Bellingham, WA

Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)

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    2024 Population
    230,503
    US Senator
    Patty Murray
    Democratic Party
    US Senator
    Maria Cantwell
    Democratic Party
    2024 Median Age
    38.4
    0.524% 1-year increase
    2024 Median Household Income
    $81,784
    0.982% 1-year growth
    2024 Median Property Value
    $585,800
    9.27% 1-year growth
    2024 Employed Population
    115,468
    1.92% 1-year growth

    About

    N/A 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.

    95.6% of the residents in Bellingham, WA are U.S. citizens.

    The largest universities in N/A are Western Washington University (3,463 degrees awarded in 2024), Whatcom Community College (928 degrees), and Bellingham Technical College (819 degrees).

    In 2024, the median property value in Bellingham, WA was $585,800, and the homeownership rate was 63.7%.

    Most people in Bellingham, WA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 21.6 minutes. The average car ownership in Bellingham, WA was 2 cars per household.

    United StatesWashington

    Population & Diversity

    Bellingham, WA is home to a population of 231k people, from which 95.6% are citizens. As of 2024, 9.93% of Bellingham, WA residents were born outside of the country (22.9k people).

    In 2024, there were 14.4 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (175k people) in Bellingham, WA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 12.1k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) and 10k Asian (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

    Population & Diversity

    Citizenship

    95.6%
    2024 Citizenship
    95.6%
    2023 Citizenship

    As of 2024, 95.6% of Bellingham, WA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Bellingham, WA was 95.6%, 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.

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    Diversity

    Race and Ethnicity

    The 3 largest ethnic groups in Bellingham, WA
    1. White (Non-Hispanic)
      175k ± 644
    2. Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
      12.1k ± 845
    3. Asian (Non-Hispanic)
      10k ± 634
    10.6%
    Hispanic Population
    24.5k people

    In 2024, there were 14.4 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (175k people) in Bellingham, WA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 12.1k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) and 10k Asian (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

    10.6% of the people in Bellingham, WA are hispanic (24.5k people).

    The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Bellingham, WA as a share of the total population.

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    Global Diversity

    The PUMS dataset is not available at the MSA level, so we are showing data for Washington.
    Most Common Origin
    1. Mexico
      247,954 ± 12,030 people
    2. India
      116,227 ± 8,308 people
    3. China
      94,449 ± 7,500 people

    In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Washington was Mexico, the natal country of 247,954 Washington residents, followed by India with 116,227 and China with 94,449.

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    Foreign-Born Population

    9.93%
    2024 Foreign-Born Population
    22.9k people
    9.86%
    2023 Foreign-Born Population
    22.5k people

    As of 2024, 9.93% of Bellingham, WA residents (22.9k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Bellingham, WA was 9.86%, 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.

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    Military

    Veterans

    Most Common Service Period
    1. Vietnam
      4,685 ± 470
    2. Gulf War (2001-)
      2,404 ± 445
    3. Gulf War (1990s)
      2,013 ± 380

    Bellingham, WA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.95 times greater than any other conflict.

    The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Bellingham, WA.

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    Health

    94.2% of the population of Bellingham, WA has health coverage, with 48.1% on employee plans, 17.5% on Medicaid, 14.2% on Medicare, 13.3% on non-group plans, and 1.05% on military or VA plans.

    Primary care physicians in Washington see 1,202 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,202 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1152 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 186 patients per year.

    By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.5% were men and 50.5% were women.

    Coverage

    Patient to Clinician Ratios

    Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Washington.
    1,202 to 1
    Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Washington

    Primary care physicians in Washington see an average of 1,202 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,202 patients).

    The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Washington in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

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    Health Care Diversity

    In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 20.2% under 18 years, 25.3% between 18 and 34 years, 35.8% between 35 and 64 years, and 18.7% over 64 years.

    By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.5% were men and 50.5% were women.

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

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    Uninsured People

    5.79%
    Uninsured
    48.1%
    Employer Coverage
    17.5%
    Medicaid
    14.2%
    Medicare
    13.3%
    Non-Group
    1.05%
    Military or VA

    Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Bellingham, WA grew by 2.7% from 5.64% to 5.79%.

    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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    Economy

    The economy of Bellingham, WA employs 115k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Bellingham, WA were N/A, and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($114,141), Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($97,941), and Public Administration ($80,167).

    Employment

    Occupations

    115k
    2024 Value
    ± 2,955
    1.92%
    1 Year growth
    ± 3.54%

    From 2023 to 2024, employment in Bellingham, WA grew at a rate of 1.92%, from 113k employees to 115k employees.

    The most common job groups, by number of people living in Bellingham, WA, are Management Occupations (12,999 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (12,143 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (8,771 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Bellingham, WA.

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    Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

    This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Washington (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

    115k
    2024 Value
    ± 2,955
    1.92%
    1 Year growth
    ± 3.54%

    From 2023 to 2024, employment in Bellingham, WA grew at a rate of 1.92%, from 113k employees to 115k employees.

    The most common employment sectors for those who live in Bellingham, WA, are N/A. 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.

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    Median Earnings by Industry

    $58,165
    Median earning men ± $2,797
    $39,230
    Median earning women ± $1,510

    The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Public Administration ($93,264), Information ($74,667), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($73,112).

    The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($63,295), Information ($62,136), and Construction ($58,038).

