Bellingham, WA

Census Place

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2020 Population

90,821

2.32% 1-year growth

US Senator

Patty Murray

Democratic Party

US Senator

Maria Cantwell

Democratic Party

2020 Median Age

32.9

4.44% 1-year increase

2020 Poverty Rate

20%

3.82% 1-year decrease

2020 Median Household Income

$56,198

5.25% 1-year growth

2020 Median Property Value

$405,700

8.27% 1-year growth

2020 Employed Population

48,864

5.67% 1-year growth

About

In 2020, Bellingham, WA had a population of 90.8k people with a median age of 32.9 and a median household income of $56,198. Between 2019 and 2020 the population of Bellingham, WA grew from 88,764 to 90,821, a 2.32% increase and its median household income grew from $53,396 to $56,198, a 5.25% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Bellingham, WA are White (Non-Hispanic) (77.4%), Asian (Non-Hispanic) (5.91%), White (Hispanic) (4.74%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (4.45%), and Other (Hispanic) (3.39%).

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.

95.1% of the residents in Bellingham, WA are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Bellingham, WA are Western Washington University (4,117 degrees awarded in 2020), Whatcom Community College (1,252 degrees), and Bellingham Technical College (677 degrees).

In 2020, the median property value in Bellingham, WA was $405,700, and the homeownership rate was 46.4%.

Most people in Bellingham, WA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 19 minutes. The average car ownership in Bellingham, WA was 2 cars per household.

Population & Diversity

Bellingham, WA is home to a population of 90.8k people, from which 95.1% are citizens. As of 2020, 9.42% of Bellingham, WA residents were born outside of the country (8.56k people).

In 2020, there were 13.1 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (70.3k people) in Bellingham, WA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 5.37k Asian (Non-Hispanic) and 4.31k White (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

95.1%

2020 Citizenship

95.4%

2019 Citizenship

As of 2020, 95.1% of Bellingham, WA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2019, the percentage of US citizens in Bellingham, WA was 95.4%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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)
70.3k ± 1.17k
Asian (Non-Hispanic)
5.37k ± 646
White (Hispanic)
4.31k ± 838

9.61%

Hispanic Population

8.73k people

9.61% of the people in Bellingham, WA are hispanic (8.73k people).

The following chart shows the 7 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
245,459 ± 11,963 people
India
87,443 ± 7,218 people
China
77,854 ± 6,815 people

In 2020, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Washington was Mexico, the natal country of 245,459 Washington residents, followed by India with 87,443 and China with 77,854.

Foreign-Born Population

9.42%

2020 Foreign-Born Population

8.56k people

9.67%

2019 Foreign-Born Population

8.58k people

As of 2020, 9.42% of Bellingham, WA residents (8.56k people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.5%. In 2019, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Bellingham, WA was 9.67%, 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
1,678 ± 316
Gulf War (2001-)
1,163 ± 402
Gulf War (1990s)
486 ± 173

Bellingham, WA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.44 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Bellingham, WA employs 48.9k people. The largest industries in Bellingham, WA are Health Care & Social Assistance (7,098 people), Educational Services (6,410 people), and Retail Trade (6,002 people), and the highest paying industries are Utilities ($67,353), Public Administration ($56,000), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($49,463).

Males in Washington have an average income that is 1.35 times higher than the average income of females, which is $61,193. The income inequality in Washington (measured using the Gini index) is 0.466, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

48.9k

2020 Value

± 2,055

5.67%

1 Year growth

± 5.34%

From 2019 to 2020, employment in Bellingham, WA grew at a rate of 5.67%, from 46.2k employees to 48.9k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Bellingham, WA, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (4,795 people), Sales & Related Occupations (4,737 people), and Management Occupations (4,573 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.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

48.9k

2020 Value

± 2,055

5.67%

1 Year growth

± 5.34%

From 2019 to 2020, employment in Bellingham, WA grew at a rate of 5.67%, from 46.2k employees to 48.9k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Bellingham, WA, are Health Care & Social Assistance (7,098 people), Educational Services (6,410 people), and Retail Trade (6,002 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

$37,368

Median earning men ± $2,532

$27,066

Median earning women ± $1,721

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2020 are Public Administration ($76,821), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($50,130), and Information ($48,935).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2020 are Public Administration ($44,460), Wholesale Trade ($40,609), and Manufacturing ($40,500).

Employment by Industry Sector

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

Y-Axis

8.45%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between May 2020 and May 2021

As of May 2021, there are 145M people employed in Washington. This represents a 8.45% increase in employment when compared to May 2020.

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

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Domestic Trade

Domestic Production & Consumption

Domestic production and consumption consists of products and services shipped from Washington to other states, or from other states to Washington.

Top Domestic Production in Dollars

In 2020, the top outbound Washington product (by dollars) was Transport equip. with $105B, followed by Misc. mfg. prods. ($46.1B) and Mixed freight ($35.2B).

The following chart shows the share of these products in relation to all outbound Washington products.

Domestic Trade Growth

Showing data for Washington.

$500B

2020 Value in Washington

$980B

Projected 2050 Value in Washington

95.8% growth

In 2020, total outbound Washington trade was $500B. This is expected to increase 95.8% to $980B by 2050.

The following chart shows how the domestic outbound Washington trade is projected to change in comparison to its neighboring states.

Interstate Trade

Interstate trade consists of products and services shipped from Washington to other states, or from other states to Washington.

Most Common Trade Partners

Oregon
$34.9B
California
$26.9B
Hawaii
$23.3B

In 2020, the top outbound Washington domestic partner for goods and services (by dollars) was Oregon with $34.9B, followed by California with $26.9B and Hawaii and $23.3B.

