Photo: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, photographer not specified or unknown · Public domainWithin Alaska, Bethel is healthier than 8% of graded towns
Bethel differs from Alaska on 16 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 2 better, 14 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Bethel. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Bethel
Making ends meet is harder in Bethel
1 in 4 adults worry about having enough food (23.3%), vs 14.3% across Alaska. No reliable transportation (14.6% vs 9%) and housing insecurity (18.5% vs 12.3%) are higher too. 15.5% of adults receive SNAP, vs 10.1% statewide. Everyday needs ↓
Bethel trails towns with similar incomes
Bethel is healthier than 42% of U.S. towns, and only 9% of the 6,127 towns with similar household incomes ($88K–$147K), so income alone doesn’t explain its grade. Health Grade ↓
More Bethel adults lack emotional support
1 in 3 adults lack social or emotional support (33.8%), vs 25.4% across Alaska. Frequent mental distress is above the state too: 18.8%, vs 16.1% across Alaska. Mind & connection ↓
Bethel has a five-star hospital
Yukon Kuskokwim Delta Regional Hospital is rated 5 of 5 stars by Medicare and has an emergency room. Getting care ↓
Cancer and arthritis are less common in Bethel
Bethel runs below Alaska on cancer (5% vs 7%) and arthritis (19.7% vs 23.3%). A young population is part of it: only 7% of residents are 65 or older (Alaska 14%). Conditions ↓
Written from the CDC, Medicare and HRSA data on this page. CDC PLACES 2025 release: modeled estimates for adults, not counts; “higher” and “lower” mean the Alaska figure falls outside Bethel’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C− to B+.
What’s behind Bethel’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Bethel is healthier than 42% of U.S. towns, #38 of 41 in Alaska. Diabetes holds the grade up (fewer adults with diabetes than 85% of U.S. towns); smoking pulls it down (better than 4%).
Health estimates follow income closely across the country: towns with higher household incomes usually score higher (a correlation of 0.77 across 21,157 graded towns). Bethel’s median household income is $117,255; among the 6,127 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($88K–$147K), it’s healthier than 9%, less than its income alone would suggest.
Where Bethel compares well: arthritis, 19.7% (U.S. 25.3%); cancer, other than skin cancer, 5% (U.S. 7.9%).
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
15.5% of Bethel adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 10.1% across Alaska.
How Bethel adults are doing
On 2 of 4 measures, Bethel runs above Alaska.
4 in 10 Bethel adults feel lonely. A hello is a start.
Groups are the easiest way in: a walking group, a book club, your street.
If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It’s free, confidential and open 24/7.
Care in and near Bethel
1 hospital and 2 community health centers in Bethel.
Hospitals: Medicare overall star ratings, 1–5. Community health centers charge on a sliding scale by income. Distances are straight-line from the center of Bethel; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).
Out of every 100 Bethel adults…
Bethel runs below AK on 2 of 12 conditions and above it on 1. Tap one to see it as people.
Only 7% of Bethel residents are 65 or older, vs 14% across Alaska. Arthritis and cancer run low partly because the town is young.
Everyday habits, side by side with Alaska
Share of adults, with the Alaska figure marked.
17 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves
Keeping up with care
Share of Bethel adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Alaska.
Bethel and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bethel | C+ | 33.7% | 9.6% | 21.9% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Bethel adults live with a disability (Alaska 29.6%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Bethel
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Bethel is better than Alaska on 2 and worse on 14; on the rest, the Alaska figure falls inside Bethel’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Bethel | AK | U.S. | vs AK |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 22.1%18.9–25.4 | 18.6% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.9%13.1–16.9 | 13.1% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 18.8%16.6–21.2 | 16.1% | 15.9% | Worse |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 33.7%27.8–39.8 | 35.5% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 9.6%8.3–11.1 | 9.4% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 31.6%28.1–35.4 | 32.5% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 29.8%26.3–33.5 | 33.4% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 19.7%17.3–22.3 | 23.3% | 25.3% | Better |
| Asthma | 12.2%10.8–13.8 | 10.6% | 9.9% | Worse |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 5%4.5–5.5 | 7% | 7.9% | Better |
| Coronary heart disease | 5.3%4.7–6 | 5.7% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 6.5%5.5–7.4 | 6.1% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 3.3%2.9–3.6 | 3.1% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 15.2%12.3–18.4 | 13.5% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 21.9%18.5–25.3 | 16% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 25%21.1–29.4 | 21.7% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 18.4%15.4–21.7 | 17.6% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 38.3%32.7–43.8 | 35.1% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 11.8%9.3–14.5 | 10% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 63.3%58.9–67.7 | 68.8% | 77.4% | Worse |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 49.2%45.5–52.9 | 59.7% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 73.9%70.7–77.2 | 79.6% | 87.1% | Worse |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 61.4%57.7–64.7 | 68% | 76.5% | Worse |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 53.3%47.9–58.2 | 59.2% | 65.5% | Worse |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 66.6%58.1–74.3 | 66% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 19.8%16.8–23 | 20.7% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 36%31.3–41.2 | 33.3% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 33.8%29.2–38.4 | 25.4% | 23.6% | Worse |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 23.3%19.3–27.9 | 14.3% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 18.5%15.5–21.7 | 12.3% | 12% | Worse |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 12.2%10.3–14.1 | 8.2% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 14.6%12.4–17 | 9% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 15.5%12.5–18.9 | 10.1% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 32.8%28.5–37.5 | 29.6% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 12.9%11–14.8 | 11.9% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 17.7%15.2–20.3 | 14% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 8.1%7.2–9.2 | 7.7% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 6.4%5.6–7.3 | 4.7% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 9.8%8.4–11.3 | 7.6% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.9%3.4–4.4 | 3.3% | 3.8% | Higher |
Each figure is the share of adults 18+ unless the label says otherwise; small numbers after it are CDC’s likely range (95% interval). “About the same” means the Alaska figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in Bethel
Is Bethel a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Bethel is healthier than 42% of U.S. towns: C+ for health, #38 of 41 in Alaska. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 9%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Bethel?
CDC estimates 33.7% of adults have obesity, likely between 27.8% and 39.8%, against 35.5% across Alaska and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Bethel?
Yukon Kuskokwim Delta Reg Hospital in Bethel, 2.3 miles in a straight line from Bethel’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 5 of 5 stars.
How many people in Bethel have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 11.8% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 9.3–14.5%), against 10% across Alaska.
How accurate are these numbers?
They’re modeled estimates: CDC applies national survey answers to each area’s age, sex, race and education mix, so they describe who lives in Bethel more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C− to B+.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Bethel.
Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Alaska figure combines its counties, weighted by adult population. Hospitals and star ratings: Medicare Care Compare (CMS). Health centers and shortage areas: HRSA. The Health Grade is our own summary of CDC’s estimates, not an official rating. Ages: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. Town boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau. This page isn’t medical advice. In an emergency, call 911.