Exploring Alaska's Largest Rural Community :: Visiting Bethel, Alaska

[@robertkeaton4904]

Having lived in Alaska for two years in the 80's I'm kind of used to higher then average prices of Alaska. And I understand the transportation costs which make them so. I now live in Jacksonville Florida with the itch to go back up home. But the prices of cat food for instance, here that bag of food would have been 21 dollars instead of 49.99. So the prices are pretty much triple then here. But when I lived there we ate Reindeer or caribu, and moose for meat. I also loved the black bear and beaver meat up there. So I would go back to sourcing my own food again which is what I miss the most.

[@ArcticJR]

My family and I live in rural AK. That is the nicest AC I have ever seen lol. Minimum wage in my town is $18-$24. I wouldn't take a job paying lower than $22, but honestly that isn't a living wage if you're on your own paying rent and utils. I typically see a majority of full time jobs ranging from $26-$40 an hour. My family ALWAYS brings back groceries and produce whenever one of us is in Anchorage. We also order from Span Alaska a lot. We keep a conex filled with food that are okay to freeze. My parents also started storing things in mylar bags like: spices, flour, and sugar. My mom even started making her own vanilla extract. It won't be ready until next year, but she made 2 big mason jars of it. And all this doesn't include the food we get from subsistence hunting.

[@jimmienelsonjr]

I grew up in Bethel but moved to the Valley about 5 years ago. It was nice to see home for a bit. In high school I worked as a cashier for Alaska Commercial Co. Many of my shopping was done during our Anchorage trips for shelf stable items. Many families also did Span Alaska barge orders or lived a subsistence lifestyle. We still visit at least once a year to subsist and gather tundra berries.

[@skepler2]

What year did you leave bethel?

[@jimmienelsonjr]

@@skepler2 2018

[@skepler2]

Ok. I left summer 2013.@@jimmienelsonjr

[@catialucero2373]

Very different lifestyle. Thanks for sharing :) Hope to visit AK some day! Cheers

[@alaskanassassin7332]

I was in Bethel from 1998-2000, grandfather was the store manager of that AC store. Father ran a different AC store in state

[@musketeermefranks9335]

I sure hope people's incomes are equally as high as the items in the store. When my parents and I visited Alaska, we stayed with several of my dad's friends and all they asked for in return were fresh produce, so we got on the planes with two grocery bags each, FILLED with fresh produce (back in the day when you could do such things). Thank you so much for taking me along to see Bethel. That was quite the experience! Take care!

[@Nova-m8d]

Growing vegetables in a greenhouse would be big money in sales even If you sold half price. Get the organic local fertilizer dialed in and heat would be the only big expense.

[@Chikky907]

Born and raised there! It was good to see home again. I moved away in 2015 and haven't been back since 2020.

[@andylynn5067]

Yikes! Those prices are higher than Snoop Dogg.

[@AlaskanAssassinAdventures]

The high prices in the villages will make Snoop Dogg and even Wilie Neslon seem sober clean. lol

[@PaulMcUmber]

LOL

[@lavernelee908]

Thank you for showing us around! I miss living there on H-Marker Lake.

[@peggyschmidt7715]

Thanks Adam for sharing this video, Alaska has so many places to see. Take care and stay safe ❤️ 🙏 👍

[@karenjordan5731]

Holy moly, prices are high! Loved seeing Bethel and looked it up on a map to see where it was in the state!

[@mjhadley2001]

Those grocery prices were shocking. Thank you for showing items like diapers and pet food as well as the food staples. Thank you for showing us this part of your beautiful state!

[@jessmister45]

I sure am glad that I came across your video! Definitely will be checking a tote of groceries from Anchorage on my way to Bethel! Good video, Thanks!

[@LeggLife]

Yes, checking a tote of groceries is absolutely the way to do it!

[@karenpaet2104]

Thanks for taking us along. Wow, those prices! Yikes! I thought that Hawaii was expensive but after seeing the Bethel prices, I can’t complain.

[@JLwing2010]

Super video, thanks for the video tour!!

[@littleflower23]

Great video! You make it interesting. Prices were MUCH higher than I expected

[@DeannaHamilton-v7e]

Adam. Thanks so much for doing a Bethel tour! We meet on the last viewer cruise and when we talked I let you know I worked as a nurse in Bethel in the 90’s. It amazing how much it has changed but stayed the same. I so remember shopping at the AC! 😊It is awesome they have a pool. That was a big thing they where trying to get when I was there. Thanks again we so loved the viewer cruise and love your Alaska videos!

[@livingweirdestherc6644]

Thanks Adam for showing it

[@MB_07]

Hello. Interesting place. The grocery prices are crazy but considering they are flown or shipped in okay. Looks like a very peaceful place to live. Love the he scenery there. Nice

[@Frisbinator]

Flying to Bethel in a week to work 3-6 months at the hospital, thanks for the excellent video to help me know what to expect and prepare better! Definitely going to fill up a crate to the max with food from Costco, it's all about that dry rice and beans LOL

[@LeggLife]

Yes! Filling a tote and bringing it with you is totally the way to go!

