Map the Block › Places › Alaska › Bethel Census Area
What are the crime rate and median income in Bethel Census Area, Alaska?
Bethel Census Area averaged 14.3 reported violent crimes per 1,000 residents a year in 2021-2025, 93% higher than the Alaska rate (7.4). The median household earns $73,996 and the unemployment rate was 10.3% in August 2026. About 18,394 people live in the county.
Last updated . Crime: FBI 2021-2025. Income and housing: Census ACS 2020-2024. Unemployment: BLS August 2026. Road work: October 11, 2026.
Also on the map: income · hazard risk · Superfund · dams
What is the crime rate in Bethel Census Area?
From 2021 through 2025, Bethel Census Area averaged 91 reported violent crimes a year, along with 71 property crimes. The violent rate, 14.3 per 1,000 people, is 93% higher than the Alaska rate (7.4); nationally it is 3.7. For property crime the county rate is 11.2 per 1,000 (Alaska: 18.3; U.S.: 18.1). Only about 35% of residents live in areas whose police reported a full year, so treat the rate with care. Most violent crimes here are aggravated assaults (73%). CDC death records show about 4 homicide deaths a year in the county (21.1 per 100,000), a count that includes cases police may classify differently.
| Offense (yearly average, 2021-2025) | Bethel Census Area | Per 1,000 | Alaska per 1,000 | U.S. per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 91 | 14.3 | 7.4 | 3.7 |
| Murder | 1 | 0.16 | 0.07 | 0.06 |
| Rape | 21 | 3.3 | 1.3 | 0.40 |
| Robbery | 3 | 0.47 | 0.79 | 0.62 |
| Aggravated assault | 66 | 10.4 | 5.3 | 2.6 |
| Property crime | 71 | 11.2 | 18.3 | 18.1 |
| Burglary | 16 | 2.5 | 2.7 | 2.4 |
| Larceny-theft | 39 | 6.1 | 13.0 | 13.0 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 16 | 2.5 | 2.6 | 2.6 |
Most crime never reaches the police, so these are reported crimes, a floor rather than the full count. In 2024 about half of violent crimes (48%) and about 3 in 10 property crimes (31%) were reported to police (U.S. Justice Department, National Crime Victimization Survey). Rates also depend on how completely each agency reports to the FBI. County figures add up the city police and sheriff reports in the county (1 agencies; 35% of residents covered).
What is the median household income in Bethel Census Area?
Half of households in Bethel Census Area make more than $73,996 and half make less; across Alaska the midpoint is $92,788. Owner-occupied homes have a median value of $168,100, and the median rent is $1,474 a month. 42.4% of households received SNAP benefits in the past year (state: 10.1%). The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 10.3% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 632 people out of work and looking.
| Census ACS 2020-2024 | Bethel Census Area | Alaska | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 18,394 | 735,706 | 334,922,499 |
| Median household income | $73,996 | $92,788 | $80,734 |
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $168,100 | $352,900 | $332,700 |
| Median gross rent | $1,474 | $1,419 | $1,413 |
| Unemployment rate (2020-2024 average) | 15.9% | 5.9% | 5.2% |
| People below the poverty line | 25.6% | 10.1% | 12.5% |
| Households receiving SNAP (food stamps) | 42.4% | 10.1% | 12.1% |
| Adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher | 12.8% | 31.7% | 35.7% |
| Homeowner households | 61.6% | 66.8% | 65.2% |
| Median age | 29.0 | 35.8 | 38.9 |
| Households with broadband internet | 84.9% | 91.9% | 91.0% |
| People without health insurance | 12.0% | 11.0% | 8.4% |
What natural hazards and environmental sites are in Bethel Census Area?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the overall natural-hazard risk for Bethel Census Area as “Relatively Low”. None of the seven hazards on our map (floods, wildfire, tornadoes, heat, earthquakes, hurricanes) is rated above “Relatively Moderate” here. The index compares counties with each other and also weighs how vulnerable and resilient a community is, so it is a long-run estimate, not a forecast.
Superfund sites
EPA lists no Superfund site in Bethel Census Area, active or completed (October 2026).
Industrial chemical releases
1 facility in the county filed Toxics Release Inventory reports for 2024, together reporting 1,620 pounds of listed chemicals released on site. Reported releases are legal permitted amounts in most cases.
Disasters, air and water
Bethel Census Area was covered by 4 federal major disaster declarations from 2016 through 2025 (Flood 11, Severe Storm 2), not counting COVID-19. Of 34 community water systems, 4 had an open health-based drinking-water violation in EPA's records (September 2026). EPA puts the county in radon zone 3 (low).
Is there road construction in Bethel Census Area?
Alaska does not publish an open highway work-zone feed that we can read yet, so road construction in Bethel Census Area is not on our map. Check the state's 511 traveler site for current closures.
See today's work zones on the map →
How many schools, nursing homes and parks are in Bethel Census Area?
