← Map/Washington/Counties/Whatcom

Whatcom
Washington

227K

Population

$78K

Median Income

$621K

Median Home

D+62

Politics

Economy

Median Household Income$78K
This county
national avg ~$75K
Poverty Rate11.5%
This county
national avg ~11.5%
Unemployment Rate4.9%
This county
national avg ~3.8%
GDP per Capita$88,725
Federal Spending per Capita$758
Median Individual Earnings$45K
This county
national avg $45K
Professional/Management Workers40.0%
Average Adjusted Gross Income$90K
Avg Credit Score713
Work From Home %11.3%
This county
national avg 17.0%
Population Under 1818.9%
This county
national avg 22.0%
Single-Person Households26.9%
This county
national avg 28.0%
Banks & Finance Firms114
Income (20th Percentile)$34K
Income (80th Percentile)$141K
Income (95th Percentile)$250K
Bachelor's Degree or Higher30.7%
This county
national avg 35.0%
Less Than High School6.7%
This county
national avg 11.0%
Knowledge Economy GDP %10.1%
Dependency Ratio0.97
Medicare Spending / Person$2,580
SS Benefits / Person$4,080
Education Wage Premium1.80x
Median Earnings (Bachelor's)$57K
Median Earnings (Graduate)$76K
Median Earnings (HS Diploma)$42K
Public Assistance Recipients3.6%
Average Annual Wage$65K
Professional Services Concentration0.66x national
This county
1.0 = national average share

Housing

Median Home Value$617K
This county
$570K state avg
$303K national
Median Sale Price$578K
This county
$303K national
Market Rent (ZORI)$2052/mo
This county
$2000/mo state avg
$1400/mo national
Property Tax Rate0.74%
This county
0.84% state avg
1.10% national

Annual tax on median home: $3,523

Affordability & Supply

HUD Fair Market Rent (2BR)$1,794/mo
Home Price Change (1 yr)+2.1%
Home Value to Income Ratio4.9x income
Severely Cost-Burdened Households15.6%
Homeownership Rate63.0%
This county
national avg ~65%

Market Activity

Sale-to-List RatioBuyers market — homes selling below list
98.8%
Listings with Price CutsLow — market moving fast
19.6%
Sold Above List Price
19.3%
Median Days to Close
29 days
Active Listings
726
New Listings / Month
282

Source: Zillow Research · Updated monthly

Days on Market (Redfin)Fast market
17 days
Months of Supply (Redfin)Low inventory — sellers market
2.9 mo
Sold Above List (Redfin)Competitive — many homes bid up
44.6%

Sale-to-List Cross-Reference

Zillow 98.8%  ·  Redfin 99.7%

Source: Redfin · Updated monthly

Health

Life Expectancy80.0 yrs
This county
national avg ~78.5 years
Hospital Rating4.0 / 5
This county
national avg 3.0 stars
Food Insecurity9.8%
This county
national avg ~11%
Food Environment Index8.0 / 10
This county
higher = better access
Primary Care Shortage Score18
This county
national avg 5
Mental Health Shortage Score19
Dental Care Shortage Score15
Healthcare Shortage Score17.3
Healthcare Offices538
Obesity Rate (BRFSS)27.3%
This county
national avg 32.0%
Smoking Rate (BRFSS)11.6%
This county
national avg 14.0%
Poor Health Rate (BRFSS)15.9%
This county
national avg 18.0%
Physical Inactivity (BRFSS)16.5%
This county
national avg 24.0%
High Blood Pressure (BRFSS)26.4%
This county
national avg 32.0%
Active Physicians665
Nursing Home Rating3.9 / 5
This county
national avg ~3 stars
ER Visits per 1,000 Medicare Patients510 / 1,000
Medicare Cost per Beneficiary$9,847
Uninsured (under 65)8.8%
This county
national avg ~10%
Adults with Depression30.1%

Education

Math Test Scores2.73 grade level
Reading Test Scores2.87 grade level
HS Diploma Holders28,497
Bachelor's Degree Holders16,392
HS Completion Rate93.3%
This county
national avg ~85%
Private Schools111