[@petervitello2156]

Are u still there? What do u do at hospital

[@petervitello2156]

Im thinking about heading there to work st hospital as a PT for 3-6 months!!

[@patriciawhite1729]

Wonderful coverage! I get your enthusiasm; Bethel is lovely.

[@thetuckers-ourislandlife5737]

Very interesting video. Over this side of the pond we are paying $7.50 a gallon for our petrol.

[@heatherducote849]

Yeah. Prices are WOW. I’m wondering if their incomes match the cost of living. Interesting place though. And I totally remember the parachute !

[@kikilynn13]

Moving to bethel in the spring. So this helped a lot.

[@MansourSadeghi-o9t]

Thank You so much for such a great introduction of that part of Alaska. You did a great job. ❤️🙏🏿🌹

[@magscar2607]

Wee - those are some high prices. Thanks for taking us along - very interesting!💕

[@carolynk.9856]

Loved this video!

[@theresakramer3252]

I was shocked but when you explained how the product is delivered it does make sense. In Michigan, gallon of milk 2.69 and Pampers 9.99.

[@gburneko1]

Loved living there some three years way back when

[@brittanyrobbins9684]

That makes me wonder if Amazon prime shipping is also free there, and if most people just order their non-perishable food from them?!

[@cheryltoolin5601]

Enjoyed that!

[@shereecarey2021]

Prices at the grocery store were expensive! I would love a Field Day too! Wow you can keep those gas prices!

[@rchiariello]

The most I've ever paid for gas was during my road trip through Norway last summer. The conversion came out to around $10/gallon! I really enjoyed this video highlighting small town Alaska.

[@LadyDee150]

Lovely tour!! Very educational!! Thanks for bringing us along😍. Bethel has a lot of good things to see. It's a beautiful city but the prices are way up! I live in the Caribbean using a different currency. By comparison their prices are about the same as ours. Down here many who have families struggle to afford some basic things and find it necessary to have several income streams in order to live reasonably well.

[@mightyv726]

What are the good things to see in Bethel?

[@condor4679123]

Great information. I was told last night to get my rear to Bethel ASAP so your video gave me an idea of where I am going and what to expect.

[@beatricek3801]

Thank you for taking us along… these prices are very high.. I live in Switzerland.. a high price country..

[@lcflngn]

Shocked, as I live in a high-price area in California and our groceries are way lower. Also not shocked at all, considering. Was in Hawaii recently, and clearly people have to pick & choose which high priced items they really need/want. Still, seems like some items ought to be subsidized, like diapers for ex. Because that is nuts. Thinking about leftover food, esp produce. I know there’s a general issue with grocery stores not selling aged items, and throwing them away. I wonder if that happens in Bethel, or if there’s any way to get the leftover goods to folks who need it. The grocery “machine” is a real problem… Though staying in business is important too… I’m no expert, for sure, but obviously (on the general plane of morality, which is often antithetical to commerce) food should never go to waste, period, when people are hungry. Thx so much for sharing this trip Adam! It’s super interesting, and also important, to know what’s up out there.

[@olafpamela]

Very informative but shocking 🤯 groceries prices. Thanks for sharing your state🤗❤️

[@ginny1800]

That fry bread taco looked so good. Also the prices were in the middle for where I live. Some items were a little higher up a $30 well watermelon surprise me with usually pay about eight to $10 for that.

[@DOUMA_theblacksuns]

Wow, i havent seen bethel since i moved with out with my family in the late 90's, it doesnt look like it's changed at all. I remember that grocery store and airport vividly.

[@catialucero2373]

$30 for a watermelon! Wow! I live in Ecuador and that sounds outrageously expensive… Thank you for this video! I was also established in 1980 hahah

[@jeffreyhickman3871]

My dad was stationed here in 1982, as a state trooper. I know a little about Bethel, Alaska. From VERY COLD 🥶 torrential winter blizzards, to beautiful summers, I've ridden my bike, to driving snowmobiles up and down to river to different villages (no, I didnt do this on my bicycle). School was a blast. I still remember the smells in the schools, and the cafeteria. Man!! LOL 😆 🤣 😆 🤣!! Those store prices 🤣 😂!! I haven't forgotten!! It was a bummer 😕, however, to hear that Kilbuck school 🏫 burned 🔥. That was in more recent days. Even that salad 🥗 is probably $17.00-$18.00. I recall the boardwalk, and the AC Commercial store. You've got a true Alaskan here, commenting. There's so much that I never could cover it all. The "Y" in the road, I remember. I've ridden to the airport, and Tundra Ridge on my bicycle. I bought myself a 3 wheeler in October, 1983, with my dividend check. I also went snowmobiling with my dad and stepmother. The river was practically the highway 🛣 for shipment of food and store products. Just subbed!! Your friend, Jeff!!

