Hughes, Alaska

Hughes Hut’odlee Kkaakk’et
City
Hughes Location in Alaska
Coordinates: 66°2′39″N 154°15′25″W
Country	United States
State	Alaska
Census Area	Yukon-Koyukuk
Incorporated	October 30, 1973
Government
• Mayor	Wilmer Beetus
• State senator	Click Bishop (R)
• State rep.	Mike Cronk (R)
Area
• Total	3.04 sq mi (7.87 km2)
• Land	3.04 sq mi (7.87 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation	377 ft (115 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	85
• Density	27.97/sq mi (10.80/km2)
Time zone	UTC-9 (Alaska (AKST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-8 (AKDT)
ZIP code	99745
Area code	907
FIPS code	02-33910
GNIS feature ID	1403596

Hughes in 1942

Hughes (Hut’odlee Kkaakk’et in Koyukon) is a city in Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska, United States. The population was 85 at the 2020 census, up from 77 in 2010.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.1 square miles (8.0 km²), all of it land.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1920	45		—
1940	32		—
1950	49		53.1%
1960	69		40.8%
1970	85		23.2%
1980	73		−14.1%
1990	54		−26.0%
2000	78		44.4%
2010	77		−1.3%
2020	85		10.4%
U.S. Decennial Census

Hughes first appeared on the 1920 U.S. Census as an unincorporated village. It did not appear on the 1930 census, but returned in 1940. It formally incorporated in 1973.

The majority of the town's population are ethnic Koyukon, Alaskan Athabaskans. Some of the town's population, as of the 1970s, spoke the Central Dialect of the Koyukon language.

As of the census of 2020, there were 85 people, 36 households, and 11 families residing in the city. The population density was 28.3 inhabitants per square mile (10.9/km²). There were 47 housing units at an average density of 15.7 units per square mile (6.1 units/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 5.88% White, 89.41% Native American, and 4.7% from two or more races. 1.18% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 36 households, out of which 30.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.9% were married couples living together, 11.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 33.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 16.7% were non-families. 44.4% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 2.26.

In the city, the age distribution of the population was 12.5% under the age of 18, 70.8% from 18 to 64, and 16.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 50.3 years.

The median income for a household in the city was $28,750, and the median income for a family was $37,917. The per capita income for the city was $12,126. There was 30.6% of the population living below the poverty line, including 22.2% of under eighteens and 41.7% of those over 64.

Education

The Yukon–Koyukuk School District operates the Johnny Oldman School in Hughes.