PlainZIP

Chefornak, AK · standard

ZIP Code 99561

Bethel County, Alaska - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.

418
30/sq mi
$51,818
Median income
$125,000
Median home value
5.4%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Chefornak pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with among the most affordable home values nationally, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

17th pct
household income, US ZIPs
19th pct
home value, US ZIPs
30
people per sq mi
79%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 99561 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 99561 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Chefornak, Bethel County, Alaska, home to just 418 residents across 13.9 square miles, a density of 30 people per square mile, in the Nome time zone.

ZIP 99561 reports a modest median household income of $51,818 (29% below the Alaska average), while per-capita income is $15,233. 25.3% of residents live below the poverty line, and the unemployment rate reads 14.0%. Housing costs here run $125,000 for a typical home value (40% below the state average), with rent averaging $825 a month; 79.4% of homes are owner-occupied.

Formal educational attainment runs low here: just 5.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 25.5, and the average commute is -. Compare these figures to the Alaska and national benchmarks above rather than reading 99561's numbers in isolation.

Every figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (including median rent) and the FHFA House Price Index, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with Census →

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 99561, Chefornak, AK · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.

Quick Facts

418

Population

13.9

Area (sq mi)

30

People / sq mi

Nome

Time Zone

standard

ZIP Type

Neighborhood Scorecard
Get an A-F grade across income, safety, housing, rent, education, commute, and childcare for this ZIP code.
View Scorecard →

Who lives in ZIP 99561?

25.5

Median Age

53.7%

Male

46.3%

Female

0.0%

Foreign-Born

White 0.0%
African American 1.0%
Asian 0.0%
American Indian or Alaska Native 91.3%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 7.7%
Hispanic or Latino 0.0%

Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

How much do residents earn?

$51,818

Median Household Income

-29% vs state

$15,233

Per Capita Income

25.3%

Poverty Rate

14.0%

Unemployment Rate

How ZIP 99561 ranks nationally

Chefornak, AK household income vs. every US ZIP code

Median household income, the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked

$51,818 17th percentile higher than 17% of 30,318 US ZIPs

$0–$20,000: 118 US ZIPs (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 1,573 US ZIPs (5%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 7,092 US ZIPs (23%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). Above this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 2,855 US ZIPs (9%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 1,362 US ZIPs (4%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 686 US ZIPs (2%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 364 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 186 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 324 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. This ZIP $0 $200K+ every reporting US ZIP, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US ZIPs. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2019–2023

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What is the education profile here?

High School Graduate or Higher 58.0%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 5.4%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What does housing look like?

143

Total Housing Units

136

Occupied Units

7

Vacant Units

4.56

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 79.4%
Renter 20.6%

$125,000

Median Home Value

-40% vs state

$825

Median Rent

1986

Median Year Built

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 4 business establishments in ZIP 99561, employing approximately 47 people with a combined annual payroll of $1,115,000.

4

Businesses

47

Employees

$1.1M

Annual Payroll

0

Industry Sectors

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.

More ZIP Codes in Bethel County

99559 standard
Bethel, AK
Pop: 7,632
99557 standard
Aniak, AK
Pop: 726
99621 standard
Kwethluk, AK
Pop: 723
99655 standard
Quinhagak, AK
Pop: 669
99614 standard
Kipnuk, AK
Pop: 639
99551 standard
Akiachak, AK
Pop: 627

Related Areas

Bethel County Chefornak, AK Alaska

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 99561 in? ▼
ZIP code 99561 (Chefornak) is located in Bethel County, Alaska. Bethel County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/bethel-ak.
What is the population of ZIP code 99561? ▼
ZIP code 99561 in Chefornak, AK has a population of 418 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 99561? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 99561 is $51,818, which is 32% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 99561? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 99561 is $125,000, which is 55% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 99561? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 99561 is American Indian or Alaska Native at 91.3%.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 99561? ▼
ZIP code 99561 has 4 business establishments employing approximately 47 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What is the education level in ZIP code 99561? ▼
In ZIP code 99561, 58.0% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 5.4% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 99561? ▼
In ZIP code 99561, approximately 79.4% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 20.6% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 99561? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 99561 is 25.3% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.

Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.