County · Alaska

Bethel Census Area, Alaska

Bethel Census Area, Alaska. Bethel Census Area had 18,391 residents in 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 1.5% since 2020, while Alaska grew 0.5%. It holds 35 places (18 cities, villages and boroughs and 17 census-designated) and 3 census tracts. GEOID 02050.

Residents, July 2025 estimate

18,391

Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 18,666 · ACS 2020-2024: 18,394

Median household income

$73,996

±$3,210 (90% margin)
Alaska: $92,788

Median home value

$168,100

±$13,614 (90% margin)
Alaska: $352,900

Median gross rent

$1,474

±$103 (90% margin)
Alaska: $1,419

How many people live in Bethel Census Area, and is it growing?

The 2020 Census counted 18,666 residents in Bethel Census Area. The Census Bureau estimates 18,391 for July 1, 2025, down 1.5% since 2020, while Alaska grew 0.5%. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts the population at 18,394 over 40,661 square miles of land.

July 2020→2021 −83 (18,589)
2021→2022 −334 (18,255)
2022→2023 −7 (18,248)
2023→2024 +117 (18,365)
2024→2025 +26 (18,391)

Bethel Census Area in Alaska. Boundaries: Census Bureau 2024.

Counts, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates, with the change from 2015-2019
Measure	Bethel Census Area	Alaska	Change since 2015-2019
Total population	18,394	735,706	+260
Households	4,828±98	270,533	+339
Average household size	3.63±0.08	2.61	−0.20
Housing units	6,011±43	328,491	no clear change

Bethel Census Area's population since 2000

From 16,006 in 2000 to 18,391 in 2025: up 14.9%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts. 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.

2000 Census 16,006
2005 (estimate) 16,728
2010 Census 17,013
2015 (estimate) 17,970
2020 Census 18,666
2025 (estimate) 18,391

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); PEP Vintage 2025 (CO-EST2025); 2020 Census · Check it at data.census.gov

What cities and towns are in Bethel Census Area?

Bethel Census Area holds 35 places: 18 cities, villages and boroughs (incorporated places) and 17 census-designated places. The largest is Bethel with 6,626 residents (2025 estimate). Places that cross a county line are listed with the share of their 2020 residents who live in this county.

Places in Bethel Census Area, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Ring: estimate with a coefficient of variation over 40%.

Bethel	city	6,325	6,312±23	$117,255	$360,200	11.6%	100%
Kwethluk	city	812	975±160	$51,917	$86,700	30.9%	100%
Quinhagak	city	776	1,311±164	$50,208	$94,400	36.5%	100%
Kipnuk	CDP	704	706±121	$45,250	$51,000	48.3%	100%
Akiachak	CDP	677	736±125	$30,000	$137,500	51.6%	100%
Toksook Bay	city	658	833±180	$57,083	$66,200	28.8%	100%
Kasigluk	CDP	623	698±123	$60,833	$63,500	50.2%	100%
Nunapitchuk	city	594	618±158	$43,438	$90,700	32.0%	100%
NapaskiakGEOID 0252720	city	509	447±160	$55,000	$47,000	35.6%	100%
Aniak	city	507	585±146	$93,542	$265,600	13.6%	100%
Chefornak	city	506	620±97	$51,818	$125,000	25.3%	100%
Kongiganak	CDP	486	316±124	$64,583	$133,300	20.6%	100%
TuntutuliakGEOID 0279120	CDP	469	514±113	$44,583	not published	12.1%	100%
Akiak	city	462	377±90	$78,929	not published	21.8%	100%
TuluksakGEOID 0278790	CDP	444	118±69	$67,813	not published	26.3%	100%
TununakGEOID 0279230	CDP	411	384±113	$54,306	not published	19.8%	100%
Eek	city	404	174±62	$45,417	$123,200	55.7%	100%
AtmautluakGEOID 0204430	CDP	386	88±61	$62,083	$175,000	40.9%	100%
Kwigillingok	CDP	380	545±114	$56,250	$108,700	17.0%	100%
NapakiakGEOID 0252390	city	358	556±197	$27,143	not published	52.0%	100%
NightmuteGEOID 0253930	city	306	93±56	$38,929	not published	52.7%	100%
Lower Kalskag	city	278	239±59	$30,500	$300,000	50.6%	100%
Goodnews BayGEOID 0229290	city	258	115±48	$26,875	$137,500	60.0%	100%
Upper Kalskag	city	212	239±54	$47,917	$241,700	26.4%	100%
NewtokGEOID 0253820	CDP	209	36±38	not published	$88,000	0.0%	100%
Mekoryuk	city	206	287±68	$28,542	$91,700	13.2%	100%
ChuathbalukGEOID 0214330	city	104	82±29	$33,214	$233,300	22.0%	100%
MertarvikGEOID 0248590	CDP	99	12±16	not published	not published	8.3%	100%
SleetmuteGEOID 0271090	CDP	95	48±32	not published	not published	31.3%	100%
Crooked CreekGEOID 0217850	CDP	90	17±13	$58,750	not published	0.0%	100%
OscarvilleGEOID 0258330	CDP	70	42±29	not published	not published	57.1%	100%
Stony RiverGEOID 0273400	CDP	57	29±23	not published	$325,000	16.0%	100%
PlatinumGEOID 0261080	city	55	43±28	not published	not published	25.6%	100%
Red DevilGEOID 0264930	CDP	22	3±4	not published	not published	0.0%	100%
Lime VillageGEOID 0244030	CDP	13	0±10	not published	not published	–	100%

