Whatcom County (South)--Greater Bellingham City PUMA, WA

Public Use Microdata Area (PUMA)

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2023 Population

114,902

0.948% 1-year growth

US Senator

Patty Murray

Democratic Party

US Senator

Maria Cantwell

Democratic Party

2023 Median Age

1.41% 1-year increase

2023 Poverty Rate

16.7%

1.18% 1-year decrease

2023 Median Household Income

$70,730

3.32% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$585,400

11% 1-year growth

2022 Employed Population

51,953

49.5% 1-year decline

About

In 2023, Whatcom County (South)--Greater Bellingham City PUMA, WA had a population of 115k people with a median age of 36 and a median household income of $70,730. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Whatcom County (South)--Greater Bellingham City PUMA, WA grew from 113,823 to 114,902, a 0.948% increase and its median household income grew from $68,454 to $70,730, a 3.32% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Whatcom County (South)--Greater Bellingham City PUMA, WA are White (Non-Hispanic) (76.6%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (6.64%), Asian (Non-Hispanic) (5.21%), Other (Hispanic) (3.5%), and Two+ (Hispanic) (2.95%).

12.4% of the households in Whatcom County (South)--Greater Bellingham City PUMA, 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.

96.1% of the residents in Whatcom County (South)--Greater Bellingham City PUMA, WA are U.S. citizens.

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

In 2023, the median property value in Whatcom County (South)--Greater Bellingham City PUMA, WA was $585,400, and the homeownership rate was 51.2%.

Most people in Whatcom County (South)--Greater Bellingham City PUMA, WA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 19 minutes. The average car ownership in Whatcom County (South)--Greater Bellingham City PUMA, WA was 2 cars per household.

Whatcom County (South)--Greater Bellingham City PUMA, WA borders Skagit County PUMA, WA and Whatcom County (Outer)--Lynden, Ferndale & Blaine Cities PUMA, WA.

United States Washington

Population & Diversity

Whatcom County (South)--Greater Bellingham City PUMA, WA is home to a population of 115k people, from which 96.1% are citizens. As of 2023, 8.87% of Whatcom County (South)--Greater Bellingham City PUMA, WA residents were born outside of the country (10.2k people).

In 2023, there were 11.5 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (88k people) in Whatcom County (South)--Greater Bellingham City PUMA, WA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 7.63k Two+ (Non-Hispanic) and 5.98k Asian (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

The most common non-English languages spoken as the primary langauge in households in Whatcom County (South)--Greater Bellingham City PUMA, WA are Spanish (6,658 households), Chinese (Incl. Mandarin, Cantonese) (1,570 households), and Russian (700 households).

Population & Diversity

Residents by Gender and Age

RACE/ETHNICITY

56,855

Women

51.3%

53,982

Men

48.7%

The resident population of United States in 2022 was 110,837 inhabitants, with 48.7% men, and 51.3% women.

The visualization shows the distribution of the residents by gender and age in the United States.

With the upper buttons you can add a filter by race.

Citizenship

96.1%

2023 Citizenship

95.8%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 96.1% of Whatcom County (South)--Greater Bellingham City PUMA, WA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Whatcom County (South)--Greater Bellingham City PUMA, WA was 95.8%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Whatcom County (South)--Greater Bellingham City PUMA, WA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Whatcom County (South)--Greater Bellingham City PUMA, WA

White (Non-Hispanic)
88k ± 2.1k
Two+ (Non-Hispanic)
7.63k ± 826
Asian (Non-Hispanic)
5.98k ± 612

9.43%

Hispanic Population

10.8k people

9.43% of the people in Whatcom County (South)--Greater Bellingham City PUMA, WA are hispanic (10.8k people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Whatcom County (South)--Greater Bellingham City PUMA, WA as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

Most Common Origin

Canada
2,212 ± 1,143 people
Mexico
1,694 ± 1,003 people
Philippines
800 ± 692 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Whatcom County (South)--Greater Bellingham City PUMA, WA was Canada, the natal country of 2,212 Whatcom County (South)--Greater Bellingham City PUMA, WA residents, followed by Mexico with 1,694 and Philippines with 800.