[@paularice4501]

Wow! How do people feed their families at those prices? Our eggs were $1.24 a dozen and milk $2.69 a gallon last week. The sheet cake would be less than $25 I believe here. Thanks for sharing another part of your state! I so enjoy seeing what you share with us.

[@biggreenleaf7035]

Higher wages and frugality. The natives often hunt

[@paulsharon7521]

Well it has been a long time since I lived in Bethel so it has grown a lot. It has been nearly 60 years since I flew out of there. Our houses were old Military houses and real close to the airport which looked different then it does now. All of Bethel looks so different because so much has grown, so many different businesses. Thanks for the update video Sharon

[@skepler2]

It’s shrinking a bit through. In the last couple of years it’s dropped a lot since when I was a kid there.

[@marymayo9480]

Crazy high prices I live in Pueblo Colorado just like your mom the arrowhead water you showed is 6 dollars here the bananas are 59 cents a pound half a gallon of milk is 1.92 so what a difference prices there are high

[@staciwhitsitt9078]

Wow! I guess I can't complain too much about our grocery prices! Very eye opening! I was shocked on the prices, I'm in southwest WA.

[@jenniferdurham2412]

Loved parachute day ❤ Diaper prices about gave me a heart attack.

[@jackieruprecht3588]

Adam ! Please tell me youve watched Alaskan Daily. It sounds like that plays into your job? By far , best show ive watched in a long. Love the writing in it too. I was hooked on it, then it got canceled. 😢 It gave me an understanding about how native woman arent taking seriously when they go missing or died. A serious matter that isnt taking seriously by the law.

[@rosemichel7559]

I am shocked and I wonder how people survive and do multi families live together. Thank you for sharing all this with us.

[@brandeenicholson2233]

no generally each family has their own house or apartment. You didn't get to see in this video but most houses are on stilts to stay above flooding and allows you to adjust for the permafrost shifts. You may see similar things in beach communities.

[@David-uc4hc]

Thanks man! Im headed to Bethel for work in a few weeks. Im so excited for the trip!

[@LKingg]

My home town 💙

[@SoloSueTravels]

Hey, Wonky is a well-established technical term. :)

[@derricklegg9612]

40 to 50 year old field day is too expensive because you have to hire a team of EMTs. And adult capri suns are high priced.😊

[@DavidLopez-cy4ic]

I work part time in a meat market. Some of the prices seem to be the same and I live in Iowa.

[@joeowenscustombaits]

Thanks buddy. Got a moose hunt next year, flying out of Bethel. New Jersey here, I was shocked at the prices of food there. I thought $5.49 for a gallon of milk was high here.

[@vwwomen]

The grocery prices seem really high. My question is, do they have a lot of problems with their water pipes freezing?

[@KW93747]

If you make the next Legg Life meet up an adult field day I’m in!

[@debmoye1985]

Thank you

[@daves6003]

wow those prices were outrageous! and it's cold there, I couldn't live there.

[@JaclynBrown-x7s]

Crazy expensive. Great video.

[@andierob]

Very interesting.. I hope People earn more money up there to afford those things.. diapers at 90$ a box.. yikes. 14$ for bread?? Crazy. Thanks for sharing

[@AlaskansintheAndes]

I grew up in Bethel! I haven’t been there since 2014 but still have family there.

[@JP-lw4ci]

How do people afford groceries there?

[@cherlynriley5469]

Very high!!! WOW

[@Video-ox8uf]

Shadow ❤❤! Wow diapers are super expensive. My kids have been out of diapers for years but as mother that price is painful. I'd go cloth. A 72 pack for size 2 is 24.94 here in the Southwest.

[@TerrieAylett]

I use to live in Bethel from 1984 to 1994 and again in 2001 for a short 7 months. I do remember thinking in 2001 I thought the food was so much,however I was a single Mom with 7 year old and with my good paying job with the Post office ,I knew I had no choice ...I had to buy the food. After a while I think you just get use to the price of things.

[@trudyyurina5473]

I was shocked by the food prices. I hope the people up there can afford to get groceries.

[@amandacarruthers1579]

Prices are wow😮..... Thinking of moving there for a great reason but now I see why the jobs pay so well lol 😂

[@captured_agent5714]

Thought about applying for a job there... but honestly this looks bonkers! Can a suburbanite from the DC area survive?

[@victorygarden556]

Suburbanite? Not unless you actually could make it in the rural areas near you or a few states away. If you can’t make it in West Virginia don’t go 😂

[@roberthicks9191]

love Alaska, would live their, but hate the mosquitos

[@melissahermoso8234]

The bread and diapers were shocking! So how do people in rural alaska diaper their babies? Do they use cloth? And do people make their own bread? So maybe flour and sugar are cheaper? That’s quite an eye opener. Makes you grateful for access to these things at a lower price. Thank you for sharing!

