Bethel Census Area, AK

County

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2023 Population

18,487

0.275% 1-year decline

US Senator

N/ALisa Murkowski

Republican Party

US Senator

N/ADan Sullivan

Republican Party

US Representative

N/ANick Begich III

Republican Party

2023 Median Age

28.7

0% 1-year change

2023 Poverty Rate

24%

4.85% 1-year decrease

2023 Median Household Income

$70,616

10.2% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$120,600

2023 Employed Population

6,564

0.0305% 1-year growth

About

In 2023, Bethel Census Area, AK had a population of 18.5k people with a median age of 28.7 and a median household income of $70,616. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Bethel Census Area, AK declined from 18,538 to 18,487, a −0.275% decrease and its median household income grew from $64,094 to $70,616, a 10.2% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Bethel Census Area, AK are American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic) (83.6%), White (Non-Hispanic) (8.75%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (3.55%), Asian (Non-Hispanic) (1.4%), and Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (1.15%).

None 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.

99.2% of the residents in Bethel Census Area, AK are U.S. citizens.

In 2023, the median property value in Bethel Census Area, AK was $120,600, and the homeownership rate was 60.5%.

Most people in Bethel Census Area, AK walked to work, and the average commute time was 7.38 minutes. The average car ownership in Bethel Census Area, AK was 0 cars per household.

Bethel Census Area, AK borders Dillingham Census Area, AK, Kenai Peninsula Borough, AK, Kusilvak Census Area, AK, Lake and Peninsula Borough, AK, Matanuska-Susitna Borough, AK, and Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, AK.

United States Alaska

Population & Diversity

Bethel Census Area, AK is home to a population of 18.5k people, from which 99.2% are citizens. As of 2023, 2.02% of Bethel Census Area, AK residents were born outside of the country (373 people).

In 2023, there were 9.55 times more American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic) residents (15.4k people) in Bethel Census Area, AK than any other race or ethnicity. There were 1.62k White (Non-Hispanic) and 656 Two+ (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

99.2%

2023 Citizenship

99.2%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 99.2% of Bethel Census Area, AK residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Bethel Census Area, AK was 99.2%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Bethel Census Area, AK

American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic)
15.4k ± 171
White (Non-Hispanic)
1.62k ± 16
Two+ (Non-Hispanic)
656 ± 159

1.39%

Hispanic Population

257 people

1.39% of the people in Bethel Census Area, AK are hispanic (257 people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Bethel Census Area, AK as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for Alaska.

Most Common Origin

Philippines
20,850 ± 3,494 people
Korea
3,574 ± 1,464 people
Mexico
3,318 ± 1,411 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Alaska was Philippines, the natal country of 20,850 Alaska residents, followed by Korea with 3,574 and Mexico with 3,318.

Foreign-Born Population

2.02%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

373 people

2.25%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

417 people

As of 2023, 2.02% of Bethel Census Area, AK residents (373 people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.8%. In 2022, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Bethel Census Area, AK was 2.25%, 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.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Gulf War (2001-)
266 ± 155
Vietnam
188 ± 72
Gulf War (1990s)
149 ± 49

Bethel Census Area, AK has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 1.41 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Bethel Census Area, AK employs 6.56k people. The largest industries in Bethel Census Area, AK are Public Administration (1,417 people), Educational Services (888 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (859 people), and the highest paying industries are Information ($77,697), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($71,250), and Construction ($67,237).

Males in Alaska have an average income that is 1.25 times higher than the average income of females, which is $65,037. The income inequality in Alaska (measured using the Gini index) is 0.436, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

6.56k

2023 Value

± 707

0.0305%

1 Year growth

± 14.5%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Bethel Census Area, AK grew at a rate of 0.0305%, from 6.56k employees to 6.56k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Bethel Census Area, AK, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (1,106 people), Management Occupations (787 people), and Construction & Extraction Occupations (514 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Bethel Census Area, AK.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

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 Industries

6.56k

2023 Value

± 707

0.0305%

1 Year growth

± 14.5%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Bethel Census Area, AK grew at a rate of 0.0305%, from 6.56k employees to 6.56k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Bethel Census Area, AK, are Public Administration (1,417 people), Educational Services (888 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (859 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Bethel Census Area, AK, though some of these residents may live in Bethel Census Area, AK and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$36,184

Median earning men ± $9,826

$39,801

Median earning women ± $7,045

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Construction ($67,303), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($57,717), and Public Administration ($50,833).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($131,111), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($67,500), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($60,046).

