Bellingham, WA

Census Place

2024 Population

93,438

US Senator

Patty Murray

Democratic Party

US Senator

Maria Cantwell

Democratic Party

2024 Median Age

34.1

1.16% 1-year decrease

2024 Poverty Rate

18.6%

1.8% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$66,755

1.42% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$627,500

Population & Diversity

Bellingham, WA is home to a population of 93.4k people, from which 96.4% are citizens.

As of 2024, 8.44% of Bellingham, WA residents were born outside of the country (7.88k people).

In 2024, there were 13.8 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (71.2k people) in Bellingham, WA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 5.16k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) and 4.89k Asian (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

96.4%

2024 Citizenship

96%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 96.4% 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 96%, 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)
71.2k ± 1.16k
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
5.16k ± 604
Asian (Non-Hispanic)
4.89k ± 627

10.2%

Hispanic Population

9.52k people

10.2% of the people in Bellingham, WA are hispanic (9.52k people).

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

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for Washington.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
247,954 ± 12,030 people
India
116,227 ± 8,308 people
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.

Foreign-Born Population

8.44%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

7.88k people

9.06%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

8.37k people

As of 2024, 8.44% of Bellingham, WA residents (7.88k 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 9.06%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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
1,349 ± 257
Gulf War (2001-)
1,045 ± 325
Gulf War (1990s)
673 ± 199

Bellingham, WA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.29 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Bellingham, WA employs 51.1k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Bellingham, WA were Health Care & Social Assistance (7,413 people), Educational Services (6,583 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (5,702 people), and the highest paying industries were Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($101,750), Public Administration ($75,432), and Utilities ($72,574).

Employment

Occupations

51.1k

2024 Value

± 2,045

2.17%

1 Year growth

± 5.5%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Bellingham, WA grew at a rate of 2.17%, from 50.1k employees to 51.1k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Bellingham, WA, are Management Occupations (6,143 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (5,451 people), and Food Preparation & Serving Related Occupations (4,866 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 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.

Industries

Employment by Industries

51.1k

2024 Value

± 2,045

2.17%

1 Year growth

± 5.5%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Bellingham, WA grew at a rate of 2.17%, from 50.1k employees to 51.1k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Bellingham, WA, are Health Care & Social Assistance (7,413 people), Educational Services (6,583 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (5,702 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

$47,123

Median earning men ± $1,995

$35,547

Median earning women ± $2,009

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Public Administration ($91,510), Information ($68,669), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($60,123).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Information ($67,500), Wholesale Trade ($65,707), and Public Administration ($58,614).

Education

The student population of Bellingham, WA in 2024 is skewed towards women, with 8,766 male students and 11,700 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Bellingham, WA are White (3,511 and 68.3%), Hispanic or Latino (614 and 11.9%), Two or More Races (372 and 7.24%), and Asian (298 and 5.8%).

The largest universities in Bellingham, WA by number of degrees awarded are Western Washington University (3,463 and 66.2%), Whatcom Community College (928 and 17.8%), and Bellingham Technical College (819 and 15.7%).

The most popular majors in Bellingham, WA are Liberal Arts & Sciences (420 and 8.03%), General Psychology (234 and 4.48%), and General Computer & Information Sciences (137 and 2.62%).

The median tuition cost for a public four year colleges is $3,742 for in-state students and $9,320 for out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2024 in Bellingham, WA, the percentage of applicants admitted was 93.2%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 22.9%. The number of students enrolled in 2024 was 20,466 (42.8% men and 57.2% 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 2024 there were 20,466 students enrolled in Bellingham, WA, 42.8% men and 57.2% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 12,873 records, of which 57% were women and 43% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Psychology
234 degrees awarded
Creative Writing
127 degrees awarded
Sociology
114 degrees awarded

In 2024, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Bellingham, WA was General Psychology with 234 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
3,463 degrees awarded
Whatcom Community College
928 degrees awarded
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.

Student Diversity

University

In 2024, 2,153 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Bellingham, WA, which is 0.7 times less than the 3,075 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 3,511 degrees mean that there were 5.72 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 614 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 ($3,742) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2024.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,342) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2024.

Public, 4-year or above ($762) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

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

Housing & Living

The median property value in Bellingham, WA was $627,500 in 2024, which is 1.89 times larger than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $577,400 to $627,500, a 8.68% increase. The homeownership rate in Bellingham, WA is 44.6%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Bellingham, WA have an average commute time of 18.1 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

$627,500

Median Property Value 2024

±$15,464

$18,512

Median Property Taxes

±$1,018

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

44.6%

Homeownership

2024

67.9%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 44.6% of the housing units in Bellingham, WA were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 45.2%.

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

Equity

Household Income

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

$66,755

Median Household Income

± $3,771

41.5k

Number of Households

± 1,754

In 2024, the median household income of the 41.5k households in Bellingham, WA grew to $66,755 from the previous year's value of $65,821.

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 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.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (63.7%)
Worked At Home (14.7%)
Walked (6.88%)

In 2024, 63.7% of workers in Bellingham, WA drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (14.7%) and those who walked to work (6.88%).

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

18.1 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Bellingham, WA have a shorter commute time (18.1 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.64% 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

18.6% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Bellingham, WA (16.6k out of 89.3k 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

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

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

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