Foreign-Born Population

8.87%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

10.2k people

9.04%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

10.3k people

As of 2023, 8.87% of Whatcom County (South)--Greater Bellingham City PUMA, WA residents (10.2k people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.8%. In 2022, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Whatcom County (South)--Greater Bellingham City PUMA, WA was 9.04%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Whatcom County (South)--Greater Bellingham City PUMA, WA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Non-English Households

Most Common Non-English Languages

Spanish
6,658 households (6.04%)
Chinese (Incl. Mandarin, Cantonese)
1,570 households (1.42%)
Russian
700 households (0.635%)

12.4% of the households in Whatcom County (South)--Greater Bellingham City PUMA, WA reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language, which is lower than the national average of 22%. 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.

In 2023, the most common non-English language spoken in households in Whatcom County (South)--Greater Bellingham City PUMA, WA was Spanish. 6.04% of the households in Whatcom County (South)--Greater Bellingham City PUMA, WA reported speaking Spanish at home as the primary shared language between all members living in the household.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
2,103 ± 369
Gulf War (2001-)
1,233 ± 370
Gulf War (1990s)
769 ± 224

Whatcom County (South)--Greater Bellingham City PUMA, WA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.71 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Whatcom County (South)--Greater Bellingham City PUMA, WA employs 52k people. The largest industries in Whatcom County (South)--Greater Bellingham City PUMA, WA are Construction (4,204 people), Restaurants & Food Services (3,401 people), and Elementary & secondary schools (2,909 people), and the highest paying industries are Industrial & miscellaneous chemicals ($226,166), Nondepository credit & related activities ($202,369), and Aircraft & parts manufacturing ($147,385).

Males in Whatcom County (South)--Greater Bellingham City PUMA, WA have an average income that is 1.38 times higher than the average income of females, which is $57,449. The income inequality in Whatcom County (South)--Greater Bellingham City PUMA, WA (measured using the Gini index) is 0.452, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Workforce Diversity

Measure

RACE/ETHNICITY

48,400

Women

47.2%

54,157

Men

52.8%

The workforce of Whatcom County (South)--Greater Bellingham City PUMA, WA in 2020 was 102,557 people, with 47.2% woman, and 52.8% men.

The visualization shows the distribution of the workforce by gender and age in Whatcom County (South)--Greater Bellingham City PUMA, WA.

With the upper buttons you can see the distribution of the average salary and add a filter by race.

Occupations

52k

2022 Value

−49.5%

1 Year decline

± −49.5%

From 2021 to 2022, employment in Whatcom County (South)--Greater Bellingham City PUMA, WA declined at a rate of −49.5%, from 103k employees to 52k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Whatcom County (South)--Greater Bellingham City PUMA, WA, are Other managers (1,430 people), Firstline supervisors of retail sales workers (1,212 people), and Janitors & building cleaners (1,071 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Whatcom County (South)--Greater Bellingham City PUMA, WA.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

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

52k

2022 Value

−49.5%

1 Year decline

± −49.5%

From 2021 to 2022, employment in Whatcom County (South)--Greater Bellingham City PUMA, WA declined at a rate of −49.5%, from 103k employees to 52k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Whatcom County (South)--Greater Bellingham City PUMA, WA, are Construction (4,204 people), Restaurants & Food Services (3,401 people), and Elementary & secondary schools (2,909 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Whatcom County (South)--Greater Bellingham City PUMA, WA, though some of these residents may live in Whatcom County (South)--Greater Bellingham City PUMA, WA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$49,845

Median earning men ± $2,339

$36,299

Median earning women ± $1,134

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Public Administration ($89,592), Information ($71,607), and Wholesale Trade ($66,143).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Construction ($65,477), Information ($61,842), and Public Administration ($56,222).

