Bethel Census Area, Alaska

Last updated

Bethel Census Area, Alaska
Borough
St. Sergius Chapel, Chuathbaluk, Alaska.jpg
St. Sergius Chapel, Chuathbaluk
Map of Alaska highlighting Bethel Census Area.svg
Location within the U.S. state of Alaska
Coordinates: 60°45′N160°30′W / 60.75°N 160.5°W / 60.75; -160.5
CountryFlag of the United States.svg United States
StateFlag of Alaska.svg Alaska
Established1980 [1]
Largest city Bethel
Area
 • Total
45,504 sq mi (117,850 km2)
 • Land40,570 sq mi (105,100 km2)
 • Water4,934 sq mi (12,780 km2)  10.8%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
18,666
 • Estimate 
(2024)
18,237 Decrease2.svg
 • Density0.42/sq mi (0.16/km2)
Time zone UTC−9 (Alaska)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−8 (ADT)
Congressional district At-large

Bethel Census Area is a census area in the U.S. state of Alaska. As of the 2020 census, the population is 18,666, up from 17,013 in 2010. [2] It is part of the unorganized borough and therefore has no borough seat. Its largest community is the city of Bethel, which is also the largest city in the unorganized borough.

Contents

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the census area has an area of 45,504 square miles (117,850 km2), of which 40,570 square miles (105,100 km2) is land and 4,934 square miles (12,780 km2) (10.8%) is water. [3] Its territory includes the large Nunivak Island in the Bering Sea.

Its land area is comparable to that of Kentucky, which has an area of slightly under forty thousand square miles. [4]

Adjacent boroughs and census areas

National protected areas

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1960 5,537—
1970 7,57936.9%
1980 10,99945.1%
1990 13,65624.2%
2000 16,00617.2%
2010 17,0136.3%
2020 18,6669.7%
2024 (est.)18,237 [5] −2.3%
U.S. Decennial Census [6]
1790-1960 [7] 1900-1990 [8]
1990-2000 [9] 2010-2020 [2]

2020 census

Bethel Census Area, Alaska – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 1980 [10] Pop 1990 [11] Pop 2000 [12] Pop 2010 [13] Pop 2020 [14] % 1980% 1990% 2000% 2010% 2020
White alone (NH)1,6362,0741,9581,8541,62814.87%15.19%12.23%10.90%8.72%
Black or African American alone (NH)26625965840.24%0.45%0.37%0.38%0.45%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)9,24711,33913,06314,05615,58084.07%83.03%81.61%82.62%83.47%
Asian alone (NH)29901681582010.26%0.66%1.05%0.93%1.08%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)x [15] x [16] 9182xx0.06%0.11%0.01%
Other race alone (NH)01156190.00%0.08%0.03%0.04%0.10%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)x [17] x [18] 604675945xx3.77%3.97%5.06%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)61801401812070.55%0.59%0.87%1.06%1.11%
Total10,99913,65616,00617,01318,666 100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 18,666. The median age was 27.6 years. 35.0% of residents were under the age of 18 and 8.2% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 109.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 111.4 males. [19]

The racial makeup of the county was 8.9% White, 0.5% Black or African American, 83.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 0.3% from some other race, and 5.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 1.1% of the population. [20]

27.3% of residents lived in urban areas, while 72.7% lived in rural areas. [21]

There were 4,897 households in the county, of which 53.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 24.0% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 20.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. [19]

There were 5,984 housing units, of which 18.2% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 60.9% were owner-occupied and 39.1% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.3% and the rental vacancy rate was 6.5%. [19]

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 16,006 people, 4,226 households, and 3,173 families living in the census area. The population density was 0 people per square mile (0 people/km2). There were 5,188 housing units at an average density of 0 per square mile (0/km2). The racial makeup of the census area was 12.53% White, 0.38% Black or African American, 81.93% Native American, 1.05% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.19% from other races, and 3.85% from two or more races. 0.87% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. [22] Of the 4,226 households, 51.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.20% were married couples living together, 15.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.90% were non-families. 19.90% of households were one person, and 2.80% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 3.73 and the average family size was 4.41.