[@ramseykoon6484]

A lot of these things you will have a family member pick up at Costco in Anchorage or order in bulk on the barge

[@celiaburrell438]

Yes, it is a very high grocery price

[@samhouston1979]

i wonder what wages people make there to afford food, etc

[@chrishaines5679]

They need to add the giant rabbit and the little people to the museum. I have seen the giant rabbit. I lived there many moons ago...

[@tiffanylogan1351]

The grocery prices are probably 3-4 times more than here in ohio. How do people feed their families? What are wages here and what types of employment is available?

[@HannahK780]

Those prices are insane! Do places like Bethal have higher than average salaries versus those jobs in other states that aren’t as expensive to shop/live in? Im curios how people can “afford” that kind of living

[@ScotterScotter-jo7cv]

I lived in Bethel Alaska 11/01/2013 -07/16/2016 zip took care of my granddaughters for my son who was an Air Traffic Controller at thr Bethel airport. I was told that they all make a living wage for Bethel,also the locals received stipends from the state. Absolutelyloved it there. Blueberries and salmon berries and I think raspberries grew wild.Rentwas 3,000 for a 2 bdrm duplex.. Everything has to be shipped to Bethel either by plane or barge. Still miss it to this day

[@mightyv726]

​@ScotterScotter-jo7cv you're joking

[@kathymills1959]

At least the gas is not marked up by the same percentage as much as the food or diaper prices were!!

[@mary_e_67]

Shocked by the prices!

[@Lady_Peaches]

Oh and Gas price, on a good day it’s £6 a gallon which would be around $10CAD

[@mochacondulce]

The prices are astronimical. 😮

[@ladonnakirk9673]

Oh wow! How do they live??

[@AlaskanAssassinAdventures]

6.69 a gal of gas is better than 7.25 a gallon. We're out in the village of Toksook Bay.

[@sarahrodrigues2231]

Thank you for the video! Are there apartment rentals or any housing rentals ? I am looking for taking a medical job there.

[@LeggLife]

Hi! I know there are places to rent. I would actually recommend joining one of the Bethel Alaska Facebook groups. Those seem to be a great resource for things like this

[@Lady_Peaches]

Anyone else wondering how they manage to have a pool when the ground moves so much 🤔 surely that would crack

[@katewilson1292]

Prices were cray im in nj

[@Rebecca-zp4gm]

I’m shocked but not on the food prices I understand why people like the Lewis family bulk buy in Costco etc. £40 for a sheet cake seems crazy etc.

[@cindywiech2675]

How much does it cost to fly from Bethel to Anchorage?

[@ramseykoon6484]

About 220 for round trip if you plan ahead a little. And you can bring 3 checked items under 50 lbs so a total of 150 lbs of luggage for free with that ticket

[@staciwhitsitt9078]

Out of curiosity? What do people do for work other than the local establishments? Is there alot of work from home? Or do a lot go out on fishing boats for months at a time?

[@lavernelee908]

The school district and the medical center are the primary employers.

[@louiecatt5984]

I worked there for just over 3 months and I loved it. There's however no way for them to exist without government money. Without knowing how to live off the land these people are not able to continue to exist.

[@kathymills1959]

Crazy prices for diapers, pet food, bread but really great for the meat sale prices!? Take away - NO KIDS OR PETS!!

[@evyrosebrook9718]

Lots of kids in Bethel. My grandsons lived there for a while and they had a dog. 😂

[@ketchupheadd]

does anyone ever fall through the ice when traveling? i’d be terrified about that 🤣

[@homelifeandme]

Some of those prices are similar to what I pay in the tourist area I live in in North Carolina. But the diapers. Hoooooly smokes. Cloth diapering all the way there!

[@ChiefsGirlSince1989]

Still bigger than where I was born.

[@donnagraves5815]

It is dry correct?

[@brandeenicholson2233]

nope Bethel there are alcohol sales controlled by the local government

[@samhouston1979]

a radioshack!?

[@kaitlanbeaulieu6449]

It's, not actually a RadioShack.....it's a very eccentric store that sells no electronics 😂

[@CharleneJimmy-z4s]

Hi my dear friend

[@siggyt7625]

WTF with the prices! I was wondering why the jobs pay so much more. Now I know y

[@VeronicaRonniDorval2638]

Meat prices weren't as bad as the rest of the items

[@katewilson1292]

Wow gallon of milk expensive

[@MansourSadeghi-o9t]

❤️🙏🏿🌹

[@Terijawestruck]

Them gas prices are L.A. prices. 😂😭

[@markisalexie5594]

Babas pizza is the best over here in bethel