Bethel Census Area, AK

County

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    2024 Population
    18,394
    US Senator
    Lisa Murkowski
    Republican Party
    US Senator
    Dan Sullivan
    Republican Party
    US Representative
    Nick Begich III
    Republican Party
    2024 Median Age
    29
    1.05% 1-year increase
    2024 Poverty Rate
    25.6%
    6.56% 1-year increase
    2024 Median Household Income
    $73,996
    4.79% 1-year growth
    2024 Median Property Value
    $168,100
    39.4% 1-year growth

    About

    N/A of the households in Bethel Census Area, AK reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

    99.3% of the residents in Bethel Census Area, AK are U.S. citizens.

    In 2024, the median property value in Bethel Census Area, AK was $168,100, and the homeownership rate was 61.6%.

    Most people in Bethel Census Area, AK walked to work, and the average commute time was 7.43 minutes. The average car ownership in Bethel Census Area, AK was 0 cars per household.

    United StatesAlaska

    Population & Diversity

    Bethel Census Area, AK is home to a population of 18.4k people, from which 99.3% are citizens. As of 2024, 1.75% of Bethel Census Area, AK residents were born outside of the country (322 people).

    In 2024, there were 10 times more American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic) residents (15.3k people) in Bethel Census Area, AK than any other race or ethnicity. There were 1.53k White (Non-Hispanic) and 762 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

    Population & Diversity

    Citizenship

    99.3%
    2024 Citizenship
    99.2%
    2023 Citizenship

    As of 2024, 99.3% of Bethel Census Area, AK residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Bethel Census Area, AK was 99.2%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

    The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Bethel Census Area, AK compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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    Diversity

    Race and Ethnicity

    The 3 largest ethnic groups in Bethel Census Area, AK
    1. American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic)
      15.3k ± 162
    2. White (Non-Hispanic)
      1.53k ± 26
    3. Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
      762 ± 157
    1.47%
    Hispanic Population
    270 people

    In 2024, there were 10 times more American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic) residents (15.3k people) in Bethel Census Area, AK than any other race or ethnicity. There were 1.53k White (Non-Hispanic) and 762 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

    1.47% of the people in Bethel Census Area, AK are hispanic (270 people).

    The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Bethel Census Area, AK as a share of the total population.

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    Foreign-Born Population

    1.75%
    2024 Foreign-Born Population
    322 people
    2.02%
    2023 Foreign-Born Population
    373 people

    As of 2024, 1.75% of Bethel Census Area, AK residents (322 people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Bethel Census Area, AK was 2.02%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

    The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Bethel Census Area, AK compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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    Health

    88% of the population of Bethel Census Area, AK has health coverage, with 21.6% on employee plans, 55% on Medicaid, 3.72% on Medicare, 6.55% on non-group plans, and 1.14% on military or VA plans.

    Primary care physicians in Bethel County, AK see 1,160 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,160 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 630 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 35 patients per year.

    By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 52.7% were men and 47.3% were women.

    Coverage

    Patient to Clinician Ratios

    1,160 to 1
    Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Bethel County, AK

    Primary care physicians in Bethel County, AK see an average of 1,160 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,160 patients).

    The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Bethel County, AK in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

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    Location of Health Services Facilities

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    Health Care Diversity

    In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 36.9% under 18 years, 23.3% between 18 and 34 years, 31.4% between 35 and 64 years, and 8.5% over 64 years.

    By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 52.7% were men and 47.3% were women.

    The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

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    Uninsured People

    12%
    Uninsured
    21.6%
    Employer Coverage
    55%
    Medicaid
    3.72%
    Medicare
    6.55%
    Non-Group
    1.14%
    Military or VA

    Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Bethel Census Area, AK declined by 6.73% from 12.9% to 12%.

    The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Bethel Census Area, AK changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

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    Health Indicators

    Health Outcomes

    Indicator

    In 2025, the average number of mentally unhealthy days reported in past 30 days (age-adjusted) was 6.49 in Bethel Census Area, AK.

    The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Bethel Census Area, AK.

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    Health Behaviors

    Indicator

    In 2025, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 41.5% in Bethel Census Area, AK.

    The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Bethel Census Area, AK.

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    Clinical Care

    Indicator

    In 2025, the percentage of population under age 65 without health insurance was 14.2% in Bethel Census Area, AK.

    The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Bethel Census Area, AK.

