Signature · 2 LILA tracts (66.7% of tracts)
Bethel Census Area, AK
Bethel Census Area's signature pressure is desert tracts: 2 LILA tracts (66.7% of the book) alongside 68.6% low-access.
- 68.6%
- low-access pop.
- 2
- food-desert tracts
- 42.4%
- on SNAP
- 18K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Bethel Census Area, AK
LA-SEVERE · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-GAP · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-SEVERE 68.6% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +46.5 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 2 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-HEAVY 42.4% SNAP
- VEH-GAP 57.7% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 67% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Bristol Bay Borough ( -12.3 pts)
Upper-band low-access
Bethel Census Area sits in the upper national band (68.6%, #102 of 3,079) with 2 LILA tracts.
- #102
- national by low-access %
- #5
- in AK
- 3
- low-access tracts
- 7K
- food-desert residents
Upper-band counties often pair elevated low-access with clustered LILA tracts. Low access = >1 mile urban / >10 miles rural.
Signature read: 2 LILA tracts (66.7% of tracts) .
How Bethel Census Area compares nationally
Bethel Census Area sits among the nation's most food-access-constrained counties: its 68.6% low-access share outpaces 97% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, ranking #102 most-affected nationwide.
Bethel Census Area's elevated USDA tier split
3 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 2 LILA.
By USDA urbanicity classification, Bethel Census Area has 1 urban and 2 rural census tracts. The 1-mile (urban) vs 10-mile (rural) distance threshold above applies per tract, so a county's access rate reflects this mix.
Bethel Census Area vs nearby high low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Alaska, not a full county-board reprint
- Lake and Peni…
Lake and Peni… 100%
100 % low-access
- Yukon-Koyukuk
Yukon-Koyukuk 89.6%
89.6 % low-access
- Bethel
Bethel 68.6%
68.6 % low-access
- Bristol Bay
Bristol Bay 56.3%
56.3 % low-access
- Dillingham
Dillingham 50.8%
50.8 % low-access
- Northwest Arc…
Northwest Arc… 46.2%
46.2 % low-access
- Kusilvak 0
Kusilvak 0%
0 % low-access
FARA 2019 · elevated low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 3 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 17,013 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 3 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 2 |
| Low-Access Population | 11,678 |
| Low-Access Share | 68.6%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 6,780 |
ACS 2024 · elevated SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 18,394 |
| Median Household Income | $73,996 |
| Poverty Rate | 25.6%well above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 2,047 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 42.4%well above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 57.7%well above the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 4.6% |
Thick SNAP store book in Bethel Census Area
Bethel Census Area has 47 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 36 locations (77% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 36
- a & l variety shoppe, kongiganak
- akiachak enterprise, akiachak
- atmautluak limited, inc., atmautluak
- chefarnrmute inc 44-45, chefornak
- ez trading, sleetmute
- emi's store, kipnuk
- iqfijouaq company incorporated, eek
- john and bonnie's, eek
- kalskag native store, lower kalskag
- kugkaktlik limited, kipnuk
- kwethluk native store, kwethliak
- kwik store, kwigillingok
- kashatok brothers store, kipnuk
- kasigluk, inc 9074772177, kasigluk
- kokarmuit corporation store, akiak
- kuik run store, aniak
- kwethluk sports store 757-6412, kwethluk
- mumtram pikkai inc, goodnews bay
- newtok native corporation store, newtok
- nima store, mekoryuk
- naparyalruar corporation (store), napakiak
- napaskiak incorporated, napaskiak
- nunapitchuk limited general store, nunapitchuk
- nyc general store, toksook bay
- paul andrew trading post, tuntutuliak
- qinarmiut corporation, tuntutuliak
- qayanek, kwigillingok
- qemirtalek coast store, kongiganak
- quick foods, bethel
- stephan & co wake & bake coffee shop, quinhagak
- thomas trading post, crooked creek
- the cache n carry grocery, aniak
- tom's store, newtok
- tulkisarmute incorporated, tuluksak
- tuluksak native store, tuluksak
- tununrmiut rinit corporation, tununak
Combination Grocery/Other · 6
- ac quickstop 136, bethel
- alaska commercial company 125, aniak
- alaska commercial company 135, bethel
- alaska commercial company 206, toksook bay
- christy's grocery, bethel
- swanson's alaska llc, bethel
Small Grocery Store · 3
- agaalag, platinum
- ausdahl's mercantile, upper kalskag
- johns store, toksook bay
Large Grocery Store · 1
- qanirtuuq incorporated, quinhagak
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- tununak native store, tununak
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Alaska
One of 29 counties in Alaska, 6 are shown here.
Compare Bethel Census Area vs Aleutians East Borough → · All Alaska counties →
Counties near Bethel Census Area's elevated low-access or SNAP band
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Bethel Census Area, both outside Alaska so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside AK (68.6% here).
- Bullock County, AL · 68.5% low-access
- Calhoun County, TX · 68.5% low-access
- Palo Pinto County, TX · 68.1% low-access
- Red River County, TX · 65.6% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside AK (42.4% here).
- Starr County, TX · 42.5% SNAP
- Bronx County, NY · 38.6% SNAP
- McKinley County, NM · 37.7% SNAP
- Magoffin County, KY · 37.2% SNAP
Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.
Bethel Census Area inside a higher low-access state context
Bethel Census Area sits inside Alaska (ringed). Each state is colored by population-weighted low-access; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
Read with this county
Sources: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019) · U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2024 5-Year Estimates · methodology · compiled .
PlainFoodAccess renders this county profile directly from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates), no number is typed in by an editor. Figures for Bethel Census Area, AK are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 02050. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-06-23. Primary sources: USDA Food Access Research Atlas and Census ACS 5-year estimates.
Note: This page presents public USDA and Census data for informational purposes and is not professional advice. Figures reflect the cited dataset vintages and may differ from the most recent local conditions. How this data is sourced & verified.