Emmonak () is a city in

Kusilvak Census Area, Alaska Kusilvak Census Area, formerly known as Wade Hampton Census Area, is a census area located in the U.S. state of Alaska. As of the 2020 census, the population was 8,368, up from 7,459 in 2010. It is part of the Unorganized Borough and therefo ...

, United States. At the 2010 census the population was 762, down from 767 in 2000.

Geography and climate

Emmonak is located in the large delta of the

Yukon River The Yukon River is a major watercourse of northwestern North America. From its source in British Columbia, it flows through Canada's territory of Yukon (itself named after the river). The lower half of the river continues westward through the U.S ...

at (62.777328, -164.544920). According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it (13.08%) is water. Emmonak is one of the last permanent settlements along the Yukon before it empties out into

Bering Sea The Bering Sea ( , ; rus, Бе́рингово мо́ре, r=Béringovo móre, p=ˈbʲerʲɪnɡəvə ˈmorʲe) is a marginal sea of the Northern Pacific Ocean. It forms, along with the Bering Strait, the divide between the two largest landmasse ...

Demographics

Emmonak first appeared on the 1970 U.S. Census as an incorporated city (having incorporated in 1964), although was erroneously called "Emanguk." It was the successor community to Kwiguk, which was located a mile and a half south, most of whose residents removed to the new village of Emmonak in 1964 after flooding damaged the old village, including their cannery. As of the census of 2000, there were 767 people, 189 households, and 150 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 218 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 5.61%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.26%

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 91.26% Native American, 0.13% Asian, and 2.74% from two or more races. 1.04% of the population were

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race. There were 189 households, out of which 55.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.1% were married couples living together, 18.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.6% were non-families. 16.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 3.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 4.06 and the average family size was 4.58. In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 44.1% under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 15.4% from 45 to 64, and 5.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 23 years. For every 100 females, there were 116.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 113.4 males. The median income for a household in the city was $32,917, and the median income for a family was $38,750. Males had a median income of $23,750 versus $18,542 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the city was $9,069. About 16.4% of families and 16.2% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 15.9% of those under age 18 and 9.1% of those age 65 or over.

Winter 2008–2009 Energy Crisis

In the winter of 2008–2009, a combination of a cold winter and increased fuel prices led to economic hardship. Due to a collapse in local

king salmon The Chinook salmon (''Oncorhynchus tshawytscha'') is the largest and most valuable species of Pacific salmon. Its common name is derived from the Chinookan peoples. Other vernacular names for the species include king salmon, quinnat salmon, spr ...

fisheries in 2008, residents were unable to buy increased amounts of

heating oil Heating oil is any petroleum product or other oil used for heating; it is a fuel oil. Most commonly, it refers to low viscosity grades of fuel oil used for furnaces or boilers for home heating and in other buildings. Home heating oil is often ...

at higher prices. On January 10, 2009, Nicholas C. Tucker Sr., a town elder, circulated a letter asking for aid. The letter was circulated by Alaska bloggers, where it was picked up by national media.

Education

K-12 students attend Emmonak School, operated by the

Lower Yukon School District Lower Yukon School District is a school district headquartered in Mountain Village, Alaska, serving the Kusilvak Census Area. As of the 2017-18 school year, it has 1,998 students across 10 schools. 91% are American Indian or Alaska Native and 5 ...

References

{{Authority control Cities in Alaska Cities in Kusilvak Census Area, Alaska Yukon River