The following map shows the amount of trade that Washington shares with each state (excluding itself).

Civics

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.

Senators 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 Representatives 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 2020, universities in Bellingham, WA awarded 6,052 degrees. The student population of Bellingham, WA in 2020 is skewed towards women, with 8,450 male students and 11,321 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Bellingham, WA are White (4,241 and 71.6%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (548 and 9.25%), Two or More Races (443 and 7.48%), and Asian (337 and 5.69%).

The largest universities in Bellingham, WA by number of degrees awarded are Western Washington University (4,117 and 68%), Whatcom Community College (1,252 and 20.7%), and Bellingham Technical College (677 and 11.2%).

The most popular majors in Bellingham, WA are Liberal Arts & Sciences (565 and 9.34%), General Psychology (203 and 3.35%), and Environmental Science (167 and 2.76%).

The median tuition cost in Bellingham, WA for a public four year colleges is $4,419 for in-state students and $9,867 for out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2020 in Bellingham, WA, the percentage of applicants admitted was 93.5%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 26.1%. The number of students enrolled in 2020 was 19,771 (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 2020 there were 19,771 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 13,207 records, of which 57.4% were women and 42.6% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Psychology
203 degree-majors awarded
Environmental Science
160 degree-majors awarded
Sociology
145 degree-majors awarded

In 2020, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Bellingham, WA was General Psychology with 203 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
4,117 degrees awarded
Whatcom Community College
1,252 degrees awarded
Bellingham Technical College
677 degrees awarded

In 2020, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Western Washington University with 4,117 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2020, 2,532 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Bellingham, WA, which is 0.719 times less than the 3,520 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2020 the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 4,241 degrees mean that there were 7.74 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 548 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 ($4,419) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2020.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,131) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2020.

Public, 4-year or above ($954) 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 Washington.

Measure

In 2020, 0.797% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.827% 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 Washington.

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2020 were Some college (1.42M), High School or Equivalent (1.36M), and Bachelors Degree (1.26M).

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 $405,700 in 2020, which is 1.77 times larger than the national average of $229,800. Between 2019 and 2020 the median property value increased from $374,700 to $405,700, a 8.27% increase. The homeownership rate in Bellingham, WA is 46.4%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 64.4%.

People in Bellingham, WA have an average commute time of 19 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.

Median household income in Bellingham, WA is $56,198. In 2020, the place with the highest median household income in Bellingham, WA was Census Tract 8.04 with a value of $97,702, followed by Census Tract 9.02 and Census Tract 12.02, with respective values of $95,481 and $78,563.

Housing

Property

$405,700

Median Property Value 2020

±$13,345

$17,954

Median Property Taxes

±$1,157

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

46.4%

Homeownership

2020

67%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2020

In 2020, 46.4% of the housing units in Bellingham, WA were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 45.4%.

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

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 8.04
Census Tract 9.02
Census Tract 12.02

In 2020, the place with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Bellingham, WA was Census Tract 8.04 with a value of $97,702, followed by Census Tract 9.02 and Census Tract 12.02, with respective values of $95,481 and $78,563.

The following map shows all of the places 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.

$56,198

Median Household Income

± $2,408

38.7k

Number of Households

± 1,694

In 2020, the median household income of the 38.7k households in Bellingham, WA grew to $56,198 from the previous year's value of $53,396.

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.

0.466

2020 Wage GINI in Washington

0.468

2019 Wage GINI in Washington

In 2020, the income inequality in Washington was 0.466 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.301% decline from 2019 to 2020, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Washington was lower than than the national average of 0.478. 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 2020

Drove Alone (68.1%)
Worked At Home (7.72%)
Carpooled (7.41%)

In 2020, 68.1% of workers in Bellingham, WA drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (7.72%) and those who carpooled to work (7.41%).

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 Bellingham, WA have a shorter commute time (19 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.9 minutes). Additionally, 2.48% 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

20% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Bellingham, WA (17.2k out of 86k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.8%. 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 Asian.

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

95.1% of the population of Bellingham, WA has health coverage, with 51.1% on employee plans, 16.2% on Medicaid, 11.8% on Medicare, 14.6% on non-group plans, and 1.4% on military or VA plans.

Per capita personal health care spending in Washington was $7,913 in 2014. This is a 4% increase from the previous year ($7,609).

Primary care physicians in Whatcom County, WA see 1106 patients per year on average, which represents a 0.912% increase from the previous year (1096 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1373 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 214 patients per year.

COVID-19

Daily New Cases by Date

Showing data at the state level for Washington. Hospitalization data for some states may be delayed or not reported.

Y-Axis

This chart shows the number of COVID-19 daily new cases by date in Washington, as a 7-day rolling average, compared with the four states with the most similar number of confirmed cases.

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Patient to Clinician Ratios

Data is only available at the country level. Showing data for Whatcom County, WA.

1,106 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Whatcom County, WA

Primary care physicians in Whatcom County, WA see an average of 1,106 patients per year. This represents a 0.912% increase from the previous year (1,096 patients).

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

Community Mobility

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

This chart presents movement trends over time in the state of Washington across different categories of places such as retail and recreation, groceries and pharmacies, parks, transit stations, workplaces, and residential.

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Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2020, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 16.7% under 18 years, 36.2% between 18 and 34 years, 31.8% between 35 and 64 years, and 15.3% 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

4.91%

Uninsured

51.1%

Employer Coverage

16.2%

Medicaid

11.8%

Medicare

14.6%

Non-Group

1.4%

Military or VA

Between 2019 and 2020, the percent of uninsured citizens in Bellingham, WA declined by 4.18% from 5.13% to 4.91%.

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.