Housing decision brief
Bethel Census Area, AK Housing Market
Bethel Census Area screens as a below-state purchase price, rent that needs comparison, a manageable tax-rate signal market. Use the page as a decision brief, not just a price lookup, because local income, taxes, and data confidence change how affordable the county really is.
3rd lowest home value out of 30 Alaska counties with data | 27th lowest rent out of 30
Median home value
$120,600
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$1,454/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$546/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
1.7x
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
19.0%
Below 30% usually screens as less pressured.
Rent vs own
$908/mo
Median owner cost screens below median rent.
Data confidence
1 note
Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
What Works
Lower purchase price
$120,600 median home value is 56% below Alaska county median
Rent burden below pressure line
19.00% of renter income goes to rent, below the 30% burden threshold.
Owning screens cheaper than renting
Median owner costs are $908/mo below median rent before individual mortgage terms.
What to Check
Lower income base
$70,616 median income is 10% below Alaska county median
Water quality cross-check
Water quality grade is F. Review water data before treating housing cost as the full story.
Health context
Health score is 8.3 out of 100, so affordability should be weighed against local health indicators.
Crime data coverage
Crime data coverage is partial. Treat zero or low crime rates as incomplete until you check the source coverage.
Best Fit For
- Buyers comparing homes to local incomes
- Renters trying to keep rent below the burden threshold
- Households weighing ownership against renting
- Remote earners or cash buyers looking below the state price line
Poor Fit For
- Households dependent on a deep local wage market
- Buyers who will not investigate local water systems before moving
- Anyone treating reported crime rates as complete without source context
County vs State vs National
The county number only matters after you see the benchmark. These comparisons show where Bethel Census Area is genuinely cheap, where it is average, and where the hidden cost may be.
| Metric | County | State | U.S. | Signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Median home value Lower usually helps affordability. | $120,600 | $274,050 | $281,900 | 56% favorable56% below Alaska county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $1,454 | $1,243 | $1,163 | 17% pressure17% above Alaska county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $546 | $772 | $1,672 | 29% favorable29% below Alaska county median |
Median household income | $70,616 | $78,158 | $74,755 | 10% pressure10% below Alaska county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | N/A | 1.00% | 1.02% | Needs dataNo Alaska county median comparison available |
Rent burden Lower usually helps affordability. | 19.00% | 23.00% | N/A | 17% favorable19.00% of renter income goes to rent. |
Income Fit
A low price only helps if local income can carry the monthly cost. This panel compares the county income base with rent and owner-cost thresholds.
Rent cushion
+$12,456
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
+$47,216
Median income minus owner-cost threshold.
Affordability Advisory
This turns the raw housing numbers into income and buy-versus-rent screens.
Affordability verdict
Bethel Census Area offers affordable rental housing at a median of $1,454/month , about 24.7% of the typical household income here.
Rent vs own
The median rent in Bethel Census Area is $1,454/month, while owner costs run $546/month. Owning saves approximately $908/month.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $58,160/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $23,400/year. With a median household income of $70,616, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 19.0% of renter households in Bethel Census Area are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Bethel Census Area sits 4% more expensive than Chugach Census Area ($1,397/month) in terms of median gross rent.
Better Counties to Compare
Similar counties are matched on home value, rent, income, and state context. This is more useful than a simple nearest-price list.
| County | Home Value | Rent | Why compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northwest Arctic Borough, AK | $162,500 | $1,336/mo | Same-state comparison near $162,500 home value and $1,336/mo rent. |
| Aleutians East Borough, AK | $144,300 | $1,040/mo | Same-state comparison near $144,300 home value and $1,040/mo rent. |
| Dillingham Census Area, AK | $163,800 | $1,085/mo | Same-state comparison near $163,800 home value and $1,085/mo rent. |
| Nome Census Area, AK | $201,000 | $1,328/mo | Same-state comparison near $201,000 home value and $1,328/mo rent. |
| Yakutat City and Borough, AK | $185,000 | $1,276/mo | Same-state comparison near $185,000 home value and $1,276/mo rent. |
Data Confidence
- Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
Next Checks
Housing Questions for Bethel Census Area
Is Bethel Census Area affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in Bethel Census Area?
How much income do you need for housing in Bethel Census Area?
What should I double-check before moving to Bethel Census Area?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.