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,^[3] up from 7,459 in 2010.^[4] It is part of the Unorganized Borough and therefore has no borough seat. Its largest community is the city of Hooper Bay, on the Bering Sea coast.

Kusilvak Census Area
Borough
Aerial view of Tutakoke Bird Camp, Coast of the Bering Sea just south of Hooper Bay, near Chevak, Alaska.
Location within the U.S. state of Alaska
Alaska's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 62°05′N 163°32′W
Country	United States
State	Alaska
Established	1980[1][2]
Named after	Kusilvak Mountains
Largest city	Hooper Bay
Area
• Total	19,673 sq mi (50,950 km2)
• Land	17,081 sq mi (44,240 km2)
• Water	2,592 sq mi (6,710 km2)  13.2%
Population  (2020)
• Total	8,278
• Density	0.44/sq mi (0.17/km2)
Time zone	UTC−9 (Alaska)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−8 (ADT)
Congressional district	At-large

The census area's per capita income makes it the fourth-poorest county-equivalent in the United States.^{[citation needed]} In 2014, it had the highest percentage of unemployed people of any county or census area in the United States, at 23.7 percent.^[5]

Additionally the area has the largest percentage of indigenous people with 96.9% of the population belonging to an indigenous group.

History

The census area was originally named for Wade Hampton III, a South Carolina politician whose son-in-law, John Randolph Tucker, a territorial judge in Nome, posthumously named a mining district in western Alaska for him in 1913. The district eventually became the census area, retaining its name. Over the next century, the name became increasingly controversial, with Native residents and others arguing Hampton's name did not represent Alaska and that his personal history as a slave-holding Civil War general was a blemish on the region.^[6] In July 2015, Alaska Governor Bill Walker formally notified the U.S. Census Bureau that the census area was being renamed after the Kusilvak Mountains, its highest range.^[7]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the census area has a total area of 19,673 square miles (50,950 km²), of which 17,081 square miles (44,240 km²) is land and 2,592 square miles (6,710 km²) (13.2%) is water.^[8]

Adjacent boroughs and census areas

• Nome Census Area, Alaska – north
• Yukon–Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska – east
• Bethel Census Area, Alaska – south

National protected area

• Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge (part)
  • Andreafsky Wilderness (part)

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1960	3,128		—
1970	3,917		25.2%
1980	4,665		19.1%
1990	5,791		24.1%
2000	7,028		21.4%
2010	7,459		6.1%
2020	8,368		12.2%
2023 (est.)	8,001	[9]	−4.4%
U.S. Decennial Census[10] 1790–1960[11] 1900–1990[12] 1990–2000[13] 2010–2020[4]

As of the census^[14] of 2000, there were 7,028 people, 1,602 households, and 1,296 families residing in the census area. The population density was 0.35 people per square mile (0.14 people/km²). There were 2,063 housing units at an average density of /sq mi (0/km²). The racial makeup of the census area was 92.53% Native American, 4.74% White, 0.06% Black or African American, 0.10% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.03% from other races, and 2.52% from two or more races. 0.33% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 50.00% of the population reported speaking English at home, while 49.75% spoke Central Alaskan Yup'ik.^[15]

In the 2006 American community survey, the Kusilvak Census Area had the largest increase in Hispanic population since 2000 with a 1572.73% increase.^[16]

There were 1,602 households, out of which 59.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.40% were married couples living together, 20.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.10% were non-families. Sixteen percent of all households were made up of individuals, and 1.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 4.38 and the average family size was 4.95.

In the census area 46.60% of the population was under the age of 18 (the highest such percentage among county equivalents in the United States), 9.70% was from 18 to 24, 25.60% from 25 to 44, 13.10% from 45 to 64, and 5.00% was 65 years of age or older. The median age was 20 years, making the Census Area the youngest county in the United States.^[17] For every 100 females, there were 109.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 107.70 males.

The census area's per capita income makes it one of the poorest places in the United States.

2020 Census

Kusilvak Census Area, Alaska – Racial composition

Race (NH = Non-Hispanic)	2020[18]	2010[19]	2000[20]	1990[21]	1980[22]
White alone (NH)	2.1% (173)	2.7% (199)	4.7% (330)	5.9% (342)	5.1% (236)
Black alone (NH)	0.2% (16)	0% (1)	0.1% (4)	0.2% (12)	0% (0)
American Indian alone (NH)	95% (7,946)	94.9% (7,082)	92.3% (6,486)	93.2% (5,397)	94.7% (4,418)
Asian alone (NH)	0.3% (23)	0.2% (17)	0.1% (7)	0.4% (22)	0% (2)
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	0% (0)	0% (0)	0% (1)
Other race alone (NH)	0.2% (14)	0% (3)	0% (1)	0% (1)	0% (3)
Multiracial (NH)	2.2% (182)	2% (150)	2.5% (176)	—	—
Hispanic/Latino (any race)	0.2% (14)	0.1% (7)	0.3% (23)	0.3% (17)	0.1% (6)

The most reported detailed ancestries were:^[23]

• Native Village of Hooper Bay (Naparyarmiut) (14.3%)
• Yup'ik (Yup'ik Eskimo) (10.4%)
• Village of Alakanuk (7.9%)
• Asa'carsarmiut Tribe (7%)
• Chevak Native Village (6.6%)
• Emmonak Village (4.8%)
• Iqugmuit Traditional Council (4.4%)
• Village of Kotlik (4.3%)
• Algaaciq Native Village (St. Mary's) (3.7%)
• Native Village of Marshall (Fortuna Ledge) (3.4%)

Communities

Cities

• Alakanuk
• Chevak
• Emmonak
• Hooper Bay
• Kotlik
• Marshall
• Mountain Village
• Nunam Iqua (formerly Sheldon Point)
• Pilot Station
• Russian Mission
• Scammon Bay
• St. Mary's

Census-designated place

• Pitkas Point

Unincorporated communities

• Bill Moore's Slough^[24]
• Chuloonawick
• Hamilton^[25]
• Ohogamiut

Politics

United States presidential election results for Kusilvak Census Area, Alaska^[26]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
1980	366	26.41%	866	62.48%	154	11.11%
1984	847	47.83%	850	48.00%	74	4.18%
1988	817	52.30%	681	43.60%	64	4.10%
1992	759	42.78%	700	39.46%	315	17.76%
1996	578	31.71%	1,001	54.91%	244	13.38%
2000	960	48.90%	831	42.33%	172	8.76%
2004	842	49.62%	753	44.37%	102	6.01%
2008	906	39.89%	1,269	55.88%	96	4.23%
2012	390	17.50%	1,715	76.97%	123	5.52%
2016	405	19.71%	1,215	59.12%	435	21.17%
2020	569	29.18%	1,209	62.00%	172	8.82%
2024	579	36.88%	820	52.23%	171	10.89%

Kusilvak Census Area has only backed a Republican for president four times since it was created in 1980.

See also

• Alaska portal

• Kusilvak Census Area, Alaska topics
• List of mountain peaks of Alaska