Tazlina, Alaska

Tazlina Tezdlen Na’
CDP
Tazlina Location within the state of Alaska
Coordinates:
Country	United States
State	Alaska
Census Area	Valdez-Cordova
Government
• State senator	Click Bishop (R)
• State rep.	Dave Talerico (R)
Area
• Total	7.5 sq mi (19.4 km2)
• Land	6.6 sq mi (17.0 km2)
• Water	0.9 sq mi (2.4 km2)
Elevation	2,418 ft (737 m)
Population (2010)
• Total	297
• Density	40/sq mi (15/km2)
Time zone	Alaska (AKST) (UTC-9)
• Summer (DST)	AKDT (UTC-8)
Area code(s)	907
FIPS code	02-75480
GNIS feature ID	1410694

Tazlina /tæzˈliːnə/ (Tezdlen Na’ in Ahtna Athabascan) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Valdez-Cordova Census Area, Alaska, United States. At the 2010 census the population was 297.

Geography

Tazlina is located at (62.049082, -145.415224).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 7.5 square miles (19 km²), of which, 6.6 square miles (17 km²) of it is land and 0.9 square miles (2.3 km²) of it (12.28%) is water.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 149 people, 59 households, and 37 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 22.7 people per square mile (8.8/km²). There were 87 housing units at an average density of 13.2/sq mi (5.1/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 69.13% White, 24.83% Native American, and 6.04% from two or more races. 2.68% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 59 households out of which 32.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.5% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.6% were non-families. 28.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 3.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.18.

In the CDP the age distribution of the population shows 30.2% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 33.6% from 25 to 44, 24.2% from 45 to 64, and 6.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 122.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 136.4 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $56,000, and the median income for a family was $57,917. Males had a median income of $42,500 versus $25,625 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $23,992. There were 7.3% of families and 8.1% of the population living below the poverty line, including 14.9% of under eighteens and none of those over 64.

History

Following the 1991 kidnapping, rape and murder of an 11-year-old local resident, Mandy Lemaire, the town was showcased on the true crime television series, Forensic Files. Charles Smithart was tried and convicted of First Degree Kidnapping, First Degree Sexual Battery on a Minor, and First Degree Murder in 1993. He was sentenced to 114 years. In 1999, the conviction was overturned. Smithart, died of lung cancer, while awaiting a retrial. Before his arrest, his eldest daughter told police that at the age of eleven, her father began sexually raping her and her sisters.