Yakutat City and Borough, Alaska
Encyclopedia
Yakutat City and Borough (icon) is a unified city-borough in the U.S. state
of Alaska
. As of the 2010 census
, the population was 4035. The name is Tlingit
, Yaakwdáat, meaning "the place where canoes rest", but it originally derives from an Eyak
name diyaʼqudaʼt and was influenced by the Tlingit word yaakw “canoe, boat”. Besides the original City of Yakutat 59°32′49"N 139°43′38"W (the urban part), described below, the only other significant population center in the borough is the community of Icy Bay
, the site of the Icy Bay Airport
, in the west-central part of the borough. Yakutat City is the largest city in the United States by area, and the twelfth largest city in the world by area. Yakutat is about six times as large as the state of Rhode Island
.
-speaking people from the Copper River
area. Tlingits migrated into the area and assimilated the Eyaks before the arrival of Europeans in Alaska. Yakutat was only one of a number of Tlingit and mixed Tlingit-Eyak settlements in the region, although all the others have been depopulated or abandoned.
In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, English, French, Spanish and Russian explorers came to the region. The Shelikhov-Golikov company
, precursor of the Russian-American Company
, built a fort in Yakutat in 1795 to facilitate trade in sea otter
pelts. It was known as New Russia
, Yakutat Colony, or Slavorossiya. When the Russians cut off access to the fisheries nearby, a Tlingit war party attacked and destroyed the fort.
By 1886, after the Alaska Purchase
by the United States
, the black sand beaches in the area were being mined for gold. In 1889 the Swedish Free Mission Church
opened a school and sawmill in the area. A cannery, another sawmill, a store and a railroad were constructed from 1903 by the Stimson Lumber Company. Many people moved to the current site of Yakutat to be closer to the Stimpson cannery, which operated through 1970. During World War II
, the USAAF
stationed a large aviation garrison near Yakutat and built a paved runway. The troops were withdrawn after the war but the runway is still in use as Yakutat Airport
, which offers scheduled airline service.
Fishing is currently the largest economic activity in Yakutat.
Yakutat Tlingit Tribe (YTT) received a Language Preservation Grant from the Administration for Native Americans in 2004. With this, they have reinvigorated their efforts to teach the Tlingit language
to middle-aged and young people. YTT received another ANA grant in 2007 and is expanding its role in the schools. All the YTT Tlingit language revitalization work focuses on using communicative approaches
to second language teaching, such as TPR
and ASLA.
While working at a local cannery from 1912 to 1941, Seiki Kayamori
extensively photographed Yakutat and its area. A large set of prints of his work is held by Yakutat City Hall.
Yakutat was incorporated at a unified city-borough on September 22, 1992. Until this time, it had been part of the Skagway-Yakutat-Angoon Census Area, which was afterwards renamed to Skagway-Hoonah-Angoon Census Area.
. It lies in an isolated location in lowlands along the Gulf of Alaska
, 212 miles (340 km) northwest of Juneau
.
The city and borough has a total area of 9459 square miles (24,498.7 km²). 7650 square miles (19,813.4 km²) of it is land and 1809 square miles (4,685.3 km²) of it (19.12%) is water. A map of the borough can be seen here: It borders the Gulf of Alaska
to the west, Valdez-Cordova Census Area, Alaska
to the northwest, Hoonah-Angoon Census Area, Alaska to the southeast, Stikine Region, British Columbia to the northeast-east and Yukon Territory to the north.
The borough contains part of the protected areas of Chugach National Forest
, Glacier Bay National Park, Glacier Bay Wilderness
, Tongass National Forest
, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve
, Wrangell-Saint Elias Wilderness
and the Russell Fjord Wilderness.
One unique feature in the Borough is Hubbard Glacier
, one of the few advancing glaciers. In 1986 and 2002, the glacier blocked the entrance to Russell Fiord. The resulting Russell Lake rose 83 and 61 feet, until the glacial dam failed. If Russell Lake rises to 135 feet, the water will spill over a pass and flow into the Situk River. This will have a major impact on a world class fishery. Yakutat will not be impacted unless the glacier advances to the townsite, which could take a thousand years. The vegetation in the area indicates that water was flowing over the pass until about 1860.
(Dfc) and subpolar oceanic (Cfc); although it is in detail much more like a subpolar oceanic climate, the mean January temperature at 25.3 °F (-3.7 °C) is beyond the −3 C limit of “oceanic” climates. Yakutat has the typical high precipitation, absence of frozen soil
and temperate rainforest vegetation of the subpolar oceanic climate zone of the Pacific Coast. It rivals Ketchikan
as the wettest “city” in the United States, with an annual precipitation of 144 inches (3.7 m), which falls on 234 days of the year.
