Country United States Census Area Bethel Time zone Alaska (AKST) (UTC-9) Elevation 4 m Zip code 99651 | State Alaska Incorporated February 13, 1975 ZIP codes 99651 Population 64 (2013) Local time Tuesday 6:19 AM | |
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Weather -17°C, Wind NW at 2 km/h, 75% Humidity | ||
Platinum (Arviiq in Central Alaskan Yup'ik) is a city in Bethel Census Area, Alaska, United States. The population was 61 at the 2010 census.
Contents
Map of Platinum, AK, USA
Geography
Platinum is located at 59°00′47″N 161°48′59″W. It is located on Goodnews Bay adjacent to the mouth of the Small River and eleven miles southwest of Goodnews and the Kilbuck Mountains.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 44.7 square miles (116 km2), of which, 44.6 square miles (116 km2) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2) of it (0.16%) is water.
History
Platinum was named in the 1930s due to the platinum ore found in the area. The site was a mining boomtown by 1937 boasting a roadhouse, two trading posts and a population of fifty. A post office had been established in 1935. An earlier Eskimo village called Agvik had been abandoned. The town was incorporated as a city in 1975.
During World War II, the Alaska Territorial Guard served to safeguard it against Japanese attack as it was the only source of the strategic metal platinum in the Western Hemisphere.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 41 people, 17 households, and 9 families residing in the city. The population density was 0.9 people per square mile (0.4/km²). There were 26 housing units at an average density of 0.6 per square mile (0.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 7.32% White, 90.24% Native American, and 2.44% from two or more races.
There were 17 households out of which 47.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 29.4% were married couples living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.2% were non-families. 41.2% of all households were made up of individuals and none had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.90.
In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 26.8% under the age of 18, 2.4% from 18 to 24, 43.9% from 25 to 44, 17.1% from 45 to 64, and 9.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 105.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 130.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $21,250, and the median income for a family was $22,500. The per capita income for the city was $7,632. There are 33.3% of families living below the poverty line and 22.0% of the population, including 33.3% of under eighteens and none of those over 64