Per Japanese census data,[1] the population of Miyake did not fully rebound following the island's evacuation in 2000.

It is uncertain when human settlement first began on Miyakejima, but the island was known to be inhabited since at least in the early Nara period, and is mentioned in historical records for its many volcanic eruptions.

After the start of the Meiji period, in 1878, the island came under the control of Tokyo-fu and was organized into five villages (Izu, Kamitsuki, Igaya, Ako and Tsubota) under Oshima subprefecture on October 1, 1923.

On August 31, 1945, during the Allies' occupation of Tokyo, ground gunners on Miyake-jima fired three shots at an American transport aircraft, with no casualties.

The village was evacuated in the year 2000 due to volcanic eruptions, and the inhabitants were only allowed to return from 2005.