As of the census
of 2010, there were 4035 people, 502 households, and 201 families residing in the city and borough. The population density
was 0.1 people per square mile (0.04/km²). There were 499 housing units at an average density of 0.0 per square mile (0.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city and borough was 50.37% White
, 0.12% Black
or African American
, 39.60% Native American
, 1.24% Asian
, 0.74% Pacific Islander
, and 7.92% from two or more races. Hispanic
or Latino
of any race were 0.74% of the population. 5.78% reported speaking Tlingit
at home http://www.mla.org/map_data_results&state_id=2&county_id=282&mode=geographic&zip=&place_id=&cty_id=&ll=&a=&ea=&order=r.
There were 265 households out of which 32.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.5% were married couples
living together, 12.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.0% were non-families. 32.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.30.
In the city and borough the population was spread out with 28.1% under the age of 18, 5.3% from 18 to 24, 32.5% from 25 to 44, 28.7% from 45 to 64, and 5.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 145.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 161.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city and borough was $46,786, and the median income for a family was $51,875. Males had a median income of $41,635 versus $25,938 for females. The per capita income
for the city and borough was $22,579. About 11.8% of families and 13.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.5% of those under age 18 and 8.3% of those age 65 or over.
(CDP), even though census-designated places "are not legally incorporated under the laws of the state in which they are located." This area, consisting of about 100 square miles (slightly more than 250 km²), contained the vast majority of the population of the entire city-borough.
As of the census
of 2000, there were 680 people, 261 households, and 157 families residing in the CDP. The population density
was 6.8 people per square mile (2.6/km²). There were 385 housing units at an average density of 3.9 per square mile (1.5/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 41.47% White
, 0.15% Black
or African American
, 47.06% Native American
, 1.47% Asian
, 0.88% Pacific Islander
, and 8.97% from two or more races. Hispanic
or Latino
of any race were 0.88% of the population.
There were 261 households out of which 33.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.7% were married couples
living together, 12.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.5% were non-families. 31.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.30.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 31.0% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 31.3% from 25 to 44, 25.7% from 45 to 64, and 5.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 117.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 123.3 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $47,054, and the median income for a family was $51,875. Males had a median income of $42,404 versus $26,875 for females. The per capita income
for the CDP was $21,330. About 11.8% of families and 15.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.5% of those under age 18 and 10.7% of those age 65 or over.
's almost twenty four hour daylight although full body wet suits are typical surfing attire to avoid hypothermia Daylight
.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
. As of the 2010 census
United States Census, 2010
The Twenty-third United States Census, known as Census 2010 or the 2010 Census, is the current national census of the United States. National Census Day was April 1, 2010 and is the reference date used in enumerating individuals...
, the population was 4035. The name is Tlingit
Tlingit language
The Tlingit language ) is spoken by the Tlingit people of Southeast Alaska and Western Canada. It is a branch of the Na-Dené language family. Tlingit is very endangered, with fewer than 140 native speakers still living, all of whom are bilingual or near-bilingual in English...
, Yaakwdáat, meaning "the place where canoes rest", but it originally derives from an Eyak
Eyak
The Eyak are an indigenous group traditionally located on the Copper River Delta and near the town of Cordova, Alaska.-Territory:The Eyak's territory reached from present day Cordova east to the Martin River and north to Miles Glacier....
name diyaʼqudaʼt and was influenced by the Tlingit word yaakw “canoe, boat”. Besides the original City of Yakutat 59°32′49"N 139°43′38"W (the urban part), described below, the only other significant population center in the borough is the community of Icy Bay
Icy Bay, Alaska
Icy Bay is a body of water in southeast Alaska, formed in the last 100 years by the rapid retreat of the Guyot, Yahtse, and Tyndall Glacier Glaciers. It is part of the Wrangell-Saint Elias Wilderness....
, the site of the Icy Bay Airport
Icy Bay Airport
Icy Bay Airport is a state-owned airport serving Icy Bay in the U.S. state of Alaska. Scheduled passenger service at this airport is subsidized by the United States Department of Transportation via the Essential Air Service program.- Facilities and aircraft :...
, in the west-central part of the borough. Yakutat City is the largest city in the United States by area, and the twelfth largest city in the world by area. Yakutat is about six times as large as the state of Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
.
History
The original settlers in the Yakutat area are believed to have been EyakEyak
The Eyak are an indigenous group traditionally located on the Copper River Delta and near the town of Cordova, Alaska.-Territory:The Eyak's territory reached from present day Cordova east to the Martin River and north to Miles Glacier....