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 place-by-county parts · Check it at data.census.gov

Who lives in Bethel Census Area?

The median resident of Bethel Census Area is 29.0 years old; 34.7% are under 18 and 8.4% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native residents at 83.2%, then non-Hispanic white residents at 8.3%. 1.8% of residents were born outside the United States.

Age, origin and education, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Race groups are non-Hispanic; Hispanic includes any race.
Measure	Bethel Census Area	Alaska	Change since 2015-2019
Median age	29.0±0.4	35.8	+1.7
Under 18 years	34.7%±0.1 pts	24.1%	–
65 years and over	8.4%±0.3 pts	13.8%	–
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	1.5%	7.3%	−1.1 pts
White alone, not Hispanic	8.3%±0.1 pts	57.7%	−1.4 pts
Black or African American alone, not Hispanic	1.2%±0.1 pts	2.9%	+0.5 pts
Asian alone, not Hispanic	1.6%±0.1 pts	6.4%	+0.5 pts
American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic	83.2%±0.9 pts	13.2%	–
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic	0.0%±0.1 pts	1.5%	–
Two or more races, not Hispanic	4.3%±0.9 pts	10.3%	–
Some other race alone, not Hispanic	0.0%±0.1 pts	0.7%	–
Born outside the United States	1.8%±0.7 pts	7.7%	no clear change
Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+)	58.2%±2.1 pts	15.1%	–
Civilian veterans (age 18+)	6.8%±1.6 pts	10.7%	–
With a disability	12.0%±1.2 pts	13.6%	–
No health insurance coverage	12.0%±1.7 pts	11.0%	−8.3 pts
High school graduate or higher (age 25+)	82.2%±1.3 pts	93.6%	–
Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+)	12.8%±1.8 pts	31.7%	no clear change
Graduate or professional degree (age 25+)	4.9%±1.3 pts	11.8%	–
Moved from another state in the past year	0.8%±0.8 pts	3.9%	–

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 Bethel Census Area earn?

Half of Bethel Census Area's 4,828 households earn less than $73,996 a year (±$3,210), against $92,788 in Alaska. In 2015-2019 the median was $65,907 in 2024 dollars, so it rose by $8,089 after inflation. 25.6% of residents live below the poverty line.

