Housing data for Bethel, AK
Bethel, AK has an estimated 6,312 residents and 2,495 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is a city in Bethel Census Area.
52.8% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $1,678 a month.
Its population shrank measurably since 2015–2019 (−2.5%).
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 6,312 (±23)
- Housing units
- 2,495 (±122)
- Households that rent
- 52.8%
- Median gross rent
- $1,678
- Residents since 2015–2019
- −2.5%
What stands out in Bethel
Median home value: $360,200 (±$22,671) in Bethel, higher than in Bethel Census Area ($168,100).
Median household income: $117,255 (±$8,488) in Bethel, higher than in Bethel Census Area ($73,996).
Homes in buildings of 5 or more units: 10.2% (±3.5 points) in Bethel, higher than in Bethel Census Area (4.5%).
Households that moved in since 2020: 32.6% (±6.6 points) in Bethel, higher than in Bethel Census Area (20.8%).
- Home values in Bethel
- Income and affordability in Bethel
- Types of homes in Bethel
- How long people stay in Bethel
Housing in Bethel at a glance
- Median rent: $1,678 median gross rent a month
- Rent by bedrooms: $1,920 median gross rent, 2 bedrooms
- Rent burden: 21.2% of renters pay 30% or more of income
- Renters and owners: 52.8% of households rent
- Income and affordability: $117,255 median household income
- Home values: $360,200 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $2,342 median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Types of homes: 10.2% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 50.5% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms
- Age of homes: 26.3% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 1.6% rental vacancy rate
- Heating fuel: 91.8% heat with fuel oil or kerosene
- Commute and cars: 9.8 minutes average trip to work
- Growth: −2.5% residents since 2015–2019
- How long people stay: 32.6% moved in since 2020
- Crowding and facilities: 19.9% of homes have more than 1 person per room
Bethel against Bethel Census Area, its state and the nation
| Bethel | Bethel Census Area | Alaska | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 6,312 (±23) | 18,394 (exact) | 735,706 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 2,495 (±122) | 6,011 (±43) | 328,491 (±442) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 52.8% (±6.0 points) | 38.4% (±3.3 points) | 33.2% (±0.7 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $1,678 (±$70) | $1,474 (±$103) | $1,419 (±$23) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $117,255 (±$8,488) | $73,996 (±$3,210) | $92,788 (±$1,232) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $360,200 (±$22,671) | $168,100 (±$13,614) | $352,900 (±$3,735) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | — | $200 or less | $3,901 (±$70) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 26.3% (±5.3 points) | 28.6% (±2.6 points) | 36.9% (±0.7 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 9.8 minutes (±1.3) | 7.4 minutes (±0.6) | 19.4 minutes (±0.3) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 95.0% (±2.6 points) | 84.9% (±1.7 points) | 91.9% (±0.4 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 32.4 years (±2.4) | 29.0 years (±0.4) | 35.8 years (±0.1) | 38.9 years |
Bethel covers 45.1 square miles of land, about 140 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How Bethel has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 6,472 (±19) | 6,312 (±23) | −2.5% | Measurable decrease |
| Housing units | 2,493 (±149) | 2,495 (±122) | +0.1% | Not a measurable change |
| Median gross rent | $1,552 (±$106) | $1,678 (±$70) | +8.1% | Down after inflation |
| Median home value | $280,400 (±$18,600) | $360,200 (±$22,671) | +28.5% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median household income | $83,367 (±$9,985) | $117,255 (±$8,488) | +40.6% | Up after inflation |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $2,120 (±$202) | $2,342 (±$110) | +10.5% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Households that rent | 62.3% (±5.9 points) | 52.8% (±6.0 points) | −9.5 percentage points | Measurable decrease |
| Rental vacancy rate | 6.1% (±2.6 points) | 1.6% (±1.3 points) | −4.5 percentage points | Measurable decrease |
The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.
Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.
The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.
