With an unemployment rate of 9.2%, Apache County has the second highest rate of any county in Arizona and more than double the U.S. A weak job market in Apache County has contributed to widespread financial hardship. In this county, 36.2% of residents live below the poverty line this is the highest rate for any of the state’s counties and more than double the national rate. For a variety of historical and persisting reasons, Indian reservations often report far worse socioeconomic conditions than the rest of the country, and Apache County is no different. Today, 73.2% of the county’s population identifies as Native American. Poverty rate: 36.Life expectancy at birth: 74.3 yearsĬomprising much of Arizona’s eastern border, Apache County borders Utah and New Mexico and includes several Indian reservations - including Fort Apache and Navajo Nation.Life expectancy in the Bethel region is only 74.3 years, about four years less than the state average. High poverty and uninsured rates might partially explain some poor health outcomes in the area. About 1-in-4 area residents lack health insurance, well above the 11.7% U.S. Some 26.6% live below the poverty line, more than double the state’s 10.1% rate, but still lower than the nation’s 15.1% rate.įor many Bethel area residents, a lack of insurance coverage adds a further financial burden. A large share of the Bethel area’s population faces serious financial hardship. The median household income in Alaska’s Bethel Census Area is $53,296 a year, well below Alaska’s $74,444 median, but only slightly less than the $55,322 national median.

Least populous county in us