Bellingham, WA

Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)

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2022 Population

226,523

0.886% 1-year growth

2022 Median Age

37.8

0% 1-year change

2022 Poverty Rate

12.9%

4.15% 1-year decrease

2022 Median Household Income

$77,581

10.8% 1-year growth

2022 Median Property Value

$475,000

19.8% 1-year growth

2022 Employed Population

111,457

1.26% 1-year growth

About

In 2022, Bellingham, WA had a population of 227k people with a median age of 37.8 and a median household income of $77,581. Between 2021 and 2022 the population of Bellingham, WA grew from 224,533 to 226,523, a 0.886% increase and its median household income grew from $70,011 to $77,581, a 10.8% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Bellingham, WA are White (Non-Hispanic) (76.8%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (5.33%), Asian (Non-Hispanic) (4.4%), Other (Hispanic) (3.68%), and White (Hispanic) (3.16%).

None of the households in Bellingham, WA reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

95.3% of the residents in Bellingham, WA are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Bellingham, WA are Western Washington University (3,831 degrees awarded in 2022), Whatcom Community College (1,193 degrees), and Bellingham Technical College (835 degrees).

In 2022, the median property value in Bellingham, WA was $475,000, and the homeownership rate was 63%.

Most people in Bellingham, WA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 21.9 minutes. The average car ownership in Bellingham, WA was 2 cars per household.

Bellingham, WA borders .

United States

Population & Diversity

Bellingham, WA is home to a population of 227k people, from which 95.3% are citizens. As of 2022, 9.87% of Bellingham, WA residents were born outside of the country (22.4k people).

In 2022, there were 14.4 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (174k people) in Bellingham, WA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 12.1k Two+ (Non-Hispanic) and 9.96k Asian (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

95.3%

2022 Citizenship

95.2%

2021 Citizenship

As of 2022, 95.3% of Bellingham, WA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.5%. In 2021, the percentage of US citizens in Bellingham, WA was 95.2%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Bellingham, WA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Bellingham, WA

White (Non-Hispanic)
174k ± 643
Two+ (Non-Hispanic)
12.1k ± 862
Asian (Non-Hispanic)
9.96k ± 521

10.1%

Hispanic Population

23k people

10.1% of the people in Bellingham, WA are hispanic (23k people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Bellingham, WA as a share of the total population.

Foreign-Born Population

9.87%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

22.4k people

9.67%

2021 Foreign-Born Population

21.7k people

As of 2022, 9.87% of Bellingham, WA residents (22.4k people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.6%. In 2021, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Bellingham, WA was 9.67%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Bellingham, WA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
5,190 ± 450
Gulf War (2001-)
2,580 ± 507
Gulf War (1990s)
2,011 ± 322

Bellingham, WA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.01 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Bellingham, WA employs 111k people. The largest industries in Bellingham, WA are Health Care & Social Assistance (14,761 people), Manufacturing (11,858 people), and Educational Services (11,472 people), and the highest paying industries are Management of Companies & Enterprises ($148,750), Utilities ($88,628), and Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($79,844).

Employment

Occupations

111k

2022 Value

± 2,909

1.26%

1 Year growth

± 3.7%

From 2021 to 2022, employment in Bellingham, WA grew at a rate of 1.26%, from 110k employees to 111k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Bellingham, WA, are Management Occupations (11,866 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (11,865 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (9,202 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Bellingham, WA.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for false.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in the United States (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

111k

2022 Value

± 2,909

1.26%

1 Year growth

± 3.7%

From 2021 to 2022, employment in Bellingham, WA grew at a rate of 1.26%, from 110k employees to 111k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Bellingham, WA, are Health Care & Social Assistance (14,761 people), Manufacturing (11,858 people), and Educational Services (11,472 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Bellingham, WA, though some of these residents may live in Bellingham, WA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$55,284

Median earning men ± $2,902

$35,398

Median earning women ± $1,209

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2022 are Public Administration ($84,218), Information ($74,858), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($70,247).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2022 are Public Administration ($57,476), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($52,179), and Construction ($51,994).

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

2,582
Educational Services, Health Care & Social Assistance
1,474
Professional, Scientific & Management, and Administrative & Waste Management Services
1,456
Manufacturing

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

Civics

are the senators currently representing the state of the United States. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming is currently represented by 435 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Senator Elections

US Senators from the United States

Senator from N/AN/A

N/AN/A
N/A
N/AN/A
N/A

are the senators currently representing the United States.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in the United States over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

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US Representative Elections

US Representatives from Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming have changed over time starting in 2008.

