Pueblo settlement, inhabited about AD 1100 and later abandoned.
The town was established by socialists, who emphasized the sharing of things. The name of the town comes from the word nucleus.
In May 2013, the Nucla Town Board passed an ordinance that required every non-exempted head of household in the town to own a firearm.
Gun Laws
In 2013, Nucla became the first and only city in Colorado state to make gun ownership mandatory.
In 1990, residents of Nucla hosted the first Top Dog World Championship Prairie Dog Shoot competition which resulted in killing nearly 3,000 prairie dogs.
Notable people
*
W. A. Draves (1912–1994), founder and an apostle of the
Church of Christ with the Elijah Message, now headquartered in Independence, Missouri. Draves is believed by his church to have received ninety messages from
John the Baptist, some of them while he lived in Nucla.
*
Bill Symons, Canadian Football Hall of Famer.
See also
*
Montrose, CO Micropolitan Statistical Area
References
External links
Official websiteNucla Naturita Area Chamber of CommerceNucla Public Library
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Category:Towns in Montrose County, Colorado
Category:Towns in Colorado