Bethel Census Area, Alaska
More than double the national median for unemployment — and 10.1× the rate of the healthiest U.S. county (Loving County, TX — 1%).
Main Findings
Bethel Census Area, Alaska ranks 1,176th most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. The driver: 10% of the labor force is unemployed — more than double the national median of 4%. Its highest-scoring domain is Labor.
- 1,176th of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — 57.6 · moderate county distress, 4th in Alaska.
- 10% of the labor force is unemployed (U.S. median 4%). Unemployment at the 95th percentile nationally. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (May 2026).
- Child poverty rate at 36% — national median 18%, ranked at the 95th percentile. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023).
- Rent-to-income ratio at 37% — national median 21%, ranked at the 95th percentile. Source: HUD FMR (FY2026); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023).
- Debt in collections at 29% — national median 23%, ranked at the 71st percentile. Source: Urban Institute Debt in America (2025).
Neighbors span three CDI score labels. The 20-point drop to Matanuska-Susitna Borough marks where the Alaska distress corridor ends.
Bethel Census Area has a moderate county distress score. The county sits near the middle of the CDI score scale, so the domain mix carries the story.
The CDI gives this county a moderate county distress label. The domain mix matters because the same composite score can come from very different local conditions. Its highest-scoring domain is Labor.
Reporter's Notes
Two data points in the indicator table worth a follow-up call.
According to U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023), Bethel Census Area's disability rate indicator is at the 13th percentile. American Default Research's CDI places every other indicator in the Safety Net & Buffer domain at or above the 52nd percentile. The gap stands out against child poverty rate and poverty rate. Worth a call to the source agency or a local subject-matter contact in Bethel.
According to U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023), 36% of children under 18 in Bethel Census Area live below the federal poverty line, versus 18% nationally. When a county's adult poverty rate is accompanied by a materially higher child poverty rate, the gap typically reflects single-parent household concentration or limited access to workforce-participation supports (childcare, transportation). Worth a call to the local school district's free-and-reduced-lunch coordinator or a regional United Way affiliate.
Indicator History
Period-correct raw indicators from the county-history panel. The CDI composite is excluded because it is a current cross-sectional score.
Unemployment rate
Poverty rate
Transfer income share
Subprime credit population
The Indicators Behind Bethel Census Area's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. Bethel Census Area's value shown alongside AK's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | Bethel Census Area | AK median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 32 · Rank 2,170 of 3,144 | |||||
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 1% | 2% | 5% | 5th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due | 4% | 4% | 5% | 22nd | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 29% | 18% | 23% | 70th | Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Equifax (2025) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 38 · Rank 2,081 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 29% | 18% | 23% | 71st | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 11 | 34 | 126 | 5th | Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025) |
| Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 55 · Rank 1,287 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 37% | 22% | 21% | 95th | HUD FMR (FY2026); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent | 11% | 10% | 18% | 16th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
| Labor — domain score 95 · Rank 68 of 3,144 | |||||
| Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed | 10% | 5% | 4% | 95th | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (May 2026) |
| Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 67 · Rank 904 of 3,144 | |||||
| Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line | 36% | 14% | 18% | 95th | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability | 12% | 14% | 16% | 13th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 29% | 12% | 14% | 95th | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 13% | 14% | 8% | 81st | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
Five-Domain Breakdown
The CDI is an equal-weight composite of five family-v1 distress domains. Each domain contributes 20% of the county score.
Methodology
The County Distress Index is a 0–100 composite score of household financial distress, computed for all 3,144 U.S. counties. Higher scores indicate greater distress. The index is built from five equal-weighted domains: Delinquency, Default & Legal, Debt Burden, Labor, and Safety Net & Buffer. Each domain is the mean of distress-oriented indicator percentiles; the CDI score is the equal-weight mean of those domain scores.
Data sources include the Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax consumer credit panel), FRED/Equifax (subprime credit share), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates), Bureau of Labor Statistics (Local Area Unemployment Statistics), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and HUD Fair Market Rents. Data vintages range from 2022 to 2026 depending on source; full indicator-level vintage detail is in the methodology document.
For Press & Research
Everything you need to cite Bethel Census Area data — in under 60 seconds.
Draft wire copy 138-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
BETHEL, Alaska — Bethel Census Area ranks 1,176th among the nation's most financially distressed counties, according to the County Distress Index released this month by American Default Research.
The composite score of 57.6 out of 100 gives Bethel Census Area a moderate county distress label. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 1,175 counties rank more distressed. Within Alaska, Bethel Census Area ranks fourth of 30 boroughs and census areas.
The index, which draws on 13 source indicators from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Urban Institute and federal court filings, identifies labor as the primary driver in Bethel Census Area. 10% of the labor force is unemployed — more than double the national median of 4%.
American Default Research founder Ross Kilburn is available for interview at press@americandefault.org.
Full methodology and county-by-county data are available at americandefault.org/methodology/cdi.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Bethel Census Area's CDI score, and what does it mean?
What drives Bethel Census Area's distress score?
How does Bethel Census Area compare to its neighbors?
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
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