Income and poverty in 2024 dollars, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure	Bethel Census Area	Alaska	Change since 2015-2019
Median household income	$73,996±$3,210	$92,788	+$8,089
Mean household income	$95,078±$4,535	$118,985	–
Per capita income	$26,543±$1,262	$46,573	+$2,071
People below the poverty line	25.6%±2.5 pts	10.1%	no clear change
Children under 18 below the poverty line	32.2%±4.1 pts	12.2%	no clear change
Households receiving SNAP	42.4%±2.9 pts	10.1%	–
Households with a broadband subscription	84.9%±1.7 pts	91.9%	–

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 Bethel Census Area?

Owners occupy 61.6% of Bethel Census Area's occupied homes and renters 38.4%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $168,100 by its owner (±$13,614). The median renter pays $1,474 a month including utilities, and 20.8% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.

Housing, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure	Bethel Census Area	Alaska	Change since 2015-2019
Median home value (owner-occupied)	$168,100±$13,614	$352,900	+$65,214
Median gross rent	$1,474±$103	$1,419	−$190
Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent	20.8%±5.7 pts	35.1%	no clear change
Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage	$2,066±$141	$2,229	–
Owner-occupied homes	61.6%±3.3 pts	66.8%	no clear change
Housing units	6,011±43	328,491	no clear change
Homeowner vacancy rate	0.6%±0.6 pts	0.9%	–
Rental vacancy rate	1.6%±0.9 pts	7.0%	–
Single-family detached homes	80.7%±2.2 pts	63.2%	–
Mobile homes	2.1%±0.8 pts	3.9%	–
Built 2020 or later	0.3%±0.2 pts	0.9%	–
Built 1939 or earlier	0.8%±0.5 pts	1.7%	–

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 many new homes is Bethel Census Area building?

Builders took permits for 8 new housing units across Bethel Census Area in 2025 (8 single-family), 0.4 per 1,000 residents.

2019 17 units
2020 15 units
2021 20 units
2022 14 units
2023 45 units
2024 152 units
2025 8 units

Source: Building Permits Survey, annual county files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey

How do people in Bethel Census Area get to work?

22.6% of Bethel Census Area's workers drive alone and 7.1% work from home. The average trip to work takes 7.4 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 15.9%.

Work and commuting, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure	Bethel Census Area	Alaska	Change since 2015-2019
In the labor force (age 16+)	62.1%±1.5 pts	66.3%	–
Unemployment rate	15.9%±1.5 pts	5.9%	−2.5 pts
Drove alone to work	22.6%±2.7 pts	65.0%	–
Carpooled	11.7%±2.5 pts	11.9%	–
Public transportation	0.4%±0.4 pts	1.0%	–
Walked	30.4%±2.5 pts	7.2%	–
Worked from home	7.1%±2.7 pts	9.7%	+3.1 pts
Mean travel time to work	7.4 min±0.6	19.4 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 are Bethel Census Area's census tracts?

Bethel Census Area is divided into 3 census tracts. Among those with a reliable estimate, median household income runs from $47,804 (Tract 1) to $117,255 (Tract 2).

Census tracts of Bethel Census Area, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates; sort by any column

Tract 102050000100	Kwethluk (5%)	10,885	10,792±118	$47,804	$91,100	$741	33.7%
Tract 202050000200	Bethel (85%)	6,325	6,312±23	$117,255	$360,200	$1,678	11.6%
Tract 302050000300	Aniak (9%)	1,456	1,290±115	$56,818	$268,200	$1,159	24.1%

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) · Check it at data.census.gov

How does Bethel Census Area compare with Alaska's other counties?

Bethel Census Area's rank among Alaska's counties with a reliable estimate (1 = highest)
Measure	Rank
Population	6th of 30
Growth 2020-2025	14th of 30
Residents per square mile	19th of 30
Median household income	22nd of 30
Median home value	26th of 30
Median gross rent	5th of 30
Poverty rate	2nd of 27
Bachelor's degree or higher	26th of 27
Median age	28th of 30

Every county in Alaska

Source: PlainCities ranks 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 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 Bethel Census Area 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' school search.