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Education

In 2022, universities in Bellingham, WA awarded 5,979 degrees. The student population of Bellingham, WA in 2022 is skewed towards women, with 8,690 male students and 11,672 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Bellingham, WA are White (3,974 and 67.3%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (658 and 11.1%), Two or More Races (464 and 7.86%), and Asian (372 and 6.3%).

The largest universities in Bellingham, WA by number of degrees awarded are Western Washington University (3,831 and 64.1%), Whatcom Community College (1,193 and 20%), and Bellingham Technical College (835 and 14%).

The most popular majors in Bellingham, WA are Liberal Arts & Sciences (490 and 8.2%), General Psychology (220 and 3.68%), and General Business Administration & Management (180 and 3.01%).

The median tuition cost in Bellingham, WA for a public four year colleges is $3,546 for in-state students and $6,334 for out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2022 in Bellingham, WA, the percentage of applicants admitted was 92.7%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 29.3%. The number of students enrolled in 2022 was 20,362 (42.7% men and 57.3% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2022 there were 20,362 students enrolled in Bellingham, WA, 42.7% men and 57.3% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 13,044 records, of which 56.8% were women and 43.2% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Psychology
220 degrees awarded
General Computer & Information Sciences
151 degrees awarded
Creative Writing
136 degrees awarded

In 2022, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Bellingham, WA was General Psychology with 220 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Bellingham, WA according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Western Washington University
3,831 degrees awarded
Whatcom Community College
1,193 degrees awarded
Bellingham Technical College
835 degrees awarded

In 2022, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Western Washington University with 3,831 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2022, 2,530 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Bellingham, WA, which is 0.734 times less than the 3,449 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2022 the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 3,974 degrees mean that there were 6.04 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 658 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Public, 4-year or above ($3,546) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2022.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,100) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2022.

Public, 4-year or above ($977) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for the United States.

Measure

In N/A, N/A% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while N/A% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for the United States.

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in N/A were N/A.

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Bellingham, WA was $475,000 in 2022, which is 1.68 times larger than the national average of $281,900. Between 2021 and 2022 the median property value increased from $396,500 to $475,000, a 19.8% increase. The homeownership rate in Bellingham, WA is 63%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 64.8%.

People in Bellingham, WA have an average commute time of 21.9 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Bellingham, WA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$475,000

Median Property Value 2022

±$7,046

$57,442

Median Property Taxes

±$1,797

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Bellingham, WA the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Bellingham, WA compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

63%

Homeownership

2022

69%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2022

In 2022, 63% of the housing units in Bellingham, WA were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 62.4%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Bellingham, WA compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

The following map shows all of the counties in Bellingham, WA colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$77,581

Median Household Income

± $2,536

91.2k

Number of Households

± 2,523

In 2022, the median household income of the 91.2k households in Bellingham, WA grew to $77,581 from the previous year's value of $70,011.

The following chart displays the households in Bellingham, WA distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Bellingham, WA is from Bellingham, WA.

N/A Wage GINI in N/A

In N/A, the income inequality in N/A was N/A according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a N/A N/A from N/A to N/A, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat N/A even. The GINI for N/A was N/A than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed N/A evenly in N/A in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Bellingham, WA across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2022

Drove Alone (72%)
Worked At Home (11.3%)
Carpooled (8.19%)

In 2022, 72% of workers in Bellingham, WA drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (11.3%) and those who carpooled to work (8.19%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

21.9 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Bellingham, WA have a shorter commute time (21.9 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.7 minutes). Additionally, 2.37% of the workforce in Bellingham, WA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Bellingham, WA compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Bellingham, WA distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Bellingham, WA have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

12.9% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Bellingham, WA (28.5k out of 221k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 18 - 24, followed by Males 18 - 24 and then Females 25 - 34.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Bellingham, WA is White, followed by Hispanic and Two Or More.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Health

94.1% of the population of Bellingham, WA has health coverage, with 48% on employee plans, 17.5% on Medicaid, 13.5% on Medicare, 13.9% on non-group plans, and 1.27% on military or VA plans.

Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2022, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 20.7% under 18 years, 25.7% between 18 and 34 years, 35.7% between 35 and 64 years, and 17.9% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49% were men and 51% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

5.93%

Uninsured

48%

Employer Coverage

17.5%

Medicaid

13.5%

Medicare

13.9%

Non-Group

1.27%

Military or VA

Between 2021 and 2022, the percent of uninsured citizens in Bellingham, WA grew by 5.24% from 5.64% to 5.93%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Bellingham, WA changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

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