Bethel Census Area is a
census area in the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...
of
Alaska
Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S., ...
. As of the
2020 census, the population is 18,666,
up from 17,013 in 2010.
It is part of the
unorganized borough
The Unorganized Borough is composed of the portions of the U.S. state of Alaska which are not contained in any of its 19 organized boroughs. While referred to as the "Unorganized Borough," it is not a borough itself, as it forgoes that level of ...
and therefore has no
borough seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...
. Its largest community is the city of
Bethel
Bethel ( he, בֵּית אֵל, translit=Bēṯ 'Ēl, "House of El" or "House of God",Bleeker and Widegren, 1988, p. 257. also transliterated ''Beth El'', ''Beth-El'', ''Beit El''; el, Βαιθήλ; la, Bethel) was an ancient Israelite sanct ...
, which is also the largest city in the unorganized borough.
Geography
According to the
U.S. Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the census area has an area of , of which is land and (10.8%) is water.
Its territory includes the large
Nunivak Island
Nunivak Island ( Central Alaskan Yup'ik: ; Nunivak Cup'ig: ''Nuniwar''; russian: Нунивак, Nunivak) is a permafrost-covered volcanic island lying about offshore from the delta of the Yukon and Kuskokwim rivers in the US state of Alaska, at ...
in the
Bering Sea
The Bering Sea (, ; rus, Бе́рингово мо́ре, r=Béringovo móre) is a marginal sea of the Northern Pacific Ocean. It forms, along with the Bering Strait, the divide between the two largest landmasses on Earth: Eurasia and The Ameri ...
.
Its land area is comparable to that of Kentucky, which has an area of slightly under forty thousand square miles.
Adjacent boroughs and census areas
*
Kusilvak Census Area, Alaska
Kusilvak Census Area, formerly known as Wade Hampton Census Area, is a census area located in the U.S. state of Alaska. As of the 2020 census, the population was 8,368, up from 7,459 in 2010. It is part of the Unorganized Borough and therefore ...
- northwest
*
Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska - north
*
Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska
Matanuska-Susitna Borough (often referred to as the Mat-Su Borough) is a borough located in the U.S. state of Alaska. Its county seat is Palmer, and the largest community is the census-designated place of Knik-Fairview.
The borough is part of ...
- east
*
Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska - southeast
*
Lake and Peninsula Borough, Alaska - south
*
Dillingham Census Area, Alaska
Dillingham Census Area is a census area located in the state of Alaska, United States. At the 2020 census, the population was 4,857, slightly up from 4,847 in 2010. It is part of the unorganized borough and therefore has no borough seat. Its l ...
- south
National protected areas
*
Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge
The Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge (often shortened to Alaska Maritime or AMNWR) is a United States National Wildlife Refuge comprising 2,400 islands, headlands, rocks, islets, spires and reefs in Alaska, with a total area of , of whi ...
(part of the Bering Sea unit)
**
Bering Sea Wilderness
*
Lake Clark National Park and Preserve
Lake Clark National Park and Preserve is an American national park in southwest Alaska, about southwest of Anchorage. The park was first proclaimed a national monument in 1978, then established as a national park and preserve in 1980 by the Alas ...
(part)
**
Lake Clark Wilderness
Lake Clark National Park and Preserve is an American national park in southwest Alaska, about southwest of Anchorage. The park was first proclaimed a national monument in 1978, then established as a national park and preserve in 1980 by the A ...
(part)
*
Togiak National Wildlife Refuge
Dominated by the Ahklun Mountains in the north and the cold waters of Bristol Bay to the south, Togiak National Wildlife Refuge confronts the traveler with a kaleidoscope of landscapes. The natural forces that have shaped this land range from the ...
(part)
**
Togiak Wilderness
Togiak Wilderness is a federally designated wilderness area in the Dillingham and Bethel Census Areas in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Alaska. At , it occupies the northern half of the Togiak National Wildlife Refuge. It protects ...
(part)
*
Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge
The Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge is a United States National Wildlife Refuge covering about in southwestern Alaska. It is the second-largest National Wildlife Refuge in the country, only slightly smaller than the Arctic National Wildlife R ...
(part)
**
Nunivak Wilderness
Nunivak Island ( Central Alaskan Yup'ik: ; Nunivak Cup'ig: ''Nuniwar''; russian: Нунивак, Nunivak) is a permafrost-covered volcanic island lying about offshore from the delta of the Yukon and Kuskokwim rivers in the US state of Alaska, at ...
Demographics
At the
2000 census 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/km
2). There were 5,188 housing units at an average density of 0/sq mi (0/km
2). The
racial makeup
A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...
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.
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
The Yupik languages () are a family of languages spoken by the Yupik peoples of western and south-central Alaska and Chukotka. The Yupik languages differ enough from one another that they are not mutually intelligible, although speakers of one ...
at home, followed by English at 34.71%.
Politics
Communities
Cities
*
Akiak
*
Aniak
*
Bethel
Bethel ( he, בֵּית אֵל, translit=Bēṯ 'Ēl, "House of El" or "House of God",Bleeker and Widegren, 1988, p. 257. also transliterated ''Beth El'', ''Beth-El'', ''Beit El''; el, Βαιθήλ; la, Bethel) was an ancient Israelite sanct ...
*
Chefornak
*
Chuathbaluk
Chuathbaluk ( esu, Curarpalek) is a city in Bethel Census Area, Alaska, United States.
At the 2010 census the population was 118, down from 119 in 2000.