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.

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

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Whatcom County (South)--Greater Bellingham City PUMA, WA. Showing the available data for Washington.

2024 Election Results

Kamala Harris (57.2%)
Democratic Party
Donald J. Trump (39%)
Republican Party
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.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Washington

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Washington.

Patty Murray

Senator from Washington

Assumed office on January 3, 1993

Maria Cantwell

Senator from Washington

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.

US Representative Elections

US Representatives from Washington

Washington is currently represented by 10 members in the U.S. house.

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for Washington have changed over time starting in 2008.

Education

In 2022, universities in Whatcom County (South)--Greater Bellingham City PUMA, WA awarded 5,859 degrees. The student population of Whatcom County (South)--Greater Bellingham City PUMA, WA in 2022 is skewed towards women, with 8,544 male students and 11,175 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Whatcom County (South)--Greater Bellingham City PUMA, WA are White (3,971 and 68.7%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (658 and 11.4%), Two or More Races (464 and 8.02%), and Asian (372 and 6.43%).

The largest universities in Whatcom County (South)--Greater Bellingham City PUMA, WA by number of degrees awarded are Western Washington University (3,831 and 65.4%), Whatcom Community College (1,193 and 20.4%), and Bellingham Technical College (835 and 14.3%).

The most popular majors in Whatcom County (South)--Greater Bellingham City PUMA, WA are Liberal Arts & Sciences (490 and 8.36%), General Psychology (220 and 3.75%), and General Computer & Information Sciences (165 and 2.82%).

The median tuition cost in Whatcom County (South)--Greater Bellingham City PUMA, WA for a public four year colleges is $3,527 for in-state students and $8,786 for out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2022 in Whatcom County (South)--Greater Bellingham City PUMA, 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 19,719 (43.3% men and 56.7% 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 19,719 students enrolled in Whatcom County (South)--Greater Bellingham City PUMA, WA, 43.3% men and 56.7% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 13,024 records, of which 56.7% were women and 43.3% 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 Whatcom County (South)--Greater Bellingham City PUMA, WA was General Psychology with 220 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Whatcom County (South)--Greater Bellingham City PUMA, 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, 2,503 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Whatcom County (South)--Greater Bellingham City PUMA, WA, which is 0.746 times less than the 3,356 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 3,971 degrees mean that there were 6.03 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 ($3,527) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2022.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,207) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2022.

Public, 4-year or above ($942) 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

Measure

In 2022, 0.858% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.468% of women were in the same situation.

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

Educational Attainment

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population of Whatcom County (South)--Greater Bellingham City PUMA, WA in 2022 were Some college (25.2k), High School or Equivalent (19.7k), and Bachelors Degree (19.4k).

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 Whatcom County (South)--Greater Bellingham City PUMA, WA was $585,400 in 2023, which is 1.93 times larger than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $527,400 to $585,400, a 11% increase. The homeownership rate in Whatcom County (South)--Greater Bellingham City PUMA, WA is 51.2%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 65%.

People in Whatcom County (South)--Greater Bellingham City PUMA, WA have an average commute time of 19 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Whatcom County (South)--Greater Bellingham City PUMA, WA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Whatcom County (South)--Greater Bellingham City PUMA, WA is $70,730. In 2023, the PUMA with the highest Median Household Income in Whatcom County (South)--Greater Bellingham City PUMA, WA was King County (Central)--Sammamish, Issaquah, Mercer Island & Newcastle Cities PUMA, WA with a value of $192,778, followed by King County (Northeast)--Snoqualmie City, Cottage Lake, Union Hill & Novelty Hill PUMA, WA and King County (Northwest Central)--Greater Bellevue City PUMA, WA, with respective values of $175,297 and $163,708.

