Bethel Census Area, Alaska: commercial real estate data.
Bethel Census Area, Alaska has a population of 18,394 across 40,570 square miles, down 2.3 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $837.1 m in 2024, 215 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 4 7(a) approvals worth $4.1 m.
113 sourced county values · tier FULL · 10 sections
Bethel Census Area
How many people live in Bethel Census Area
- Population18,394
- Households4,828
- Average household size3.81
- Median household income$73,996
- Median age29.0
- Median gross rent$1,474 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$168,100
- Home value to household income2.3 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income23.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher12.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree4.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over10,133
- Population under 186,382
- Share under 1834.7 percent
- Population 65 and over1,538
- Share 65 and over8.4 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6410,474
- Civilian labor force7,779
- Unemployment rate15.9 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over64.8 percent
- Rank by population among Alaska census areas6th of 30
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1967th
Bethel Census Area is the 6th largest of 30 Alaska census areas by population. A median home costs 2.3 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 34.7 percent against 8.4 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Bethel Census Area
Is Bethel Census Area growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-2.29 percent
- Census 2020 base population18,664
- Births, 2024381
- Deaths, 2024184
- Natural change, 2024197
- Net domestic migration, 2024-191
- Net international migration, 202430
- Total net migration, 2024-161
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-1,420
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2569th
The county has lost 2.29 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. Births exceeded deaths in 2024 but more people left than arrived, so the population is being sustained internally rather than attracting.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Bethel Census Area
Where people moving to Bethel Census Area come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving177
- People arriving, from those returns337
- Adjusted gross income arriving$11.6 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$65,288
- Largest single originBethel Census Area Non-migrants (4,933 households)
- Largest single destination (4,933 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bethel Census Area Non-migrants | 4,933 | 12,159 | $251.9 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 64 | 102 | $5.2 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 49 | 101 | $3.3 m |
| Anchorage Municipality | 40 | 84 | $2.5 m |
| Other flows - South | 37 | 63 | $2.9 m |
| Other flows - West | 27 | 39 | $2.3 m |
| Kusilvak Census Area | 24 | 50 | $538,000 |
The largest single source of arrivals is Bethel Census Area Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Bethel Census Area
What the Bethel Census Area economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$837.1 m
- County GDP, 2023$819.1 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20242.2 percent
- GDP change over five years14.5 percent
- Rank by GDP among Alaska census areas12th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1998th
- GDP per resident$45,508
Output grew 2.2 percent in the latest year and 14.5 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Bethel Census Area
Who employs people in Bethel Census Area
- Covered employment, annual average6,426
- Establishments reporting303
- Average annual pay$54,820
- Average weekly wage$1,054
- Sector 44-45, employment809
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$26,150
- Sector 81, employment582
- Sector 81, average annual pay$49,666
- Sector 48-49, employment252
- Sector 48-49, average annual pay$66,011
- Sector 53, employment146
- Sector 53, average annual pay$59,286
- Sector 22, employment112
- Sector 72, employment90
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 44-45 | 809 | 50 | $26,150 |
| Sector 81 | 582 | 22 | $49,666 |
| Sector 48-49 | 252 | 10 | $66,011 |
| Sector 53 | 146 | 10 | $59,286 |
| Sector 22 | 112 | 12 | $30,461 |
| Sector 72 | 90 | 15 | $47,379 |
| Sector 23 | 56 | 10 | $40,350 |
| Sector 71 | 52 | 8 | $39,924 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 809 jobs, 12.6 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Bethel Census Area
What businesses operate in Bethel Census Area
- Establishments, all industries215
- Employment at those establishments2,523
- Annual payroll$146.3 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents11.7
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Bethel Census Area
What is being built in Bethel Census Area
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024152
- Declared construction value permitted$30.0 m
- Single family units authorised9
- Multifamily units authorised143
- Multifamily share of units94.1 percent
- Average declared value per unit$197,445
- Units authorised per 1,000 households31.5
Multifamily is 94.1 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Bethel Census Area
How much SBA lending happens in Bethel Census Area
- 7(a) approvals recorded4
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$4.1 m
- Average 7(a) approval$1,032,500
- Median 7(a) approval$640,000
- 10th percentile approval$100,000
- 90th percentile approval$3,200,000
- Largest single approval$3,200,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)35
- Jobs per approval8.8
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active3
- Distinct industries receiving approvals4
- Median 7(a) term150 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer25.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms1
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter2
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countScheduled Freight Air Transportation (1)
- Most active lenderAlaska Growth Capital BIDCO, Inc. (2)
- 504 approvals recorded2
- 504 gross approval dollars$384,000
- Average 504 approval$192,000
- Median 504 approval$195,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval0.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved0.0
- Most active CDCEvergreen Business Capital (2)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals66.7 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$4.5 m
The average approval of $1,032,500 sits well above the median of $640,000, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. Only 25.0 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Bethel Census Area
Do SBA loans in Bethel Census Area get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded1
- Paid in full1
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full1
- Status: Exempt from disclosure2
- Status: Cancelled1
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 1 resolved loans, too few to publish a rate. A rate computed on a handful of loans is noise, so none is shown.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Bethel Census Area
How big is Bethel Census Area
- Land area40,570 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Alaska census areas3rd of 30
- Width, east to west689.5 mi
- Height, north to south258.5 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land0
- Establishments per square mile0.01
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- Computed from shared land boundary. Geographies separated by water are not counted, so this understates the true neighbour set in this state.
- No NFIP communities are listed for this county in the FEMA Community Status Book.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Bethel Census Area site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Bethel Census Area site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population18,394
- Households4,828
- Average household size3.81
- Median household income$73,996
- Median age29.0
Common questions
Bethel Census Area questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Bethel Census Area, Alaska?
18,394, in 4,828 households, ranking 6th of 30 Alaska counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Bethel Census Area growing?
The population has fallen 2.29 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 381 births against 184 deaths, with net migration of -161. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Bethel Census Area?
$73,996. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $168,100, which is 2.3 times income, and median gross rent is $1,474 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Bethel Census Area?
215 establishments, employing 2,523 people with an annual payroll of $146.3 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Bethel Census Area?
Average annual pay is $54,820, or $1,054 a week, across 6,426 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Bethel Census Area?
4 7(a) approvals totalling $4.1 m since FY2020, across 3 lenders, with a median approval of $640,000, plus 2 504 approvals worth $384,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Bethel Census Area?
152 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $30.0 m. Multifamily was 94.1 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Bethel Census Area?
Zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Bethel Census Area come from?
The largest single origin is Bethel Census Area Non-migrants, with 4,933 households. Arriving households report an average income of $65,288 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Bethel Census Area on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Bethel Census Area?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.