Hooper Bay, Alaska Explained

Official Name:Hooper Bay
Native Name:Naparyarmiut
Native Name Lang:esu
Settlement Type:City
Pushpin Map:USA Alaska
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in Alaska
Pushpin Mapsize:250
Coordinates:61.5289°N -166.0961°W
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:United States
Subdivision Type1:State
Subdivision Name1:Alaska
Subdivision Type2:Census Area
Subdivision Name2:Kusilvak
Leader Title:Mayor
Leader Name:Benjamin Nukusuk[1]
Leader Title1:State senator
Leader Name1:Donald Olson (D)
Leader Title2:State rep.
Leader Name2:Neal Foster (D)
Established Title:Incorporated
Established Date:February 7, 1966[2]
Area Footnotes:[3]
Area Total Sq Mi:7.53
Area Land Sq Mi:7.50
Area Water Sq Mi:0.03
Area Total Km2:19.50
Area Land Km2:19.42
Area Water Km2:0.08
Elevation Ft:26
Elevation M:8
Population As Of:2020
Population Total:1375
Population Density Sq Mi:183.41
Population Density Km2:70.81
Timezone:Alaska (AKST)
Utc Offset:-9
Timezone Dst:AKDT
Utc Offset Dst:-8
Postal Code Type:ZIP code
Postal Code:99604
Area Code:907
Area Code Type:Area code
Blank Name:FIPS code
Blank1 Name:GNIS feature ID
Unit Pref:Imperial

Hooper Bay (Naparyarmiut) is a city in Kusilvak Census Area, Alaska, United States. At the 2020 census the population was 1,375, up from 1,093 in 2010.[4]

On August 3, 2006, a major fire destroyed approximately fifteen acres of the city including thirty-five structures, twelve homes, the elementary school, middle school, high school, teacher housing complex, stores, offices and storage shelters, leaving 70 people homeless.[5] [6] [7]

Geography and climate

Hooper Bay is located at 61.5289°N -166.0961°W (61.528980, -166.096196),[8] 20miles south of Cape Romanzof and 25miles south of Scammon Bay in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. The city is separated into two sections: a heavily built-up townsite located on gently rolling hills, and a newer section in the lowlands.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 8.8sqmi, of which 8.7sqmi is land and 0.1sqmi (0.91%) is water.

Hooper Bay is located within the polar climate zone (Köppen ET), because the hottest month is only 49.2F. It is atypical of polar climates in having winters sufficiently moderated by the sea that permafrost is merely sporadic, and in seeing heavy late summer rainfall more typical of subpolar oceanic climates. The substantial maritime moderation, however, means snowfall is heavy, exceeding or approaching 4sigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 for eight months of the year

Demographics

Hooper Bay first appeared on the 1880 U.S. Census as an Yup'ik settlement of Askinuk.[9] On the 1890 census, it returned as Askinaghamiut. It did not appear again until 1930, when it was first returned as Hooper Bay. It formally incorporated in 1966.

As of the census[10] of 2000, there were 1,014 people, 227 households, and 187 families residing in the city. The population density was 116.8sp=usNaNsp=us. There were 239 housing units at an average density of 27.5sp=usNaNsp=us. The racial makeup of the city was 4.24% White, 93.69% Native American, and 2.07% from two or more races. 0.10% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 227 households, out of which 61.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.4% were married couples living together, 30.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.6% were non-families. 15.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 0.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 4.47 and the average family size was 4.97.

In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 49.2% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 24.5% from 25 to 44, 11.5% from 45 to 64, and 5.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 18 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 116.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $26,667, and the median income for a family was $27,500. Males had a median income of $31,250 versus $32,083 for females. The per capita income for the city was $7,841. About 28.4% of families and 27.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 30.1% of those under age 18 and 31.6% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade attend Hooper Bay School, also known as Naparyarmiut Elicarviat, administered by the Lower Yukon School District.[11] It is a bilingual school with a Yup'ik language immersion program in kindergarten through third grade, the first program of its kind in the district.[12] High school students have the option of the state's public boarding schools, Nenana Student Living Center and Mt. Edgecumbe High School.[13]

In popular culture

Further reading

Notes and References

  1. Book: 2015 Alaska Municipal Officials Directory. Juneau. Alaska Municipal League. 2015. 73.
  2. Book: 1996 Alaska Municipal Officials Directory. Juneau. Alaska Municipal League/Alaska Department of Community and Regional Affairs. January 1996. 67.
  3. Web site: 2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files. United States Census Bureau. October 29, 2021.
  4. Web site: 2020 Census Data - Cities and Census Designated Places . Web . State of Alaska, Department of Labor and Workforce Development . October 31, 2021.
  5. Web site: Hundreds Evacuate, Structures Destroyed in Hooper Bay Fire . October 22, 2008 . August 4, 2006 . ABC Alaska News . https://archive.today/20130116120558/http://www.aksuperstation.com/news/local/3488261.html . January 16, 2013 . dead .
  6. News: Alex . deMarban . Children faulted in Hooper Bay fire . October 22, 2008 . August 15, 2006 . Anchorage Daily News . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20081015111102/http://dwb.adn.com/news/alaska/crime/story/8081382p-7974285c.html . October 15, 2008 .
  7. Web site: Cleanup begins in Hooper Bay Juneau Empire - Alaska's Capital City Online Newspaper . juneauempire.com . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20151025084934/http://juneauempire.com/stories/080606/sta_20060806022.shtml . October 25, 2015.
  8. Web site: US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990. United States Census Bureau. April 23, 2011. February 12, 2011.
  9. Web site: Geological Survey Professional Paper. 1949.
  10. Web site: U.S. Census website. United States Census Bureau. January 31, 2008.
  11. Web site: Low test scores don't deter Hooper Bay School leaders . Anchorage Daily News . July 29, 2019 . March 15, 2015.
  12. Web site: Dillon . R.A. . School Reaches Out to Embrace Native Roots . www.turtletrack.org . Canku Ota . July 29, 2019 . May 18, 2002.
  13. News: Brown . Cathy . Alaska Boarding Schools Make a Comeback . Washington Post . July 29, 2019 . June 27, 2004.