Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety77#217/924
Economy69#286/925
Housing3#901/925
Health84#152/925
Healthcare83#155/923
Environment73#244/917
Education92#74/925
Infrastructure97#30/925
Community85#137/925
Leisure & amenities85#137/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Bellingham, WA metro area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Food insecurity · low9.3%
98/100Washington 10.5%United States 15.6%2022Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Physical inactivity · low16.5%
98/100Washington 19.0%United States 26.5%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Hot days · low1 days
97/100Washington 13 daysUnited States 42 days2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationAggregated from counties
Traffic deaths · low6.5 /100k
97/100Washington 9.1 /100kUnited States 12.3 /100k2020-2024National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationAggregated from counties
Adult obesity · low27.3%
96/100Washington 35.0%United States 38.2%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Broadband subscriptions · high93.7%
95/100Washington 93.6%United States 91.0%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B28002

Weaknesses

Rent-burdened households · high60.1%
2/100Washington 50.0%United States 51.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25070
Distance to an emergency room · high24.2 mi
2/100Washington 7.1 miUnited States 5.5 miJul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesAggregated from counties
Child care cost burden · high43.6%
3/100Washington 36.6%United States 27.9%2023 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Comfortable days · low22.1%
3/100Washington 25.2%United States 26.8%2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationAggregated from counties
Home price to income ratio · high7.2×
3/100Washington 5.8×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077
Rent as share of income · high34.8%
4/100Washington 30.0%United States 30.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25071

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

Hot daysWorsening
0 days (2011-2020) → 1 days (2016-2025)
+400%5 yearsUS 41 days → 42 days
Drug overdose deathsWorsening
17.2 /100k (2021) → 37.5 /100k (Mar 2025–Feb 2026)
+118%5 yearsUS 30.8 /100k → 18.4 /100k
Drought exposureWorsening
11% (2021) → 32% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
+21 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
Homicide rateWorsening
1.3 /100k (2021) → 2.4 /100k (May 2025–Apr 2026)
+85%5 yearsUS 7.8 /100k → 4.8 /100k
Child care cost burdenWorsening
28.1% (2020 & 2021) → 43.6% (2023 & 2024)
+15 pts3 yearsUS 24.5% → 27.9%
New business applicationsImproving
10.3 /1k (2020) → 16.2 /1k (2025)
+57%5 yearsUS 13.1 /1k → 16.6 /1k

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Bellingham, WA metro area improved on 11 of 32 measures with a comparison and declined on 7. 5 moved within the margin of error and 9 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved11

Weekly wage+30%$1,026 → $1,335
Bachelor's++5.1 points34.3% → 39.3%
Unemployment−4.6 points9.0% → 4.4%
Gyms+28%1.3 /10k → 1.7 /10k
Grocery stores+8.2%1.4 /10k → 1.5 /10k

Declined7

Overdose deaths+159%14.5 /100k → 37.5 /100k
Price / income+1.7×5.5× → 7.2×
Inequality+0.0210.441 → 0.462
Rent burden+6.2 points53.9% → 60.1%
Rent / income+2.4 points32.4% → 34.8%

All 32 measures

Change of every measure of Bellingham, WA metro area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	4.9 /10k2020	5.5 /10k2025	+13%	Improved	59%
Average commute time	22.0 min2015-2019	21.6 min2020-2024	−0.3 min	Within the margin of error	73%
Average weekly wage	$1,0262020	$1,3352025	+30%	Improved	93%
Bachelor's degree or higher	34.3%2015-2019	39.3%2020-2024	+5.1 points	Improved	92%
Broadband subscriptions	87.8%2015-2019	93.7%2020-2024	+5.9 points	Improved	13%
Child poverty rate	11.3%2015-2019	13.6%2020-2024	+2.3 points	Within the margin of error	9%
Distance to an airport	95 mi2020	95 mi2025	0 mi	Little change	50%
Drug overdose deaths	14.5 /100k2020	37.5 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	+159%	Declined	1%
Effective property tax rate	0.81%2015-2019	0.68%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Little change	51%
Firearm deaths	7.9 /100k2020	9.5 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+20%	Declined	25%
Grocery stores	1.4 /10k2020	1.5 /10k2025	+8.2%	Improved	74%
Gyms and fitness centers	1.3 /10k2020	1.7 /10k2025	+28%	Improved	78%
High school diploma or higher	92.8%2015-2019	93.8%2020-2024	+1 points	Within the margin of error	30%
Home price to income ratio	5.5×2015-2019	7.2×2020-2024	+1.7×	Declined	1%
Homicide rate	2.4 /100k2020	2.4 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	0%	Little change	22%
Income adjusted for local prices	$49,1932019	$63,5052024	+29%	Improved	30%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4412015-2019	0.4622020-2024	+0.021	Declined	12%
Median household income	$62,9842015-2019	$81,7842020-2024	+30%	Improved	65%
New business applications	10.3 /1k2020	16.2 /1k2025	+57%	Improved	66%
Pharmacies	1.2 /10k2020	1.2 /10k2025	−0.2%	Little change	71%
Poverty rate	14.1%2015-2019	12.9%2020-2024	−1.2 points	Within the margin of error	58%
Property crime rate	2,491 /100k2020	1,740 /100k2025	−30%	Improved	42%
Public libraries	0.7 /10k2019	0.6 /10k2024	−2.5%	Little change	42%
Public transit commuters	2.5%2015-2019	1.8%2020-2024	−0.7 points	Declined	26%
Rent as share of income	32.4%2015-2019	34.8%2020-2024	+2.4 points	Declined	17%
Rent-burdened households	53.9%2015-2019	60.1%2020-2024	+6.2 points	Declined	12%
Restaurants and bars	10.9 /10k2020	10.6 /10k2025	−3%	Little change	32%
Suicide rate	13.2 /100k2020	13.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+4.5%	Little change	51%
Traffic deaths	6.8 /100k2015-2019	6.5 /100k2020-2024	−4.2%	Little change	70%
Unemployment rate	9.0%2020	4.4%2025	−4.6 points	Improved	89%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	7.4%2015-2019	7.0%2020-2024	−0.4 points	Within the margin of error	56%
Violent crime rate	189 /100k2020	181 /100k2025	−3.8%	Little change	31%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 708 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 925 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Metro and micro areas like Bellingham, WA metro area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Bellingham, WA metro area in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Bellingham, WA metro area itself moved −2.5 points in standing on average over the same 30 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