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.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

27
Other Services (except Public Administration)
18
Retail Trade
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.

Depending on the option selected, the visualization shows the number of employees or number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$59.5k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$24.8k
Retail Trade
$22.8k
Transportation and Warehousing

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

Civics

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

N/ALisa Murkowski

Senator from Alaska

Assumed office on December 20, 2002
Appointed to the seat following the resignation of her father Frank Murkowski, who was elected Governor of Alaska.

N/ADan Sullivan

Senator from Alaska

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.

US Representative Elections

US Representatives from Bethel Census Area, AK

N/ANick 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.

Education

Completions

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

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

Measure

In 2022, 0.495% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.397% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

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

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2022 were High School or Equivalent (168k), Some college (147k), and Bachelors Degree (98.8k).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Bethel Census Area, AK was $120,600 in 2023, which is 0.397 times smaller than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $120,600 to $120,600, a 0% change. The homeownership rate in Bethel Census Area, AK is 60.5%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 65%.

People in Bethel Census Area, AK have an average commute time of 7.38 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.

Median household income in Bethel Census Area, AK is $70,616. In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income in Bethel Census Area, AK was Census Tract 2 with a value of $109,718, followed by Census Tract 3 and Census Tract 1, with respective values of $49,609 and $46,649.

In 2023, 60% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Bethel Census Area, AK. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 2.58%.

Housing

Property

$120,600

Median Property Value 2023

±$20,908

$2,820

Median Property Taxes

±$171

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 None range.

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

Rent vs Own

60.5%

Homeownership

2023

65.8%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 60.5% of the housing units in Bethel Census Area, AK were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 59%.

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

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 2
Census Tract 3
Census Tract 1

In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Bethel Census Area, AK was Census Tract 2 with a value of $109,718, followed by Census Tract 3 and Census Tract 1, with respective values of $49,609 and $46,649.

The following map shows all of the tracts in Bethel Census Area, AK colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$70,616

Median Household Income

± $4,453

4.66k

Number of Households

± 294

In 2023, the median household income of the 4.66k households in Bethel Census Area, AK grew to $70,616 from the previous year's value of $64,094.

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.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Bethel Census Area, AK is from Alaska.

0.436

2022 Wage GINI in Alaska

0.437

2021 Wage GINI in Alaska

In 2022, the income inequality in Alaska was 0.436 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.308% decline from 2021 to 2022, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Alaska was lower than than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Alaska in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Alaska across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2023

Walked (32.4%)
Other (25.1%)
Drove Alone (19.5%)

In 2023, 32.4% of workers in Bethel Census Area, AK walked to work, followed by those who used some unspecified means to get work (25.1%) and those who drove alone to work (19.5%).

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.

Commute Time

7.38 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Bethel Census Area, AK have a shorter commute time (7.38 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 0.167% 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.

Car Ownership

0 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Bethel Census Area, AK distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Bethel Census Area, AK have 0 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2023, 60% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Bethel Census Area, AK. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 2.58%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

24% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Bethel Census Area, AK (4.35k out of 18.1k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Males 6 - 11, followed by Males 55 - 64 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 White and Two Or More.

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.

Children in Poverty

In 2023, 26.8% of the children was living in poverty in Bethel Census Area, AK. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 8.3%.

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

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Health

87.1% of the population of Bethel Census Area, AK has health coverage, with 20.7% on employee plans, 55.2% on Medicaid, 3.93% on Medicare, 6.29% on non-group plans, and 0.978% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Bethel Census Area, AK see 922 patients per year on average, which represents a 0.326% increase from the previous year (919 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 687 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 36 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 51.6% were men and 48.4% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

922 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Bethel Census Area, AK

Primary care physicians in Bethel Census Area, AK see an average of 922 patients per year. This represents a 0.326% increase from the previous year (919 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 37.2% under 18 years, 24.2% between 18 and 34 years, 30.5% between 35 and 64 years, and 8.14% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 51.6% were men and 48.4% were women.

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

Uninsured People

12.9%

Uninsured

20.7%

Employer Coverage

55.2%

Medicaid

3.93%

Medicare

6.29%

Non-Group

0.978%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Bethel Census Area, AK declined by 7.78% from 14% to 12.9%.

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.

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2023, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 142 in Bethel Census Area, AK.

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

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2023, 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 37.5% in Bethel Census Area, AK.

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