ZIP codes in Bethel
| ZIP code | Share of the ZIP’s land in this place | Residents | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 99559 | 79% | 7,241 | $1,662 | $342,400 | $113,333 |
A ZIP code is a mail route rather than a boundary, so the Census Bureau publishes figures for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas built from census blocks; the share column says how much of each one’s land lies in this place.
Places near Bethel
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Napaskiak | 6.4 mi | $1,268 | $47,000 | 18.2% |
| Napakiak | 9.6 mi | $1,708 | — | 40.2% |
| Kwethluk | 12 mi | $725 | $86,700 | 26.1% |
| Akiak | 21 mi | $492 | — | 29.5% |
| Nunapitchuk | 23 mi | $1,303 | $90,700 | 29.9% |
| Eek | 41 mi | — | $123,200 | 34.1% |
| Lower Kalskag | 69 mi | $700 | $300,000 | 27.8% |
| Russian Mission | 70 mi | — | $95,000 | 26.7% |
Places in Alaska most like Bethel
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kotzebue | $1,565 | $288,400 | $110,357 | 52.0% |
| Nome | $1,633 | $356,900 | $113,646 | 46.4% |
| Utqiaġvik | $1,360 | $311,400 | $115,313 | 54.4% |
| Dillingham | $1,228 | $307,900 | $101,200 | 43.5% |
| Aniak | $1,313 | $265,600 | $93,542 | 42.3% |
| Bear Creek | $1,363 | $474,500 | $95,774 | 43.0% |
Matched on rent, home value, income, the share who rent, the age of the homes, the share in apartment buildings and the commute, each measured against the spread across Alaska.
HUD Fair Market Rent for Bethel, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $1,738 | $1,811 | $1,971 | $2,348 | $2,590 |
HUD income limits for Bethel, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $23,750 | $39,550 | $63,300 |
| 2 people | $27,150 | $45,200 | $72,350 |
| 3 people | $34,150 | $50,850 | $81,400 |
| 4 people | $41,250 | $56,500 | $90,400 |
| 5 people | $48,350 | $61,050 | $97,650 |
| 6 people | $55,450 | $65,550 | $104,900 |
| 7 people | $62,550 | $70,100 | $112,100 |
| 8 people | $69,650 | $74,600 | $119,350 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Bethel Census Area, AK, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $83,000.
A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.
Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.
Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.
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Questions about Bethel
What is the average rent in Bethel, AK?
The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in Bethel is $1,678 (±$70) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey), so half of renting households pay less and half pay more.
How much is a one-bedroom apartment in Bethel?
The median gross rent for a one-bedroom home in Bethel, AK is $1,692 (±$71) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Are renters in Bethel rent-burdened?
21.2% of renting households in Bethel pay 30% or more of their income in gross rent, the share housing researchers usually call rent-burdened (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How many renters are there in Bethel?
Bethel has an estimated 1,106 (±134) renting households, 52.8% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the median household income in Bethel?
The median household income in Bethel is $117,255 (±$8,488) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in Bethel, AK?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $360,200 (±$22,671) for owner-occupied homes in Bethel (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Is Bethel growing?
In Bethel, the number of residents went from 6,472 in 2015–2019 to 6,312 in 2020–2024 (−2.5%), a measurable decrease.
What ZIP codes are in Bethel?
The ZIP code that covers Bethel is 99559.
What is the median rent in ZIP code 99559?
The median gross rent in ZIP Code Tabulation Area 99559 is $1,662 (±$72) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Bethel city, Alaska
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Bethel city, Alaska
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Bethel city, Alaska
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Bethel city, Alaska
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Bethel city, Alaska
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Bethel city, Alaska
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Bethel city, Alaska
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: Bethel Census Area, AK
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: Bethel Census Area, AK
- US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas
- Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, all items, US Bureau of Labor Statistics: annual averages 2019 and 2024
- US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files
To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Bethel city, Alaska (place:06520, in state:02).
Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).
The 2015–2019 figures are B01003_001E, B01003_001M, B25064_001E, B25064_001M from the 2019 release.
The API needs a free key.
DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, DP04_0089E, DP04_0089M
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.
Figures last updated on .