230,503 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

94,021 households (±718)

Bellingham, WA metro area
United States share

Under $25k14%13,201
$25k–50k16%15,337
$50k–75k16%15,121

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

94,021 households (±718)

Bellingham, WA metro area
United States share

Own64%59,904
Rent36%34,117

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+1.8 points).

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

113,527 workers (±1,862)

Bellingham, WA metro area
United States share

Drive alone69%78,545
Carpool7.5%8,486
Public transit1.8%2,073

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The 10 largest occupations in Bellingham, WA employ 18,960 people. 9 pay a median above the US median.

Above the US median
Below the US median

The largest occupations in Bellingham, WA by employment, with median annual pay and how it compares with the United States
Occupation	Jobs	Median pay	vs USCompared with the US	Concentration
Fast Food and Counter Workers2,830 jobs	2,830	$37,030US $31,200	+19%	1.25×
Retail Salespersons2,830 jobs	2,830

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

Bellingham, WA has 7,146 employer establishments, 307 for every 10,000 residents (1.24× the US rate of 248), with 80,648 paid employees at an average annual pay of $59,115. The Census Bureau also counts 18,794 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 7,146; 18,794 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 307; US 248
Paid employees: 80,648
Average annual pay: $59,115; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Bellingham, WA by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Ambulatory health care services	549	23.6	1.13×About typical	5,875	$72,461	1,189
Specialty trade contractors	528	22.7	1.47×More than typical	6,314	$83,043	799
Restaurants and other eating places	446	19.2	1.04×About typical	7,090	$26,157	44
Lessors of real estate	430	18.5	1.50×More than typical	2,691	$63,056	2,146
Construction of buildings	414	17.8	2.35×More than typical	2,110	$82,536	593
Offices of other health practitioners	257	11	1.82×More than typical	1,101	$43,671	801
Real estate agents and brokers	251	10.8	2.22×More than typical	1,757	$73,651	554
Services to buildings and dwellings	226	9.7	1.44×More than typical	1,416	$42,745	867
Full-service restaurants	225	9.7	1.26×More than typical	3,579	$28,113	18
Management, scientific and technical consulting	187	8	1.20×About typical	451	$68,424	943
Building finishing contractors	179	7.7	2.02×More than typical	891	$60,596	327
Truck transportation	158	6.8	1.34×More than typical	860	$59,301	450

Rank places for an industry

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 232,620 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $17.4M on contracts performed in Bellingham, WA metro area: $73.76 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $17.4M; −52% vs FY2025
Per resident: $73.76; US $1,994
Sole-source: 9.0%; US 30%
Single offer: 37%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Public Buildings Service$4.8M28%
U.S. Coast Guard$3.8M

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $1.5B in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Bellingham, WA metro area: $6,486 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $1.5B; −2.7% vs FY2025
Per resident: $6,486; US $12,955
Loan face value: $94.1M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.2%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$1B67%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$98.7M6.4%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$79.4M5.2%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$68.5M4.5%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$32.9M2.1%
15.022 · Tribal Self-Governance$32.6M2.1%
14.871 · Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers$28.1M1.8%
84.063 · Federal Pell Grant Program$25M1.6%

Top recipients (organizations)

LUMMI INDIAN BUSINESS COUNCIL$50.2M3.3%
BELLINGHAM, WA
THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF BELLINGHAM$30.9M2.0%
BELLINGHAM, WA
WASHINGTON ST DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$24M1.6%
OLYMPIA, WA
WESTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY$17.1M1.1%
BELLINGHAM, WA
WHATCOM COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$1.2B79%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$116.2M7.6%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Bureau of Indian Affairs and Bureau of Indian Education$49.7M3.2%
Department of the Interior
Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing$38.3M2.5%
Department of Housing and Urban Development
Department of Education

Assistance by fiscal year

1.4BFY2021
1.3BFY2022
1.4BFY2023
1.5BFY2024
1.6BFY2025
1.5BFY2026

County aggregates

87%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Bellingham, WA

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Whatcom CountyCentral county80236,392

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

BellinghamPrincipal city93,438

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in Washington

Areas based in Washington, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA76

Similar metro and micro areas

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
Air Quality Index Annual Summary by CountyU.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2025
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement
Zillow Home Value Index, Observed Rent Index and affordabilityZillow Research · release 2026-08

JSON · /api/v1/places/M13380

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved11

Declined7

Metro and micro areas like Bellingham, WA metro area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Bellingham, WA

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in Washington

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved11

Declined7

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Look up any occupation

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Top buying agencies

By type

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

What was bought

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards