Bethel Census Area, Alaska
A census area in Alaska, ranked 6 of 30 by population.
Census AreaFIPS 02050
- Population
- 18,391
- -281 (-1.5%) since 2020
- Land area
- 40,655
- square miles. A further 10.8% of the total area is water
- Population density
- 0.45
- people per square mile, computed rather than published
- County seat
- Not available
- Bethel Census Area has no county government.
- Established
- 1980
- 45 years ago
- Largest city
- Bethel city
- Population 6,626.
Sources: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025 Population Estimates, released 26 March 2026; US Census Bureau, Gazetteer Files, 2025 Gazetteer Files, released 10 September 2025; Wikidata (CC0), Wikidata. Retrieved 30 August 2026.
Satellite view
Aerial imagery of Bethel Census Area with its boundary drawn on top. A map shows you the shape; this shows you what is inside it, and which side of the line a place falls on.
Where Bethel Census Area ranks
Position among the 30 boroughs and census areas of Alaska, and among all 3,144 US counties and county-equivalents. Computed from the figures on this page.
| Measure | Value | In Alaska | Nationally |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 18,391 | 6th of 30 | 1,913th of 3,144 |
| Land area | 40,655 sq mi | 3rd of 30 | 3rd of 3,144 |
| Population density | 0.45 per sq mi | 19th of 30 | 3,120th of 3,144 |
| Median household income | $73,996 | 22nd of 30 | 915th of 3,143 |
Full data for Bethel Census Area
| Measure | Value | Source and vintage |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 18,391 | Vintage 2025 Population Estimates |
| Population in 2020 | 18,672 | Vintage 2025 Population Estimates |
| 2020 estimates base? | 18,665 | Vintage 2025 Population Estimates |
| Land area | 40,655 sq mi | 2025 Gazetteer Files |
| Water area | 4,901 sq mi | 2025 Gazetteer Files |
| Total area | 45,556 sq mi | 2025 Gazetteer Files |
| Population density? | 0.45 per sq mi | Computed: Vintage 2025 estimates divided by 2025 Gazetteer land area |
| Median household income | $73,996 | American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates |
| Median home value | $168,100 | American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates |
| Median age | 29.0 | American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates |
| Households | 4,828 | American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates |
| Housing units | 6,011 | American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates |
Sources: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025 Population Estimates, released 26 March 2026; US Census Bureau, Gazetteer Files, 2025 Gazetteer Files, released 10 September 2025; US Census Bureau, American Community Survey, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates, released 29 January 2026. Population density is computed here, not published: it divides the Vintage 2025 population estimate by the 2025 Gazetteer land area, which are two different Census products. Retrieved 30 August 2026.
How the population changed
The Census Bureau publishes the components behind an estimate, not just the total. For the year to July 2025:
- Births minus deaths
- +247
- 377 births, 130 deaths
- Net migration
- -221
- More people moved out than moved in.
Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025 Population Estimates, released 26 March 2026. Retrieved 30 August 2026.
The 6 areas bordering Bethel Census Area
Ordered by the length of the border actually shared, which the Census Bureau publishes in its county adjacency file and which no other county reference presents.
| Bordering area | State | Shared border | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dillingham Census Area | Alaska | 374 mi | 4,483 |
| Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area | Alaska | 281 mi | 5,028 |
| Kusilvak Census Area | Alaska | 258 mi | 7,932 |
| Lake and Peninsula Borough | Alaska | 86 mi | 1,357 |
| Matanuska-Susitna Borough | Alaska | 60 mi | 118,666 |
| Kenai Peninsula Borough | Alaska | 54 mi | 61,951 |
Source: US Census Bureau, County Adjacency File, 2025 County Adjacency File, released 15 September 2025. Retrieved 30 August 2026.
All 30 boroughs and census areas of Alaska
Open the interactive Alaska county map, or jump straight to any of them.
- Aleutians East Borough
- Aleutians West Census Area
- Anchorage Municipality
- Bethel Census Area
- Bristol Bay Borough
- Chugach Census Area
- Copper River Census Area
- Denali Borough
- Dillingham Census Area
- Fairbanks North Star Borough
- Haines Borough
- Hoonah-Angoon Census Area
- Juneau City and Borough
- Kenai Peninsula Borough
- Ketchikan Gateway Borough
- Kodiak Island Borough
- Kusilvak Census Area
- Lake and Peninsula Borough
- Matanuska-Susitna Borough
- Nome Census Area
- North Slope Borough
- Northwest Arctic Borough
- Petersburg Borough
- Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area
- Sitka City and Borough
- Skagway Municipality
- Southeast Fairbanks Census Area
- Wrangell City and Borough
- Yakutat City and Borough
- Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area
Data on this page last rebuilt 30 August 2026. How these figures are produced.