Geography
Chuathbaluk is located at (61.575693, -159.247311), on the Kuskokwim River, appr ...
*
Eek
Eek or EEK may refer to:
People
* Karl Morten Eek (born 1988), Norwegian footballer
* Maria Magdalena Eek (1733–1800), Finnish pastry chef
Places
* Eek, Alaska
* Eek Airport, Alaska
* Eek River, Alaska
Other uses
* Estonian kroon, a form ...
*
Goodnews Bay
Goodnews Bay ( esu, Mamterat) is a city in Bethel Census Area, Alaska, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population of the city was 243, up from 230 in 2000.
Geography
Goodnews Bay is located on the north shore of Goodnews Bay at the mou ...
*
Kwethluk
Kwethluk ( ; esu, Kuiggluk) is a city in Bethel Census Area in the U.S. state of Alaska. At the 2010 census the population was 721, up from 713 in 2000.
Geography
Kwethluk is located at (60.802332, -161.418556). It lies at the confluence of th ...
*
Lower Kalskag
*
Mekoryuk
*
Napakiak
*
Napaskiak
*
Nightmute
Nightmute ( esu, Negtemiut or ) is a city
and village in Bethel Census Area, Alaska, United States. The population was 208 at the 2000 census and 280 as of the 2010 census.
History
literally means ‘the people of the pressed-down place ...
*
Nunapitchuk
*
Platinum
Platinum is a chemical element with the symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a dense, malleable, ductile, highly unreactive, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name originates from Spanish , a diminutive of "silver".
Platinu ...
*
Quinhagak
Quinhagak (; esu, Kuinerraq; Russian language, Russian: Куинагак) is a city in Bethel Census Area, Alaska, Bethel Census Area, Alaska, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census, the population of the city is 669, up f ...
*
Toksook Bay
Toksook Bay is a city and village on Nelson Island in Bethel Census Area, Alaska. The population was 590 at the 2010 census, up from 532 in 2000. As of 2018, the estimated population was 667, making it the largest village on the island.
Tokso ...
*
Upper Kalskag
Census-designated places
*
Akiachak
*
Atmautluak
*
Crooked Creek Crooked Creek may refer to:
Streams In Australia
* Crooked Creek (Clyde River), a tributary of the Clyde River in New South Wales
* Crooked Creek (Walsh River), a tributary of the Walsh River in Queensland
In the United States
* Crooked Cree ...
*
Kasigluk
*
Kipnuk
*
Kongiganak
*
Kwigillingok
Kwigillingok ( esu, Kuigilnguq) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Bethel Census Area, Alaska, United States. The population was 321 at the 2010 census, down from 338 in 2000.
Geography
Kwigillingok is located at .
According to the United ...
*
Lime Village
Lime Village (''Hekdichen Hdakaq' '' in Dena'ina language, Dena'ina) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Bethel Census Area, Alaska, United States. The 2010 United States Census, 2010 census found a population of 29, down from 46 in 2000. It has ...
*
Mertarvik Mertarvik (Yup'ik: ''Mertarvik'' məχ'təχvik.html"_;"title="Help:IPA.html"_;"title="nowiki/>Help:IPA">məχ'təχvik">Help:IPA.html"_;"title="nowiki/> məχ'təχvikEnglish_language.html"__"title="Help:IPA">məχ'təχvik.html"_;"title="Help:IP ...
*
Newtok
Newtok ( esu, Niugtaq) is a small village on the Ningliq River in the Bethel Census Area, Alaska, United States. At the 2010 census, the population was 354, up from 321 in 2000. Climate change is forcing the primarily Central Yup'ik Alaska Nati ...
*
Oscarville
*
Red Devil
*
Sleetmute
*
Stony River
*
Tuluksak
*
Tuntutuliak
*
Tununak
Unincorporated communities
*
Crow Village
*
Georgetown
*
Napaimute
*
Umkumiute
Education
School districts include:
[ ]
Text list
/ref>
* Iditarod Area School District
Iditarod Area School District (IASD) is a school district headquartered in McGrath, Alaska.
Schools
All are K-12 schools:
* Blackwell School - Anvik
* David Louis Memorial School - Grayling
* Holy Cross School
* McGrath School
* Top of the Ku ...
* Kuspuk School District
A kuspuk () ( esu, qaspeq; ik, atikłuk) is a hooded overshirt with a large front pocket commonly worn among Alaska Natives. Kuspuks are tunic-length, falling anywhere from below the hips to below the knees. The bottom portion of kuspuks worn ...
* Lower Kuskokwim School District
Lower Kuskokwim School District (LKSD), or Bethel Public Schools, is a school district headquartered in Bethel, Alaska. it is the largest rural school district in the state, with 4,300 students.
Employment and teacher demographics
In 2017 it had ...
* Lower Yukon School District Lower Yukon School District is a school district headquartered in Mountain Village, Alaska, serving the Kusilvak Census Area. As of the 2017-18 school year, it has 1,998 students across 10 schools. 91% are American Indian or Alaska Native and 5% a ...
* Yupiit School District
See also
* List of Airports in the Bethel Census Area
* Nunathloogagamiutbingoi Dunes
References
External links
Census Area map, 2000 census: Alaska Department of Labor
Census Area map, 2010 census: Alaska Department of Labor
{{Coord, 60, 45, N, 160, 30, W, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-AK_source:gnis_scale:6000000
Alaska census areas
Bering Sea
Populated places established in 1980
1980 establishments in Alaska