Bethel Census Area, Alaska

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. 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.

Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the census area has an area of , of which is land and (10.8%) is water. 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.

Adjacent boroughs and census areas Kusilvak Census Area, Alaska - northwest Yukon–Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska - north Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska - east Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska - southeast Lake and Peninsula Borough, Alaska - south Dillingham Census Area, Alaska - south

National protected areas Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge (part of the Bering Sea unit) Bering Sea Wilderness Lake Clark National Park and Preserve (part) Lake Clark Wilderness (part) Togiak National Wildlife Refuge (part) Togiak Wilderness (part) Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge (part) Nunivak Wilderness

Demographics

2020 census +Bethel Census Area, Alaska – Racial and ethnic compositionRace / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 1980Pop 1990Pop 2000Pop 2010 Pop 2020% 1980% 1990% 2000% 2010% 2020White 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 included in the Asian category in the 1980 Censusx included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census9182xx0.06%0.11%0.01%Other race alone (NH)01156190.00%0.08%0.03%0.04%0.10%Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)x not an option in the 1980 Censusx not an option in the 1990 Census604675945xx3.77%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.

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.

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

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.

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%.

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 . There were 5,188 housing units at an average density of . 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. 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%.Language Map Data Center. Mla.org (April 3, 2013). Retrieved on August 2, 2013.

Politics

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

Akiak Aniak Bethel Chefornak Chuathbaluk Eek Goodnews Bay Kwethluk Lower Kalskag Mekoryuk Napakiak Napaskiak Nightmute Nunapitchuk Platinum Quinhagak Toksook Bay Upper Kalskag

Census-designated places

Akiachak Atmautluak Crooked Creek Kasigluk Kipnuk Kongiganak Kwigillingok Lime Village Mertarvik Newtok Oscarville Red Devil Sleetmute Stony River Tuluksak Tuntutuliak Tununak

Unincorporated communities Crow Village Georgetown Napaimute Umkumiute

Education School districts include: - Text list

Iditarod Area School District Kuspuk School District Lower Kuskokwim School District Lower Yukon School District Yupiit School District

Transportation Bethel has Bethel Airport and Bethel Seaplane Base.

Bethel Census Area, Alaska

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