-speaking people from the Copper River
Copper River (Alaska)
The Copper River or Ahtna River is a 300-mile river in south-central Alaska in the United States. It drains a large region of the Wrangell Mountains and Chugach Mountains into the Gulf of Alaska...
area. Tlingits migrated into the area and assimilated the Eyaks before the arrival of Europeans in Alaska. Yakutat was only one of a number of Tlingit and mixed Tlingit-Eyak settlements in the region, although all the others have been depopulated or abandoned.
In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, English, French, Spanish and Russian explorers came to the region. The Shelikhov-Golikov company
Grigory Shelikhov
Grigory Ivanovich Shelekhov Grigory Ivanovich Shelekhov Grigory Ivanovich Shelekhov (Григорий Иванович Шелехов in Russian; (1747–July 20, 1795 (July 31, 1795 N.S.)) was a Russian seafarer and merchant born in Rylsk....
, precursor of the Russian-American Company
Russian-American Company
The Russian-American Company was a state-sponsored chartered company formed largely on the basis of the so-called Shelekhov-Golikov Company of Grigory Shelekhov and Ivan Larionovich Golikov The Russian-American Company (officially: Under His Imperial Majesty's Highest Protection (patronage)...
, built a fort in Yakutat in 1795 to facilitate trade in sea otter
Sea Otter
The sea otter is a marine mammal native to the coasts of the northern and eastern North Pacific Ocean. Adult sea otters typically weigh between 14 and 45 kg , making them the heaviest members of the weasel family, but among the smallest marine mammals...
pelts. It was known as New Russia
New Russia (trading post)
New Russia , near Yakutat, Alaska was a maritime fur trading post and penal colony established by Russians in 1795. It was presumably named after Joseph Billings ship Slava Rossia, or "Glory of Russia". The post was attacked and destroyed by Tlingits in 1805...
, Yakutat Colony, or Slavorossiya. When the Russians cut off access to the fisheries nearby, a Tlingit war party attacked and destroyed the fort.
By 1886, after the Alaska Purchase
Alaska purchase
The Alaska Purchase was the acquisition of the Alaska territory by the United States from Russia in 1867 by a treaty ratified by the Senate. The purchase, made at the initiative of United States Secretary of State William H. Seward, gained of new United States territory...
by the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, the black sand beaches in the area were being mined for gold. In 1889 the Swedish Free Mission Church
Evangelical Covenant Church
The Evangelical Covenant Church is an evangelical Christian denomination of more than 800 congregations and an average worship attendance of 179,000 people in the United States and Canada with ministries on five continents. Founded in 1885 by Swedish immigrants, the church is now one of the most...
opened a school and sawmill in the area. A cannery, another sawmill, a store and a railroad were constructed from 1903 by the Stimson Lumber Company. Many people moved to the current site of Yakutat to be closer to the Stimpson cannery, which operated through 1970. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the USAAF
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
stationed a large aviation garrison near Yakutat and built a paved runway. The troops were withdrawn after the war but the runway is still in use as Yakutat Airport
Yakutat Airport
Yakutat Airport is a state-owned public-use airport located three nautical miles southeast of the central business district of Yakutat, a city in the U.S. state of Alaska.- Facilities and aircraft :...
, which offers scheduled airline service.
Fishing is currently the largest economic activity in Yakutat.
Yakutat Tlingit Tribe (YTT) received a Language Preservation Grant from the Administration for Native Americans in 2004. With this, they have reinvigorated their efforts to teach the Tlingit language
Tlingit language
The Tlingit language ) is spoken by the Tlingit people of Southeast Alaska and Western Canada. It is a branch of the Na-Dené language family. Tlingit is very endangered, with fewer than 140 native speakers still living, all of whom are bilingual or near-bilingual in English...
to middle-aged and young people. YTT received another ANA grant in 2007 and is expanding its role in the schools. All the YTT Tlingit language revitalization work focuses on using communicative approaches
Communicative language teaching
Communicative language teaching is an approach to the teaching of second and foreign languages that emphasizes interaction as both the means and the ultimate goal of learning a language...
to second language teaching, such as TPR
Total Physical Response
Total Physical Response is a method developed by Dr. James J. Asher, a professor emeritus of psychology at San José State University, to aid learning second languages...
and ASLA.
While working at a local cannery from 1912 to 1941, Seiki Kayamori
Seiki Kayamori
Seiki Kayamori was a Japanese photographer who lived in Yakutat, Alaska, before World War II. His photographs captured the village's residents, mostly Tlingit Indians, at a time when the fish canning industry and other outside influences were beginning to change or eclipse traditional ways of...
extensively photographed Yakutat and its area. A large set of prints of his work is held by Yakutat City Hall.
