Tushka is a town in Atoka County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 413 as of the 2020 Census, a 32.4% increase over the 312 reported at the 2010 census.
History
thumb|left|Tornado damage, 2011
In 1872, the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railway (Katy) built a track five miles south of Atoka in Atoka County, Choctaw Nation in the Indian Territory and created a settlement which it called Peck Switch, Indian Territory. The first post office was established in 1903. The name was changed to Lewis in 1905, honoring the first postmaster, Charles Lewis. In 1909, the community was renamed Dayton, but was changed during the same year to the present Tushka. Tushka is a Choctaw word meaning "warrior".
Tushka was first incorporated in 1915, but disincorporated after 15 years. There were 248 residents at the 1920 census. A fire destroyed most of the town during the Great Depression. During World War II, many of the remaining residents moved to California for work and never returned. The town incorporated again in 1968. Its population had recovered to 230 in 1970.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which is land and (2.70%) is water.
Tushka is located along U.S. Highway 69/75.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Tushka had a population of 413. The median age was 31.1 years. 30.3% of residents were under the age of 18 and 16.7% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 89.4 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 83.4 males age 18 and over.
There were 175 households in Tushka, of which 36.6% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 26.9% were married-couple households, 24.0% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 42.3% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 38.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
! Race !! Number !! Percent
|-
| White || 268 || 64.9%
|-
| Black or African American || 8 || 1.9%
|-
| American Indian and Alaska Native || 84 || 20.3%
|-
| Asian || 2 || 0.5%
|-
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 0 || 0.0%
|-
| Some other race || 4 || 1.0%
|-
| Two or more races || 47 || 11.4%
|-
| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 27 || 6.5%
|}
2000 census
As of the census