Safety

Violent Crime Rate3.6 / 1,000
This county
national avg ~4.0
Firearm Fatality Rate10.1 / 100K
This county
national avg ~13.6/100K
Homicide Rate2.2 / 100K
This county
national avg ~7.5/100K
Drug Overdose Rate14.1 / 100K
This county
national avg ~21/100K
Traffic Fatalities118
Social Vulnerability (CDC SVI)50th pct
Drug Overdose Deaths (2024)38.4 / 100K
Suicide Rate17.1 / 100K
This county
national avg ~14/100K

Climate & Air Quality

Natural Amenity Scale5.3
January Sunshine-3.00
January Temperature0.31
Average Temp46°F
Avg High Temp54°F
Avg Low Temp38°F
Median AQIAQI 31
Good Air Days327 days/yr
Unhealthy Air Days0 days/yr
Annual Precipitation73.8 in/yr
Avg Storm Events1.0 storms/yr
Avg Annual Storm Damage$9M
Ozone Days127 days/yr
This county
national avg 50 days/yr
Drought Index (2022)-0.17
Heating Degree Days6,963 HDD/yr
This county
national avg ~4,500 HDD/yr
Cooling Degree Days91 CDD/yr
This county
national avg ~1,200 CDD/yr
Heating Degree Days (1901–2000 Baseline)7,859 HDD/yr
Cooling Degree Days (1901–2000 Baseline)21 CDD/yr
Avg Tornadoes / Year0.0
Avg Flood Events / Year0.4
Avg Hail Events / Year0.0
Avg Hurricane Events / Year0.00
Avg Wildfire Events / Year0.0
Avg Winter Storms / Year0.0
Avg Heat Events / Year0.0
Natural Hazard Risk (FEMA)91 / 100
Community Resilience (FEMA)80 / 100
Federal Disaster Declarations27 since 1953
Fine Particulate Pollution (PM2.5)5.6 µg/m³
This county
EPA standard 9 µg/m³

Outdoor & Recreation

National Park Units1 unit
Historic Places (NRHP)75 properties
FAA-Registered Airports20 total
Airports (excl. heliports)13 airports

Brewery Scene

Total Breweries17 breweries
Microbreweries11 microbreweries
Brewpubs4 brewpubs

Internet & Remote Work

Download Speed201 Mbps
This county
national avg ~120 Mbps
Upload Speed34 Mbps
Fixed Internet (Q1 2026)341 Mbps
Mobile Internet (Q1 2026)177 Mbps
Mobile Upload (Q1 2026)29 Mbps
Mobile Latency (Q1 2026)37 ms
Households with 100Mbps+95.0%
This county
national avg 75.0%
Cellular-Only Internet10.4%
This county
national avg 8.0%
Fixed Upload Speed (Q1 2026)115 Mbps

EV Infrastructure

EV Charging Stations89 stations
DC Fast Chargers62 chargers
Level 2 EV Chargers156

Commute & Transit

Remote Workers12,407 workers
Public Transit Commuters2,135 workers
Walk to Work3,854 workers
Extreme Commutes (90+ min)2,296 workers
Bike Commuters2.0%
Walk to Work3.5%

Agriculture

Farms611 farms
Farmland59,182 acres

Families & Childcare

Childcare Cost Burden38.5%
This county
national median ~27% of household income
Childcare Centers6.6 per 10K residents
Childcare Facilities45

Civic & Community

Voter Turnout81.4%
This county
national avg ~55%
Volunteering Rate1.0%
Income Inequality (Gini)4.178
Nonprofit Organizations988
Veterans Share7.1%
This county
national avg 7.0%
Married Adults50.0%
Never-Married Adults34.9%
Divorced Adults10.5%
Religious Organizations137
Asian Population4.4%
Native American Population2.1%
Membership Associations10.6 per 10K residents

Lifestyle & Services

Full-Service Restaurants0.91 per 1K residents
Colleges & Universities4
Nursing & Care Facilities49
Grocery Stores72
Arts & Entertainment Venues41
Hotels & Lodging60
Recreation Businesses90
Professional Services Firms800
Veterinary Practices83
Real Estate Firms415
Museums6
Debt Burden
Avg Mortgage Balance$124K
Avg Student Loan Balance$7K
Avg Credit Card Balance$4K
Loan Delinquency Rate28.8%
This county
national avg 4.0%