In the census area the population was spread out, with 39.80% under the age of 18, 9.70% from 18 to 24, 28.90% from 25 to 44, 16.40% from 45 to 64, and 5.20% 65 or older. The median age was 25 years. For every 100 females, there were 113.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 112.80 males.

Languages

Bethel Census Area is one of only 38 county-level census divisions of the United States where the most spoken language is not English and one of only 4 where it is neither English nor Spanish. 63.14% of the population speak a Yupik language at home, followed by English at 34.71%. [23]

Politics

United States presidential election results for Bethel Census Area, Alaska [24]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No. %No. %No. %
1960 78567.27%38232.73%00.00%
1964 25713.48%1,64986.52%00.00%
1968 93939.29%1,29354.10%1586.61%
1972 1,03340.57%1,42656.01%873.42%
1976 1,34446.89%1,41049.20%1123.91%
1980 86025.41%2,06861.09%45713.50%
1984 2,40251.49%2,10445.10%1593.41%
1988 1,95151.79%1,66944.31%1473.90%
1992 1,84440.10%1,84040.01%91519.90%
1996 1,46730.39%2,79057.80%57011.81%
2000 2,02542.10%2,23246.40%55311.50%
2004 1,93549.01%1,83246.40%1814.58%
2008 2,25043.50%2,69552.10%2284.41%
2012 1,15023.90%3,42571.19%2364.91%
2016 1,10322.31%2,71955.00%1,12222.69%
2020 1,67032.70%3,08560.41%3526.89%
2024 1,62237.99%2,18151.09%46610.92%

Like most counties or equivalents with a Native American majority, Bethel tends to support Democratic presidential candidates. However, Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski, who has fared well with Alaska Native voters, carried the census area overwhelmingly in 2022. Republicans Mike Dunleavy and Sean Parnell also won its vote for governorship in 2022 and 2010.

Communities

Cities

Census-designated places

Unincorporated communities

Education

School districts include: [25]

Transportation

Bethel has Bethel Airport and Bethel Seaplane Base.

See also

References

  1. ↑ In 1980, the United States Census Bureau divided the Unorganized Borough into 12 census areas.
  2. 1 2 "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  3. ↑ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  4. ↑ "United States Summary: 2010, Population and Housing Unit Counts, 2010 Census of Population and Housing" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. September 2012. pp. V-2, 1 & 41 (Tables 1 & 18). Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved May 23, 2017.
  5. ↑ "County Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020-2024". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
  6. ↑ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 18, 2014.
  7. ↑ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved May 18, 2014.
  8. ↑ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 18, 2014.
  9. ↑ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved May 18, 2014.
  10. ↑ "Alaska: 1980, General Social and Economic Characteristics, Table 59: Persons by Race, Hispanic Origin, and Sex" (PDF). United States Census Bureau . Archived from the original (PDF) on December 18, 2025.
  11. ↑ "Alaska: 1990, General Population Characteristics, Table 5: Race and Hispanic Origin" (PDF). United States Census Bureau . Archived from the original (PDF) on September 30, 2025.
  12. ↑ "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Bethel Census Area, Alaska". United States Census Bureau .
  13. ↑ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Bethel Census Area, Alaska". United States Census Bureau .
  14. ↑ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Bethel Census Area, Alaska". United States Census Bureau .
  15. ↑ included in the Asian category in the 1980 Census
  16. ↑ included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census
  17. ↑ not an option in the 1980 Census
  18. ↑ not an option in the 1990 Census
  19. 1 2 3 "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved December 20, 2025.
  20. ↑ "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved December 20, 2025.
  21. ↑ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved December 20, 2025.
  22. ↑ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved May 14, 2011.
  23. ↑ Language Map Data Center. Mla.org (April 3, 2013). Retrieved on August 2, 2013.
  24. ↑ Elections, RRH (February 2, 2018). "RRH Elections". rrhelections.com. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
  25. ↑ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Bethel Census Area, AK" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved July 31, 2022. - Text list

60°45′N160°30′W / 60.750°N 160.500°W / 60.750; -160.500

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