United States › Alaska › Bethel Census Area COUNTY
Bethel Census Area Alaska · 18,391 residents (2025 est.) · 40,639 sq mi
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The short version
Bethel Census Area is a county of 18,394 people in Alaska. This skews young, with a median age of 29.0. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 13% of adults. Getting to work takes 7 minutes on average. Few US counties rank higher on income. There are 0 people per square mile.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 29.0
US median: 38.9
Less educated
13% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth from 16,006 in 2000
18,391 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
from 0 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
from 25.3 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Population, 1990 – 2024
13K 15K 16K 18K 19K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 Bethel Census Area Age distribution, 2024
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Section 02
Income & economy $73,996
+14%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $35,701 in 2000
US average: $82,259
from $12,603 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
from 35.4% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
from 20.6% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
from 0.446 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Professional, scientific, technical 5.9%
Education & health services 3.1%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 2.2%
Public administration 1.3%
Transportation & warehousing 1.3%
Arts, entertainment, food 0.2%
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$168,100
+19%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $77,400 in 2000
US average: $376,019
$1,474
−1%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $814 in 2000
US average: $1,442
from 61.1% in 2000
38.4% rent
from 24.7% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
3.63 people
−11%since 2009
from 4.07 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
from 11.6% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
from 14.1% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
from 2.2 in 2009
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity 2000
White, non-Hispanic 12.2%(1,958)
Hispanic / Latino 0.9%(140)
2024
White, non-Hispanic 8.3%(1,529)
Hispanic / Latino 1.5%(270)
from 30 in 2009
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
from 54 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry Ancestry
+ 14 more ancestry groups with data from 13.1% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
from 71.0% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
from 4.9% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 8.4 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
from 25.3% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
from 13.3% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
from 0.1% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
from 4.4% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
from 38.1% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
from 0.9% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
from 55.9% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07
Work & employment from 16.8% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
from 64.0% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
from 74.3% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
from 47.9% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
from 39.1% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08
People & community from 0.6% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
from 7.5% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
from 10.1% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
from 26.8% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 70.6% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
from 89.8% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
from 89.3% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
from 35.4% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
from 0.5% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married 51.7%(3,592)
Women 15+
Never married 44.1%(2,652)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage from 26.8% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 30.5% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
from 1.0% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
from 7.9% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
from 51.5% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
from 0.9% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
from 32.3% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
from 56.2% in 2020
US average: 36.7%
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later) 41.4%(338)
Share of the 817 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
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Drill deeper
Places similar to Bethel Census Area Head to head
Compare Bethel Census Area to nearby counties Frequently asked
How many people live in Bethel Census Area, Alaska? Bethel Census Area, Alaska has about 18,394 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Bethel Census Area, Alaska? The typical household in Bethel Census Area, Alaska earns about $73,996 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Bethel Census Area, Alaska expensive? In Bethel Census Area, Alaska, the median home is worth about $168,100, and the typical rent is about $1,474 a month.
How educated are people in Bethel Census Area, Alaska? About 12.8% of adults age 25 and over in Bethel Census Area, Alaska hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Bethel Census Area, Alaska? About 25.6% of people in Bethel Census Area, Alaska live below the federal poverty line.
Has Bethel Census Area, Alaska grown since 1990? Yes, Bethel Census Area, Alaska has grown since 1990. The population has added about 4,738 residents, a change of about 35 percent over that period.
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