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    Economy

    Employment

    Unemployment Insurance Claims

    Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Alaska.

    This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Alaska (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

    The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

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    Industries

    Employment by Industry Sector

    Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Alaska.
    Y-Axis
    3.6%
    Year-over-year growth
    Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

    As of February 2023, there are 317k people employed in Alaska. This represents a 3.6% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

    Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 13.7%.

    The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Alaska.

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    Establishments by Size

    The industries with the most establishments
    1. 27
      Other Services (except Public Administration)
    2. 18
      Retail Trade
    3. 16
      Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services

    The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

    The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

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    Payroll by Industry Sector

    The industries with the highest total annual payroll
    1. $59.5k
      Health Care and Social Assistance
    2. $24.8k
      Retail Trade
    3. $22.8k
      Transportation and Warehousing

    The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

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    Civics

    In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Alaska went to Donald J. Trump with 54.5% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (41.4%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.68%).

    Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan are the senators currently representing the state of Alaska. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

    Bethel Census Area, AK is currently represented by Nick Begich III in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

    Senator Elections

    US Senators from Alaska

    Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Alaska.
    Lisa Murkowski
    Senator from Alaska3
    Assumed office on December 20, 2002
    Appointed to the seat following the resignation of her father Frank Murkowski, who was elected Governor of Alaska.
    Dan Sullivan
    Senator from Alaska2
    Assumed office on January 3, 2015

    Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan are the senators currently representing Alaska.

    In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

    The following chart shows elected senators in Alaska over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

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    US Representative Elections

    US Representatives from Bethel Census Area, AK

    Nick Begich III
    District at-large Representative
    Republican Party

    Bethel Census Area, AK is currently represented by Nick Begich III (Republican Party).

    Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the member for Bethel Census Area, AK have changed over time starting in 2008.

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    Housing & Living

    The median property value in Bethel Census Area, AK was $168,100 in 2024, which is 0.505 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $120,600 to $168,100, a 39.4% increase. The homeownership rate in Bethel Census Area, AK is 61.6%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

    People in Bethel Census Area, AK have an average commute time of 7.43 minutes, and they walked to work. Car ownership in Bethel Census Area, AK is lower than the national average, with an average of 0 cars per household.

    In 2025, 55.9% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Bethel Census Area, AK. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 6.74%.

    Housing

    Property

    $168,100
    Median Property Value 2024
    ±$13,614
    $2,972
    Median Property Taxes
    ±$192

    The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Bethel Census Area, AK the largest share of households pay taxes in the N/A range.

    The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Bethel Census Area, AK compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

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    Rent vs Own

    61.6%
    Homeownership
    2024
    63.8%
    Homeowners with Mortgage
    2024

    In 2024, 61.6% of the housing units in Bethel Census Area, AK were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 60.5%.

    This chart shows the percentage of owner in Bethel Census Area, AK compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

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    Equity

    Household Income

    Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.
    $73,996
    Median Household Income
    ± $3,210
    N/A
    Number of Households
    ± N/A

    In 2024, the median household income of the N/A households in Bethel Census Area, AK grew to $73,996 from the previous year's value of $70,616.

    The following chart displays the households in Bethel Census Area, AK distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

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    Transportation

    Commuter Transportation

    Most Common Commute in 2024
    1. Walked (30.4%)
    2. Drove Alone (22.6%)
    3. Other (22%)

    In 2024, 30.4% of workers in Bethel Census Area, AK walked to work, followed by those who drove alone to work (22.6%) and those who used some unspecified means to get work (22%).

    The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

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    Commute Time

    7.43 minutes
    Average Travel Time

    Using averages, employees in Bethel Census Area, AK have a shorter commute time (7.43 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 0.168% of the workforce in Bethel Census Area, AK have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

    The chart below shows how the median household income in Bethel Census Area, AK compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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    Poverty

    Severe Housing Problems

    In 2025, 55.9% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Bethel Census Area, AK. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 6.74%.

    The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

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    Poverty & Diversity

    25.6% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Bethel Census Area, AK (4.63k out of 18.1k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Males 6 - 11, followed by Females 6 - 11 and then Males < 5.

    The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Bethel Census Area, AK is Native American, followed by Two Or More and White.

    The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

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    Children in Poverty

    In 2025, 36.2% of the children was living in poverty in Bethel Census Area, AK. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator grew 1.1%.

    The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

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    Security

    Crimes & Accidents

    Indicator

    The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

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