
View of Kodiak from Pillar Mountain

Street of Kodiak in 1965
'Kodiak' is a city on
Kodiak Island in
Kodiak Island Borough in the
U.S. state of
Alaska. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 6,273.
[ Annual Estimates of the Population for All Incorporated Places in Alaska ] The city holds about half of the community's population.
Geography

Location of Kodiak, Alaska
Kodiak is located at (57.793109, -152.394188).
According to the
United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 12.6
km² (4.8
mi²). 9.0 km² (3.5 mi²) of it is land and 3.6 km² (1.4 mi²) of it (28.66%) is water.
Demographics
As of the
census of 2000, there were 6,324 people, 1,996 households, and 1,361 families residing in the city. The
population density was 706.8/km² (1,832.7/mi²). There were 2,255 housing units at an average density of 251.6/km² (652.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 46.40%
White, 0.69%
Black or
African Americans, 29.1%
Native American, 31.73%
Asian, 0.93%
Pacific Islander, 4.36% from
other races, and 5.42% from two or more races. 8.54% of the population were
Hispanic or
Latino of any race.
There were 1,996 households out of which 40.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.1% were
married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.8% were non-families. 24.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.10 and the average family size was 3.64.
In the city the population was spread out with 29.1% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 32.2% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and 6.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 114.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 120.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $55,142, and the median income for a family was $60,484. Males had a median income of $37,074 versus $30,049 for females. The
per capita income for the city was $21,522. About 3.7% of families and 7.4% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 8.4% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.
Climate and culture

Kodiak Harbor
Kodiak is sometimes referred to as "Alaska's Emerald Isle". With a
maritime climate, Kodiak is known for its rain. This creates lush green during the summer months. Winter temperatures are moderate. While snow storms and freezing temperatures are not uncommon, neither are warm, above-freezing temperatures with rain.
Kodiak has a rich
Alutiiq culture. Kodiak's cultural traditions and history can be found at the Alutiiq Museum & Archaeological Repository, the Baranov Museum, and the Kodiak Military History Museum.
The lifestyles of many Kodiak residents still include
subsistence food gathering.
Fishing (particularly for
salmon and
halibut), hunting (for
black-tailed deer,
elk, and
goats), and berry-picking (
salmonberry,
blueberry, and high- and low-bush
cranberry) are common summer and fall activities. The community also has a number of large chain stores, including
Wal-Mart and
Safeway.
Economy
Kodiak's primary economic driver is the commercial fishing industry. The
United States Coast Guard station (
Integrated Support Command Kodiak) also drives important economic activity. Additional activity in commercial fisheries support services (such as welding and hydraulics shops and marine supply stores), government, social services, and retail establishments round out the employment picture in Kodiak.
Community Events
The City of Kodiak is home to a number of annual events that draw locals and people from off-island. The most well-known of these is
Kodiak Crab Festival. Organized by the
Kodiak Chamber of Commerce the event takes place over Memorial Day weekend. It includes a county fair-style main event, with carnival rides, food and game booths, and group activities. In addition, a number of events are organized over the three-day weekend that include a kayak race, a
marathon, an
ultra-marathon, a 9.2-mile mountain run called the
Pillar Mountain Run and others.
Facts
★ Kodiak is the hometown of the 2006 Boys State Champion Cross Country Team.
★ The town of kodiak has no stop lights, only two flashing caution lights.