King Cove, Alaska

Geography

King Cove is located at 55°04′20″N 162°19′05″W. King Cove is on the pacific side of the Alaska Peninsula. It is 18 miles (29 km) southeast of Cold Bay and 620 miles (1,000 km) southwest of Anchorage. It lies at approximately 55* 03'N Latitude and 162* 19' W Longitude. The area encompasses 2.9 square miles (8 km²) of land and 2.0 square miles (5 km²) of water.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 29.8 square miles (77 km²), of which, 25.3 square miles (66 km²) is land and 4.5 square miles (12 km²) (15.23%) is water.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 792 people, 170 households, and 116 families residing in the city. The population density was 31.3 people per square mile (12.1/km²). There were 207 housing units at an average density of 8.2 per square mile (3.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 15.03% White, 1.64% Black or African American, 46.72% Native American, 26.77% Asian, 0.13% Pacific Islander, 5.93% from other races, and 3.79% from two or more races. 7.45% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 170 households out of which 45.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.5% were married couples living together, 15.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.2% were non-families. 25.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 2.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.90 and the average family size was 3.53.

In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 21.3% under the age of 18, 11.9% from 18 to 24, 41.0% from 25 to 44, 22.7% from 45 to 64, and 3.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 147.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 166.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $45,893, and the median income for a family was $47,188. Males had a median income of $30,714 versus $19,125 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,791. About 3.3% of families and 11.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.7% of those under age 18 and 27.3% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

King Cove, 600 nautical miles (1,000 km) SW of Anchorage at the end of the Alaska Peninsula, is home to PeterPan Seafoods' largest processing facility. King Crab, bairdi and opilio tanner crab, pollock, cod, salmon, halibut and black cod harvested in the Bering Sea and the Gulf of Alaska are processed throughout the year. The plant, with origins back to the early 1900s, has the largest salmon canning capacity of any plant in Alaska. All five species of salmon are abundant in the waters near King Cove.

Salmon remains a major part of the annual operation, but in recent years the plant has expanded and streamlined whitefish operations. The plant produces several product forms including pollock fillet block, shatterpack fillets, mince and surimi. Cod shatterpack fillets and salt cod are mainstays. At peak seasons, both winter and summer, nearly 500 employees man the operation. King Cove's economy depends almost completely on the year-round commercial fishing and seafood processing industries. The PeterPan Seafoods' facility is one of the largest cannery operations under one roof in Alaska. 76 residents hold commercial fishing permits. Income is supplemented by subsistence activities.

Education

Aleutians East Borough School District (AEBSD) operates the King Cove School.