Bethel Census Area, Alaska

Bethel Census Area
Bethel Census Area
Borough
	St. Sergius Chapel, Chuathbaluk
	Location within the U.S. state of Alaska
	Alaska's location within the U.S.
	Coordinates: 60°45′N 160°30′W / 60.75°N 160.5°W
Country	United States
State	Alaska
Established	1980
Largest city	Bethel
Area
• Total	45,504 sq mi (117,850 km2)
• Land	40,570 sq mi (105,100 km2)
• Water	4,934 sq mi (12,780 km2) 10.8%
Population (2020)
• Total	18,666
• Estimate (2023)	18,224
• Density	0.42/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.

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

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

Historical population
Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1960	5,537		—
1970	7,579		36.9%
1980	10,999		45.1%
1990	13,656		24.2%
2000	16,006		17.2%
2010	17,013		6.3%
2020	18,666		9.7%
2023 (est.)	18,224	^[5]	−2.4%
U.S. Decennial Census^[6] 1790-1960^[7] 1900-1990^[8] 1990-2000^[9] 2010-2020^[2]

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.^[10] 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.

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 3 where it is neither English nor Spanish. 63.14% of the population speak a Yupik language at home, followed by English at 34.71%.^[11]

Politics

United States presidential election results for Bethel Census Area, Alaska^[12]
Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party
Year	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2020	1,670	32.70%	3,085	60.41%	352	6.89%
2016	1,103	22.31%	2,719	55.00%	1,122	22.69%
2012	1,150	23.90%	3,425	71.19%	236	4.91%
2008	2,250	43.50%	2,695	52.10%	228	4.41%
2004	1,935	49.01%	1,832	46.40%	181	4.58%
2000	2,025	42.10%	2,232	46.40%	553	11.50%
1996	1,467	30.39%	2,790	57.80%	570	11.81%
1992	1,844	40.10%	1,840	40.01%	915	19.90%
1988	1,951	51.79%	1,669	44.31%	147	3.90%
1984	2,402	51.49%	2,104	45.10%	159	3.41%
1980	860	25.41%	2,068	61.09%	457	13.50%
1976	1,344	46.89%	1,410	49.20%	112	3.91%
1972	1,033	40.57%	1,426	56.01%	87	3.42%
1968	939	39.29%	1,293	54.10%	158	6.61%
1964	257	13.48%	1,649	86.52%	0	0.00%
1960	785	67.27%	382	32.73%	0	0.00%

Like most counties or equivalents with a Native American majority, Bethel tends to support Democratic presidential candidates. However, Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski, who has faired well with Alaska Native voters, carried the census area overwhelmingly in 2022.