Yakutat was incorporated at a unified city-borough on September 22, 1992. Until this time, it had been part of the Skagway-Yakutat-Angoon Census Area, which was afterwards renamed to Skagway-Hoonah-Angoon Census Area.
Geography
Yakutat's population center is located at 59°32′49"N 139°43′38"W, at the mouth of Yakutat BayYakutat Bay
Yakutat Bay is a 29-km-wide bay in the U.S. state of Alaska, extending southwest from Disenchantment Bay to the Gulf of Alaska. "Yakutat" is a Tlingit name reported as "Jacootat" and "Yacootat" by Yuri Lisianski in 1805....
. It lies in an isolated location in lowlands along the Gulf of Alaska
Gulf of Alaska
The Gulf of Alaska is an arm of the Pacific Ocean defined by the curve of the southern coast of Alaska, stretching from the Alaska Peninsula and Kodiak Island in the west to the Alexander Archipelago in the east, where Glacier Bay and the Inside Passage are found.The entire shoreline of the Gulf is...
, 212 miles (340 km) northwest of Juneau
Juneau, Alaska
The City and Borough of Juneau is a unified municipality located on the Gastineau Channel in the panhandle of the U.S. state of Alaska. It has been the capital of Alaska since 1906, when the government of the then-District of Alaska was moved from Sitka as dictated by the U.S. Congress in 1900...
.
The city and borough has a total area of 9459 square miles (24,498.7 km²). 7650 square miles (19,813.4 km²) of it is land and 1809 square miles (4,685.3 km²) of it (19.12%) is water. A map of the borough can be seen here: It borders the Gulf of Alaska
Gulf of Alaska
The Gulf of Alaska is an arm of the Pacific Ocean defined by the curve of the southern coast of Alaska, stretching from the Alaska Peninsula and Kodiak Island in the west to the Alexander Archipelago in the east, where Glacier Bay and the Inside Passage are found.The entire shoreline of the Gulf is...
to the west, Valdez-Cordova Census Area, Alaska
Valdez-Cordova Census Area, Alaska
Valdez-Cordova Census Area is a census area located in the state of Alaska, United States. As of the 2000 census, the population was 10,195. It is part of the unorganized borough and therefore has no borough seat...
to the northwest, Hoonah-Angoon Census Area, Alaska to the southeast, Stikine Region, British Columbia to the northeast-east and Yukon Territory to the north.
The borough contains part of the protected areas of Chugach National Forest
Chugach National Forest
-External links:*****...
, Glacier Bay National Park, Glacier Bay Wilderness
Glacier Bay Wilderness
Glacier Bay Wilderness is a wilderness area in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve in the U.S. state of Alaska. It consists of the park section of 3.28-million-acre Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve...
, Tongass National Forest
Tongass National Forest
The Tongass National Forest in southeastern Alaska is the largest national forest in the United States at 17 million acres . Most of its area is part of the temperate rain forest WWF ecoregion, itself part of the larger Pacific temperate rain forest WWF ecoregion, and is remote enough to be home...
, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve
Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve is a United States National Park in southeastern Alaska. It was established in 1980 by the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act. The park area is included in an International Biosphere Reserve and is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site...
, Wrangell-Saint Elias Wilderness
Wrangell-Saint Elias Wilderness
Wrangell-Saint Elias Wilderness is a wilderness area in Alaska, United States. At , it is the largest designated U.S. Wilderness Area, and lies within Wrangell-Saint Elias National Park and Preserve, the largest national park in the United States...
and the Russell Fjord Wilderness.
One unique feature in the Borough is Hubbard Glacier
Hubbard Glacier
Hubbard Glacier is a glacier located in eastern Alaska and part of Canada.The longest source for Hubbard Glacier originates from its snout and is located at about at about , approximately west of Mt. Walsh with an altitude around . A shorter tributary glacier begins at the easternmost summit on...
, one of the few advancing glaciers. In 1986 and 2002, the glacier blocked the entrance to Russell Fiord. The resulting Russell Lake rose 83 and 61 feet, until the glacial dam failed. If Russell Lake rises to 135 feet, the water will spill over a pass and flow into the Situk River. This will have a major impact on a world class fishery. Yakutat will not be impacted unless the glacier advances to the townsite, which could take a thousand years. The vegetation in the area indicates that water was flowing over the pass until about 1860.
