City · Alaska
Chefornak, Alaska
Chefornak, city, in Bethel Census Area, Alaska. Chefornak had 486 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 4.5% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 506 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 620 (±97). GEOID 0212680.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
486
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 506 · ACS 2020-2024: 620 ±97
Median household income
$51,818
±$8,825 (90% margin)
Alaska: $92,788
Median home value
$125,000
±$94,732 (90% margin)
Alaska: $352,900
Median gross rent
$825
±$531 (90% margin)
Alaska: $1,419
Where is Chefornak and what county is it in?
Chefornak is a city in Bethel Census Area, Alaska. It covers 5.2 square miles of land, 97 residents per square mile in 2020.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Chefornak, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 486 people lived in Chefornak on July 1, 2025, down 4.5% since 2020, while Alaska grew 0.5%. The 2020 Census counted 506 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 620 (±97).
| Measure | Chefornak | Bethel Census Area | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 620 ±97 | 18,394 | +137 |
| Households | 136 ±23 | 4,828 | +53 |
| Average household size | 4.56 ±0.67 | 3.63 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 143 ±21 | 6,011 | +46 |
Chefornak's population since 2000
From 394 in 2000 to 486 in 2025: up 23.4%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Chefornak as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Chefornak?
The median resident of Chefornak is 25.5 years old; 42.7% are under 18 and 13.5% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native residents at 91.3%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 7.7%.
| Measure | Chefornak | Bethel Census Area | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 25.5 ±4.5 | 29.0 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 42.7% ±4.9 pts | 34.7% | – |
| 65 years and over | 13.5% ±4.2 pts | 8.4% | – |
| Male | 53.7% ±4.3 pts | 53.2% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 0.0% ±3.9 pts | 1.5% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.9 pts | 8.3% | – |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 1.0% ±1.1 pts | 1.2% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.9 pts | 1.6% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 91.3% ±4.0 pts | 83.2% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.9 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 7.7% ±3.4 pts | 4.3% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.9 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.0% ±3.9 pts | 1.8% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 95.5% ±2.7 pts | 58.2% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 7.9% ±3.5 pts | 6.8% | – |
| With a disability | 17.6% ±5.3 pts | 12.0% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 7.6% ±3.7 pts | 12.0% | −13.7 pts |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 79.8% ±6.3 pts | 82.2% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 5.4% ±4.5 pts | 12.8% | – |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 1.3% ±1.8 pts | 4.9% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 95.6% ±3.0 pts | 88.6% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.0% ±4.0 pts | 0.8% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Chefornak earn?
Half of Chefornak's 136 households earn less than $51,818 a year (±$8,825), against $73,996 in Bethel Census Area and $92,788 in Alaska. In 2015-2019 it was $64,098 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 25.3% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Chefornak | Bethel Census Area | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $51,818 ±$8,825 | $73,996 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $71,904 ±$12,717 | $95,078 | – |
| Per capita income | $15,233 ±$2,275 | $26,543 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 25.3% ±9.9 pts | 25.6% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 31.3% ±14.5 pts | 32.2% | no clear change |
| Households receiving SNAP | 56.6% ±11.5 pts | 42.4% | – |
| Households with a computer | 98.5% ±2.9 pts | 96.5% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 69.1% ±11.7 pts | 84.9% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Chefornak?
Owners occupy 79.4% of Chefornak's occupied homes and renters 20.6%. The median renter pays $825 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Chefornak | Bethel Census Area | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $125,000 ±$94,732 | $168,100 | – |
| Median gross rent | $825 ±$531 | $1,474 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 15.0% ±23.9 pts | 20.8% | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 79.4% ±10.0 pts | 61.6% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 20.6% ±10.0 pts | 38.4% | – |
| Housing units | 143 ±21 | 6,011 | +46 |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±20.5 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±49.2 pts | 1.6% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 97.2% ±3.9 pts | 80.7% | – |
| Mobile homes | 0.0% ±16.0 pts | 2.1% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±16.0 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 18.2% ±7.2 pts | 10.4% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 0.0% ±16.0 pts | 0.8% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 97.1% ±2.9 pts | 57.7% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How do people in Chefornak work and get to work?
The average trip to work takes 4.6 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 14.0%.
| Measure | Chefornak | Bethel Census Area | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 51.9% ±7.0 pts | 62.1% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 14.0% ±5.7 pts | 15.9% | no clear change |
| Drove alone to work | 0.0% ±14.2 pts | 22.6% | – |
| Carpooled | 0.0% ±14.2 pts | 11.7% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±14.2 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Walked | 8.0% ±6.0 pts | 30.4% | – |
| Worked from home | 2.5% ±3.9 pts | 7.1% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 4.6 min ±1.0 | 7.4 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Chefornak?
No census tract lies mostly in Chefornak; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 1Bethel Census Area | 10,792 | $47,804 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Chefornak) · Census block assignment files
How does Chefornak compare with other places in Alaska?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Chefornak is the 13,306th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 59th-most populous of 149 in Alaska.
Chefornak is not ranked by income or the other survey measures: those rankings include places of 1,000 or more residents (2020 Census) with a reliable estimate.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 59th | 149 |
Chefornak's figures with every place in Alaska (CSV)
Every place in Alaska, sortable · Compare Chefornak with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Chefornak?
22 of the 56 figures for Chefornak on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Chefornak are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Chefornak.