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    Employment by Industry Sector

    Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Washington.
    Y-Axis
    3.62%
    Year-over-year growth
    Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

    As of February 2023, there are 3.58M people employed in Washington. This represents a 3.62% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

    Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 10.3%.

    The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Washington.

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    Establishments by Size

    The industries with the most establishments
    1. 680
      Construction
    2. 614
      Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
    3. 379
      Real Estate and Rental and Leasing

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

    The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

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    Payroll by Industry Sector

    The industries with the highest total annual payroll
    1. $719k
      Construction
    2. $698k
      Health Care and Social Assistance
    3. $649k
      Manufacturing

    The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

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    Civics

    In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Washington went to Kamala Harris with 57.2% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (39%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.4%).

    Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell are the senators currently representing the state of Washington. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

    Washington is currently represented by 10 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

    Presidential Elections

    Voting results are not available for Bellingham, WA. Showing the available data for Washington.
    2024 Election Results
    1. Kamala Harris (57.2%)
      Democratic Party
    2. Donald J. Trump (39%)
      Republican Party
    3. Robert Kennedy (1.4%)
      Independent Party

    In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Washington went to Kamala Harris with 57.2% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (39%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.4%).

    The following chart shows the popular vote results in Washington for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

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    Senator Elections

    US Senators from Washington

    Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Washington.
    Patty Murray
    Senator from Washington3
    Assumed office on January 3, 1993
    Maria Cantwell
    Senator from Washington1
    Assumed office on January 3, 2001

    Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell are the senators currently representing Washington.

    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 Washington over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

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    Education

    In 2024, universities in Bellingham, WA awarded 5,412 degrees. The student population of Bellingham, WA in 2024 is skewed towards women, with 8,932 male students and 12,170 female students.

    Most students graduating from Universities in Bellingham, WA are White (3,523 and 66.2%), Hispanic or Latino (615 and 11.6%), Two or More Races (375 and 7.04%), and Asian (298 and 5.6%).

    The largest universities in Bellingham, WA by number of degrees awarded are Western Washington University (3,463 and 64%), Whatcom Community College (928 and 17.1%), and Bellingham Technical College (819 and 15.1%).

    The most popular majors in N/A are Liberal Arts & Sciences (420 and 7.76%), General Psychology (234 and 4.32%), and General Computer & Information Sciences (137 and 2.53%).

    The median tuition cost for a public four year colleges is $3,851 for in-state students and $6,718 for out-of-state students.

    Admissions & Enrollments

    Enrollments by Gender and Races

    Universities

    In 2024 there were 21,102 students enrolled in Bellingham, WA, 42.3% men and 57.7% women.

    By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 12,890 records, of which 57% were women and 43% men.

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    Completions

    Universities

    Gender
    Race
    Largest Universities by degrees awarded
    1. Western Washington University
      3,463 degrees awarded
    2. Whatcom Community College
      928 degrees awarded
    3. Bellingham Technical College
      819 degrees awarded

    In 2024, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Western Washington University with 3,463 degrees awarded.

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    Student Diversity

    University

    In 2024, 2,195 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Bellingham, WA, which is 0.682 times less than the 3,217 female students who received degrees in the same year.

    In 2024, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 3,523 degrees mean that there were 5.73 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 615 degrees awarded.

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    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.

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    Tuition

    Average Net Price by Sector

    Universities

    Public, 4-year or above ($3,851) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2024.

    Public, 4-year or above ($1,242) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2024.

    Public, 4-year or above ($897) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

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

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    Housing & Living

    The median property value in Bellingham, WA was $585,800 in 2024, which is 1.76 times larger than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $536,100 to $585,800, a 9.27% increase. The homeownership rate in Bellingham, WA is 63.7%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 65.2%.

    People in Bellingham, WA have an average commute time of 21.6 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

    $585,800
    Median Property Value 2024
    ±$9,479
    $59,904
    Median Property Taxes
    ±$1,695

    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.

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    Rent vs Own

    63.7%
    Homeownership
    2024
    67.7%
    Homeowners with Mortgage
    2024

    In 2024, 63.7% of the housing units in Bellingham, WA were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 63.5%.

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

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    Equity

    Household Income

    Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.
    $81,784
    Median Household Income
    ± $2,688
    94k
    Number of Households
    ± 2,565

    In 2024, the median household income of the 94k households in Bellingham, WA grew to $81,784 from the previous year's value of $80,989.

    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.

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    Wage Distribution

    The closest comparable wage GINI for Bellingham, WA is from Washington.
    0.469
    2024 Wage GINI in Washington
    0.468
    2023 Wage GINI in Washington

    In 2024, the income inequality in Washington was 0.469 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.0979% growth from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat less even. The GINI for Washington was lower than than the national average of 0.474. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Washington in comparison to the national average.

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

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    Transportation

    Commuter Transportation

    Most Common Commute in 2024
    1. Drove Alone (69.2%)
    2. Worked At Home (14.8%)
    3. Carpooled (7.47%)

    In 2024, 69.2% of workers in Bellingham, WA drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (14.8%) and those who carpooled to work (7.47%).

    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.

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    Commute Time

    21.6 minutes
    Average Travel Time

    Using averages, employees in Bellingham, WA have a shorter commute time (21.6 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.19% 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.

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    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.

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    Poverty