Innovation

Inventor Rate0.25%

Politics

D+62

2024 Presidential · Washington was D+16 statewide

vs Washington State

Income tax
NoneSame (state law)
Property tax
0.74%0.84% state avg
Politics
D+62D+16
COL Index
County data117 (state)

Population & Migration

Net Domestic Migration 2023

+1K

More people arriving than leaving

IRS Wealth Migration

Income-neutral migration pattern (IRS: 1.01x avg income)

Economic Mobility

44%

chance a low-income child reaches the middle class

Source: Opportunity Insights

Real Estate

Find Homes in Whatcom County

Median home value: $621K

View on Zillow →View on Realtor.com →

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Local News — Whatcom

Bellingham Herald · قبل أسبوعين (2)

Drought, fires, floods: Super El Niño could prove devastating for Whatcom County

This year's “super El Niño” could be bad news for Whatcom County and the rest of Western Washington

Washington State Standard · 27‏/02‏/2026

Volunteers face long road to flood recovery in Whatcom County

Nearly three months after devastating flooding tore through Western Washington, volunteers in Whatco

KING5.com · قبل أسبوعين (2)

Woman, dog encounter black bear near Lake Whatcom

WHATCOM COUNTY, Wash. — A woman and her dog had an encounter with a black bear on a trail near Lake

Legacy | Obituary · قبل أسبوعين (2)

John Schmidt Obituary (1955 - 2026) - Whatcom, WA - Bellingham Herald

John Schmidt Obituary ... Whatcom, Washington - John Michael Schmidt, affectionately known as "Uncle

Whatcom County · 15‏/04‏/2026

Debbie Arthur Appointed Deputy Executive for Whatcom County

On Tuesday, April 14, Whatcom County Council confirmed Executive Satpal Sidhu's appointment of Debbi

My Bellingham Now · قبل 3 أسابيع

Northwest Washington job growth projected to remain slow

OLYMPIA, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – Job growth in Washington is expected to remain slow in the comin

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Data: Census ACS, BLS, Zillow, USDA Natural Amenities, OpenElections 2024, CMS, NCES. Vintage 2022–2025. News via Google News.

Your Priorities

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Quick Profiles

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Annual Income

$150K

Affects effective income tax rate

$0$500K$5M+

Retirement Savings

$0

Affects pension and SS tax burden

None$500K$10M+

Social Security

None

Annual Social Security benefit

None$150K/yr

My Property Is Worth

$400K

Affects property tax burden

Tax burden ↓$1M$50M+

Home Buying Budget

$400K

Compared to state median home price

Hard to find$250K$5M+

Monthly Rent Budget

Don't care

Compared to state median 2BR rent

Don't care$10K/mo

Job Market

Don't care

State unemployment and job growth

Don't careHot market

Airport Access

Don't care

Direct flight destinations from state hubs

Don't careMust have hub

City vs Country

Mid-size city

% urban population

Deep countryBig city

Sunshine

Don't care

Annual sunny days per state

Don't careMax sunshine

Food Scene

Don't care

Restaurants per 100K residents

Don't careWorld-class

Political Preference

Neutral

State's political lean

LiberalConservative

Gun Laws

Neutral

State gun law grade (Giffords)

Gun Control2A Freedom

Abortion Access

Neutral

State abortion access policy

Pro-ChoiceNeutralPro-Life

Community

None

Congregations per 100K residents

AvoidDon't careSeek

Sports & Entertainment

Don't care

Pro sports teams and major venues

Don't careMust have pro teams

Cannabis Laws

Neutral

State cannabis legality

Prefer LegalNeutralPrefer Prohibition

Retiree Community

Neutral

% population 65+ (Census)

Young areaRetirement-heavy

Dating Market

Neutral

% adults never-married (Census)

Singles sceneFamily community

Safety / Low Crime

Don't care

Violent crime rate per 100K (FBI)

Don't careVery safe

School Quality

Don't care

K-12 rank (Education Week)

Don't careTop-ranked

Healthcare Access

Don't care

Healthcare system rank (Commonwealth Fund)

Don't careTop-ranked

Childcare Affordability

Don't care

Cost of living proxy for childcare affordability

Don't careMust be affordable