Federal school lists show 41 public and 0 private schools in the county. 1 nursing home is certified by Medicare or Medicaid here; star ratings for each are on the map and on Medicare's Care Compare. USGS mapping shows 28 fire or EMS stations and 6 police or sheriff stations. Park Service units in the area: Lake Clark National Preserve.
What tribal lands and sacred sites are in Bethel Census Area?
Census tribal areas that reach into Bethel Census Area: Bethel ANVSA, Kwinhagak ANVSA, Kwethluk ANVSA, Toksook Bay ANVSA, Akiachak ANVSA and Kipnuk ANVSA and 30 more.
Tribal areas are Census statistical boundaries, shown for reference; they are not legal boundaries.
See them on the map: tribal lands →
Gun shops, liquor stores and Planned Parenthood in Bethel Census Area
Gun shops
No gun shops with a public storefront are on the map in Bethel Census Area. There are 5 licensed dealers without a public storefront (not shown).
Liquor stores
No liquor stores are on the map in Bethel Census Area. Alaska has no complete public liquor licence list we can use, so this count also draws on OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps and may miss some stores or include closed ones.
Planned Parenthood
There is no Planned Parenthood health center in Bethel Census Area on the map.
Sources: ATF licensee list (Sept 2026); state liquor licence lists, OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps (non-official; partial in some states); HHS Title X directory and CMS NPPES.
Common questions
What is the crime rate in Bethel Census Area?
Bethel Census Area averaged 91 reported violent crimes a year in 2021-2025, or 14.3 per 1,000 residents, 93% higher than the Alaska rate (7.4). The property-crime rate was 11.2 per 1,000 (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting).
What is the median household income in Bethel Census Area?
$73,996 (Census American Community Survey, 2020-2024 average), compared with $92,788 for Alaska and $80,734 nationally.
What is the unemployment rate in Bethel Census Area?
The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 10.3% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 632 people out of work and looking.
What natural hazards affect Bethel Census Area?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the overall natural-hazard risk for Bethel Census Area as “Relatively Low”. None of the seven hazards on our map (floods, wildfire, tornadoes, heat, earthquakes, hurricanes) is rated above “Relatively Moderate” here.
How many nursing homes are in Bethel Census Area?
1 Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing homes (CMS provider data, September 2026).
How does Bethel Census Area compare with neighboring counties?
| County | Population | Violent crimes per 1,000 (2021-25) | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dillingham Census Area | 4,724 | 3.2 | $78,533 |
| Kenai Peninsula Borough | 60,413 | 3.6 | $80,538 |
| Kusilvak Census Area | 8,176 | – | $51,471 |
| Lake and Peninsula Borough | 1,013 | – | $65,625 |
| Matanuska-Susitna Borough | 112,988 | – | $94,031 |
| Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area | 5,195 | – | $55,741 |
More: Alaska statewide numbers · Sex-offender registry search (U.S. Justice Department, NSOPW)
Where do these numbers come from?
- Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting 2021-2025 (agency level, Return A), averaged and summed by county by Map the Block; Census population; state and national rates: FBI estimated crimes 2021-2025.
- Income, housing, education: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year, table B19013 (median household income) and related tables.
- Monthly unemployment: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS), county data, not seasonally adjusted. Public domain.
- Hazards: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), county scores; disasters: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
- Superfund: U.S. EPA, Superfund site boundaries and NPL status (October 2026). Dams: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Inventory of Dams (public map service, October 2026). Chemical releases: U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory, reporting year 2024 (basic data file).
- Air and water: U.S. EPA AirData, annual AQI by county 2024; EPA Air Quality Design Values 2023-2025 (June 2026); U.S. EPA SDWIS via ECHO drinking-water download (September 30, 2026). Traffic deaths: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2024; Census population.
- Work zones: State departments of transportation, via the U.S. DOT Work Zone Data Exchange (WZDx) and state 511 feeds; refreshed every morning (snapshot October 11, 2026).
- Schools: National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE public school locations 2024-25; budgets: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2024; National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE Private School geocodes (Private School Survey 2023-24). Nursing homes: U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Nursing Home Provider Information and Penalties (September 2026). Stations: U.S. Geological Survey, National Structures Dataset (Fire Stations/EMS Stations), October 2026 pull.
- Parks: USGS Protected Areas Database of the U.S. (PAD-US 4.1); state park agencies' open data (CA, NY, PA, TN, TX, FL, NJ, KY, HI, UT, MT and others); OpenStreetMap contributors for some hours, phones, fees and camping; U.S. National Park Service: unit boundaries (Land Resources Division), Acreage Report (Sept 30, 2026), park pages on nps.gov (hours, fees), Visitor Use Statistics (2025).
Map the Block shows public statistics about places, not people, and does not rate or rank neighborhoods as places to live. Figures are as published by each source; check the source before relying on a number.
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