Climate
Yakutat has a climate located on the boundary of subarcticSubarctic climate
The subarctic climate is a climate characterized by long, usually very cold winters, and short, cool to mild summers. It is found on large landmasses, away from the moderating effects of an ocean, generally at latitudes from 50° to 70°N poleward of the humid continental climates...
(Dfc) and subpolar oceanic (Cfc); although it is in detail much more like a subpolar oceanic climate, the mean January temperature at 25.3 °F (-3.7 °C) is beyond the −3 C limit of “oceanic” climates. Yakutat has the typical high precipitation, absence of frozen soil
Permafrost
In geology, permafrost, cryotic soil or permafrost soil is soil at or below the freezing point of water for two or more years. Ice is not always present, as may be in the case of nonporous bedrock, but it frequently occurs and it may be in amounts exceeding the potential hydraulic saturation of...
and temperate rainforest vegetation of the subpolar oceanic climate zone of the Pacific Coast. It rivals Ketchikan
Ketchikan, Alaska
Ketchikan is a city in Ketchikan Gateway Borough, Alaska, United States, the southeasternmost sizable city in that state. With an estimated population of 7,368 in 2010 within the city limits, it is the fifth most populous city in the state....
as the wettest “city” in the United States, with an annual precipitation of 144 inches (3.7 m), which falls on 234 days of the year.
Historical Populations
- 1990: 680
- 2000: 808
- 2010: 4035
As of the census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2010, there were 4035 people, 502 households, and 201 families residing in the city and borough. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 0.1 people per square mile (0.04/km²). There were 499 housing units at an average density of 0.0 per square mile (0.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city and borough was 50.37% White
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.12% Black
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 39.60% Native American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 1.24% Asian
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.74% Pacific Islander
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 7.92% from two or more races. Hispanic
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or Latino
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
of any race were 0.74% of the population. 5.78% reported speaking Tlingit
Tlingit language
The Tlingit language ) is spoken by the Tlingit people of Southeast Alaska and Western Canada. It is a branch of the Na-Dené language family. Tlingit is very endangered, with fewer than 140 native speakers still living, all of whom are bilingual or near-bilingual in English...
at home http://www.mla.org/map_data_results&state_id=2&county_id=282&mode=geographic&zip=&place_id=&cty_id=&ll=&a=&ea=&order=r.
There were 265 households out of which 32.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.5% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 12.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.0% were non-families. 32.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.30.
In the city and borough the population was spread out with 28.1% under the age of 18, 5.3% from 18 to 24, 32.5% from 25 to 44, 28.7% from 45 to 64, and 5.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 145.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 161.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city and borough was $46,786, and the median income for a family was $51,875. Males had a median income of $41,635 versus $25,938 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city and borough was $22,579. About 11.8% of families and 13.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.5% of those under age 18 and 8.3% of those age 65 or over.
Central Yakutat
At the 2000 census, central Yakutat was treated as a census-designated placeCensus-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
(CDP), even though census-designated places "are not legally incorporated under the laws of the state in which they are located." This area, consisting of about 100 square miles (slightly more than 250 km²), contained the vast majority of the population of the entire city-borough.
As of the census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 680 people, 261 households, and 157 families residing in the CDP. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 6.8 people per square mile (2.6/km²). There were 385 housing units at an average density of 3.9 per square mile (1.5/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 41.47% White
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.15% Black
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 47.06% Native American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 1.47% Asian
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.88% Pacific Islander
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 8.97% from two or more races. Hispanic
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or Latino
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
of any race were 0.88% of the population.
There were 261 households out of which 33.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.7% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 12.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.5% were non-families. 31.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.30.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 31.0% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 31.3% from 25 to 44, 25.7% from 45 to 64, and 5.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 117.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 123.3 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $47,054, and the median income for a family was $51,875. Males had a median income of $42,404 versus $26,875 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the CDP was $21,330. About 11.8% of families and 15.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.5% of those under age 18 and 10.7% of those age 65 or over.
Attractions
Fly fishing, birthplace of Meeses Pieces, a product of The Plural of Moose is Meese Company. During the summers surfing is an attraction along the coast and beachfront in Yakutat. The water is warmed by AlaskaAlaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
's almost twenty four hour daylight although full body wet suits are typical surfing attire to avoid hypothermia Daylight
Daylight
Daylight or the light of day is the combination of all direct and indirect sunlight outdoors during the daytime. This includes direct sunlight, diffuse sky radiation, and both of these reflected from the Earth and terrestrial objects. Sunlight scattered or reflected from objects in outer space is...
.
External links
- City and Borough of Yakutat Official website
- Summary of the 2006 Yakutat area commercial salmon fisheries / by Gordon F. Woods. Hosted by the Alaska State Publications Program.