Bethel, AK housing market
Builders were permitted 8 new homes in 2025.
Home values, sales, trends and how Bethel compares with the towns next door — updated as new data is published.
8 new homes permitted in 2025
Builders were permitted 8 new homes in Bethel in 2025, all single-family houses, worth about $2.5 million to build. That's 1.3 per 1,000 residents, slower than across Alaska (1.8). Over the past 10 years, Bethel has permitted 295 homes in all.
Homes vs. people, 2010–2020
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Bethel gained 245 residents while 87 new homes were permitted: about 2.8 new residents per new home. Building and growth moved roughly in step. Across Alaska: 1.8 new residents per new home.
Residents: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 and 2020 censuses. New homes: permits issued 2010–2019.
Show as a table
| Year | New homes | Single-family | 2+ per building | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Aug) | 4 | 0 | 4 | $776,000 |
| 2025 | 8 | 8 | 0 | $2.5 million |
| 2024 | 152 | 9 | 143 | $30 million |
| 2023 | 45 | 5 | 40 | $7.8 million |
| 2022 | 14 | 7 | 7 | $3.5 million |
| 2021 | 20 | 8 | 12 | $4.2 million |
| 2020 | 15 | 11 | 4 | $4 million |
| 2019 | 17 | 8 | 9 | $3.7 million |
| 2018 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $270,000 |
| 2017 | 15 | 15 | 0 | $3.5 million |
| 2016 | 8 | 6 | 2 | $2.3 million |
| 2015 | 10 | 6 | 4 | $2 million |
| 2014 | 11 | 11 | 0 | $2.5 million |
| 2013 | 6 | 6 | 0 | $2 million |
| 2012 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $600,000 |
| 2011 | 7 | 5 | 2 | $1.5 million |
| 2010 | 10 | 8 | 2 | $2.1 million |
| 2009 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $400,000 |
| 2008 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2007 | 35 | 33 | 2 | $4.9 million |
| 2006 | 44 | 42 | 2 | $6.2 million |
| 2005 | 69 | 53 | 16 | $9 million |
| 2004 | 69 | 69 | 0 | $10.2 million |
| 2003 | 53 | 46 | 7 | $7.9 million |
| 2002 | 46 | 42 | 4 | $6.9 million |
| 2001 | 22 | 22 | 0 | $2.9 million |
| 2000 | 50 | 50 | 0 | $6.3 million |
Homes authorized by building permits, counted in the year the permit was issued. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, through August 2026.
3.1 years of income
The typical Bethel home costs about 3.1 years of the town's median household income, less than across Alaska (4.3 years).
How Bethel ranks on affordability →
Home value ÷ ACS median household income.
Owners, rent & taxes
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024.
A two-bedroom rents for about $2,000
HUD's Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Bethel is $2,000 a month, utilities included: roughly what a modest, recently rented unit costs. Renters already in Bethel pay a median of $1,678, so moving in tends to cost more than staying put. A two-bedroom takes about 20% of the town's median household income.
Studio $1,740 · 4 bedrooms $2,650
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, FY2026 Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (99559; Bethel Census Area, AK), weighted by land area. A Fair Market Rent is the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. New homes: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Listings link to their publishers.