By 1970, all King Island people had moved to mainland Alaska year-round. Although the King Islanders have moved off the island, they have kept a very distinct cultural identity, living a very similar life as they had on the island.

As of 2026, King Island remains uninhabited, having been a "ghost village" since the 1970s. Historically, the island was home to a vibrant community of approximately 200 Iñupiat people, known as the Ukivokmiut, who lived in a spectacular stilt village called Ukivok clinged to the island's steep cliffs. However, due to the closure of the local Bureau of Indian Affairs school and shifting economic pressures, the residents were forced to relocate to mainland Alaska, primarily to Nome. While nobody resides there year-round, the island remains deeply significant to the descendants of the original inhabitants. Many former residents and their families still return to the island during the summer months to engage in traditional subsistence hunting for walruses and seals, and to gather bird eggs. These seasonal visits are vital for maintaining their unique cultural heritage, but the rugged, stilt-supported buildings of the original village continue to weather and decay, standing as a silent monument to a way of life that once thrived in the Bering Sea.