Bethel County, Alaska
27 ZIP codes · Avg score 82/100 · Grade B · Updated 2026-06-03
Throughout Bethel County, the 27 monitored ZIP codes show low violation rates and healthy safety scores — a pattern that puts the county well above the state baseline for drinking water quality.
How Bethel County Compares
How Bethel County Compares
Bethel County scores 7 points above the Alaska state average (75/100) and 14 points above the national average (68/100).
Data: EPA SDWIS Last verified: 2026-06-03
ZIP Code Risk Map
Water Quality Map: Bethel County, Alaska
Each dot represents a ZIP code. Color indicates water quality grade. Tap a dot for details.
Key Risk Factors
Health risk index: 15.7 (asthma 13.4%, diabetes 13.7%)
Estimated additional annual cost per homeowner: $366, driven primarily by energy_code_gap
Infrastructure: 0.471% avg pipe failure probability, 78% of ZIPs at high risk
51.5% of homes built before 1978 (lead paint era)
Violation History (2021–2025)
↓ Improving trendEPA violation counts by year across Bethel County water systems. Health-based shown in red, total in blue.
Peak year: 2023 with 22 violations. Past 5 years: 73 total (73 health-based). Health-based violations are declining versus the prior 2-year window.
Source: EPA SDWIS historical violations. Data may lag 6–12 months for the most recent year.
County Health Indicators vs National Average
Black markers indicate national averages. Source: CDC PLACES, Census ACS.
Infrastructure Overview
Sources: Census ACS (housing age), EPA SDWIS (infrastructure risk model), state bridge inspection data.
Compound Risk Breakdown
Estimated additional annual cost per homeowner: $366
Bar widths proportional to share of total annual risk cost. Source: compound risk model (FEMA, EPA, USGS).
Housing Age Distribution
5,498 housing units in Bethel County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS B25034 (Year Structure Built).
Water Safety Affordability
How much it costs to fix water issues relative to home values in Bethel County
Remediation costs are relatively manageable for most homeowners in Bethel County, representing a small fraction of property value.
Remediation includes water filtration, lead abatement, radon mitigation, and flood protection where applicable. Source: Census ACS, EPA SDWIS.
Health Outcomes vs National Average
CDC PLACES data for Bethel County residents
Black markers = national averages. Red = above national avg. Green = below. Source: CDC PLACES, Census ACS.
Water Systems with Most Violations
Top 5 systems in Bethel County ranked by EPA violation count.
| # | Water System | Population | Violations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lksd Tununak Paul Albert Hs | 385 | 218 |
| 2 | NATIVE VILLAGE OF SLEETMUTE | 82 | 147 |
| 3 | Toksook Bay Water System | 661 | 142 |
| 4 | Bethel Heights Water System | 2,228 | 136 |
| 5 | Bethel-city S/d Water | 1,660 | 136 |
26 total water systems serve Bethel County.
All ZIP Codes in Bethel County
27 ZIP codes tracked in Bethel County.
| # | ZIP Code | City | Safety Score | Grade | Violations | Home Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 99578 | Eek | 98 | A | 73 (1 health) | — |
| 2 | 99630 | Mekoryuk | 98 | A | 12 (1 health) | $93K |
| 3 | 99561 | Chefornak | 97 | A | 38 (2 health) | — |
| 4 | 99680 | Tuntutuliak | 97 | A | 57 (2 health) | — |
| 5 | 99681 | Tununak | 97 | A | 82 (2 health) | — |
| 6 | 99609 | Kasigluk | 95 | A | 88 (2 health) | $62K |
| 7 | 99634 | Napakiak | 95 | A | 17 (1 health) | $32K |
| 8 | 99641 | Nunapitchuk | 95 | A | 21 (3 health) | $87K |
| 9 | 99545 | Kongiganak | 94 | A | 125 (4 health) | — |
| 10 | 99552 | Akiak | 94 | A | 5 | $23K |
| 11 | 99679 | Tuluksak | 94 | A | 67 (1 health) | — |
| 12 | 99637 | Toksook Bay | 93 | A | 6 | $92K |
| 13 | 99655 | Quinhagak | 85 | A | 37 (8 health) | $35K |
| 14 | 99559 | Bethel | 81 | B | 136 (9 health) | $328K |
| 15 | 99589 | Goodnews Bay | 81 | B | 50 | $125K |
| 16 | 99614 | Kipnuk | 81 | B | 42 | $33K |
| 17 | 99622 | Kwigillingok | 81 | B | 134 | $171K |
| 18 | 99651 | Platinum | 81 | B | 50 | — |
| 19 | 99551 | Akiachak | 79 | B | 14 | — |
| 20 | 99668 | Sleetmute | 79 | B | 147 (8 health) | $116K |
| 21 | 99575 | Crooked Creek | 76 | B | 75 | — |
| 22 | 99690 | Nightmute | 73 | B | 31 (2 health) | $10K |
| 23 | 99621 | Kwethluk | 70 | B | 62 (19 health) | $64K |
| 24 | 99607 | Kalskag | 50 | D | 0 | $219K |
| 25 | 99626 | Lower Kalskag | 50 | D | 0 | $208K |
| 26 | 99656 | Red Devil | 50 | D | 0 | — |
| 27 | 99660 | Saint Paul Island | 50 | D | 0 | $107K |
Recommended Buyer Guides for Bethel County
Eight risk categories drive the selection — PFAS exceedance, lead above EPA action level, pre-1978 housing share, EPA Radon Zone 1, flood-top-risk, wildfire-top-risk, multi-contaminant load, and a baseline fallback — and each category maps to a specific buyer-guide track that surfaces when the county data hits its threshold for that hazard signal.
- Best Lead Paint Test Kits — 51.5% of homes built before 1978
- Best Under-Sink Reverse Osmosis Systems — Multi-contaminant removal at the kitchen tap
Deep Dive Reports
Detailed analysis for Bethel County, Alaska
Overview
Bethel County in Alaska covers 27 ZIP codes with an average Home Safety Score of B (82/100).
23 of 27 ZIP codes have recorded EPA violations. 65 health-based violations have been documented.
← Back to Alaska water quality report
Data Sources
- Water quality: EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS)
- Home values: U.S. Census Bureau ACS (median estimates by ZCTA)
Updated daily.