Nulato (; ; ) is a city in Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska, United States. At the 2020 census, the population was 239.
History
thumb|left|Woodyard and Nulato, Alaska circa 1908
Nulato was a location for trade between the Koyukon people and Inupiat people of the Kobuk River area before the arrival of Europeans.
In 1838, the Russian explorer Malakov established a trading post in Nulato.
The Kokukuk River people massacred a large part of the population of Nulato on February 16, 1851, during the Athapaskan uprising.
Nulato incorporated as a city in 1963. In 1981, housing was built at a new townsite from present Nulato.
Geography
Nulato is located at (64.730011, -158.114101).
Nulato is on the west bank of the Yukon River, west of Galena, in the Nulato Hills. It is across the Yukon River from the Innoko National Wildlife Refuge.The area experiences a cold, continental climate with extreme temperature differences. Temperatures range from to . Average precipitation is , with of snowfall annually.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it (4.56%) is water.
Transportation
The town is serviced by Nulato Airport which has regularly scheduled flights to Galena, Kaltag and Koyukuk.
Education
The Yukon–Koyukuk School District operates the Andrew K. Demoski School in Nulato.
Culture
Every other year, the people gather in Nulato to attend the week-long Stick Dance.
| align = right
| align-fn = center
Nulato residents are predominantly Koyukon, an Alaska Native Athabaskan people of the Athabaskan-speaking ethnolinguistic group.
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Nulato had a population of 239. The median age was 38.6 years. 28.5% of residents were under the age of 18 and 13.4% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 100.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 92.1 males age 18 and over.
There were 84 households in Nulato, of which 39.3% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 28.6% were married-couple households, 23.8% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 34.5% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 28.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
! Race !! Number !! Percent
|-
| White || 17 || 7.1%
|-
| Black or African American || 1 || 0.4%
|-
| American Indian and Alaska Native || 169 || 70.7%
|-
| Asian || 2 || 0.8%
|-
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 0 || 0.0%
|-
| Some other race || 0 || 0.0%
|-
| Two or more races || 50 || 20.9%
|-
| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 4 || 1.7%
|}
2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 336 people, 91 households, and 71 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 119 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 5.06% White, 92.86% Native American, 0.60% from other races, and 1.49% from two or more races. 0.60% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 91 households, out of which 51.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.3% were married couples living together, 27.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.9% were non-families. 14.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 1.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.69 and the average family size was 4.13.
In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 41.7% under the age of 18, 10.7% from 18 to 24, 25.0% from 25 to 44, 15.5% from 45 to 64, and 7.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 23 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $25,114, and the median income for a family was $26,944. Males had a median income of $24,375 versus $25,313 for females. The per capita income for the city was $8,966. About 16.7% of families and 18.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.0% of those under age 18 and 4.5% of those age 65 or over.
Koyukon Athabascans
The Koyukon Athabascans had seasonal camps in this area and moved when the wild game migrated. There were 12 summer fish camps located on the Yukon River between the Koyukuk River and the Nowitna River.
Notable people
- Poldine Carlo (1920–2018), Koyukon Athabascan author, born in Nulato
- Michael J. Stickman, First Chief of the Nulato Tribal Council