Housing

Property

$585,400

Median Property Value 2023

±$15,551

$25,485

Median Property Taxes

±$1,178

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 Whatcom County (South)--Greater Bellingham City PUMA, WA the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Whatcom County (South)--Greater Bellingham City PUMA, WA compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

51.2%

Homeownership

2023

68.2%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 51.2% of the housing units in Whatcom County (South)--Greater Bellingham City PUMA, WA were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 51.4%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Whatcom County (South)--Greater Bellingham City PUMA, WA compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

In 2023, the PUMA with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Whatcom County (South)--Greater Bellingham City PUMA, WA was King County (Central)--Sammamish, Issaquah, Mercer Island & Newcastle Cities PUMA, WA with a value of $192,778, followed by King County (Northeast)--Snoqualmie City, Cottage Lake, Union Hill & Novelty Hill PUMA, WA and King County (Northwest Central)--Greater Bellevue City PUMA, WA, with respective values of $175,297 and $163,708.

The following map shows all of the PUMAs in Whatcom County (South)--Greater Bellingham City PUMA, 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.

$70,730

Median Household Income

± $2,686

49.8k

Number of Households

± 1,967

In 2023, the median household income of the 49.8k households in Whatcom County (South)--Greater Bellingham City PUMA, WA grew to $70,730 from the previous year's value of $68,454.

The following chart displays the households in Whatcom County (South)--Greater Bellingham City PUMA, 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

0.452

2022 Wage GINI in Whatcom County (South)--Greater Bellingham City PUMA, WA

0.448

2021 Wage GINI in Whatcom County (South)--Greater Bellingham City PUMA, WA

In 2022, the income inequality in Whatcom County (South)--Greater Bellingham City PUMA, WA was 0.452 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.993% growth from 2021 to 2022, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat less even. The GINI for Whatcom County (South)--Greater Bellingham City PUMA, WA was lower than than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Whatcom County (South)--Greater Bellingham City PUMA, WA in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Whatcom County (South)--Greater Bellingham City PUMA, WA across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2023

Drove Alone (65.1%)
Worked At Home (14.6%)
Carpooled (7.85%)

In 2023, 65.1% of workers in Whatcom County (South)--Greater Bellingham City PUMA, WA drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (14.6%) and those who carpooled to work (7.85%).

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

19 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Whatcom County (South)--Greater Bellingham City PUMA, WA have a shorter commute time (19 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 2.01% of the workforce in Whatcom County (South)--Greater Bellingham City PUMA, WA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Whatcom County (South)--Greater Bellingham City PUMA, WA compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Whatcom County (South)--Greater Bellingham City PUMA, WA distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Whatcom County (South)--Greater Bellingham City PUMA, WA have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

16.7% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Whatcom County (South)--Greater Bellingham City PUMA, WA (18.5k out of 111k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.4%. 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 Whatcom County (South)--Greater Bellingham City PUMA, 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

95.2% of the population of Whatcom County (South)--Greater Bellingham City PUMA, WA has health coverage, with 50.1% on employee plans, 17.3% on Medicaid, 13.5% on Medicare, 13.1% on non-group plans, and 1.17% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Washington see 1184 patients per year on average, which represents a 0.68% increase from the previous year (1176 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1175 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 215 patients per year.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

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

1,184 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Washington

Primary care physicians in Washington see an average of 1,184 patients per year. This represents a 0.68% increase from the previous year (1,176 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.

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 17.4% under 18 years, 31.6% between 18 and 34 years, 34.4% between 35 and 64 years, and 16.7% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.3% were men and 51.7% were women.

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

Uninsured People

4.76%

Uninsured

50.1%

Employer Coverage

17.3%

Medicaid

13.5%

Medicare

13.1%

Non-Group

1.17%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Whatcom County (South)--Greater Bellingham City PUMA, WA declined by 2.33% from 4.87% to 4.76%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Whatcom County (South)--Greater Bellingham City PUMA, WA changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Keep Exploring

Washington

State

Skagit County PUMA, WA

PUMA

Whatcom County (Outer)--Lynden, Ferndale & Blaine Cities PUMA, WA