The Town Files

Whatcom County, Washington

230,503 people. The median home is worth $585,800 (typical Washington town: $475,000) and the median household earns $81,784.

Towns in Whatcom County

Towns in Whatcom County

TownPeopleMedian homeIncomeMedian age
Bellingham91,482$627,500$66,75534.1
Lynden15,749$596,600$103,23335.2
Ferndale15,048$549,300$87,57935.1
Birch Bay10,115$477,200$86,85444.6
Sudden Valley6,354$489,200$100,93048.6
Blaine5,884$549,600$84,03043.4
Marietta-Alderwood4,015$547,100$76,01938.3
Peaceful Valley3,015$317,800$59,62540.9
Everson2,888$450,300$80,25030.8
Geneva2,652$801,100$142,18855.5

People and housing

Whatcom CountyTypical Washington town
Median home value$585,800$475,000
Median rent$1,555$1,597
Median household income$81,784$90,625
Median age38.440.1
Bachelor's degree or higher39.3%27.6%
Below the poverty line12.9%8.5%

Jobs and pay

93,430 jobs in 2024, average pay $65,174 a year.

Largest industries in Whatcom CountyHealth care & social assistan…13,337 jobs · $66,137Retail10,643 jobs · $42,238Manufacturing8,935 jobs · $79,570Hotels & restaurants8,347 jobs · $28,924Construction7,564 jobs · $86,578Professional & technical serv…4,444 jobs · $93,380
BLS QCEW 2024.
Unemployment rate in Whatcom County0%2%4%6%8%10%2000200420082012201620202023 4.3%
BLS LAUS via USDA ERS, annual averages.

Storms since 1996

NOAA recorded 21 storm events in Whatcom County from 1996 to 2026, with 1 deaths.

Storm events in Whatcom County by type since 1996Flood5Tornado1Lightning1Heavy Rain6Waterspout1Debris Flow1Funnel Cloud1Storm Surge/Tide2Thunderstorm Wind3
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.

Federal disaster declarations

Whatcom County has been included in 27 FEMA declarations since 1953.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
April 7, 2026FloodDR-4906: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides
December 12, 2025FloodEM-3629: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides
January 5, 2022FloodDR-4635: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides
April 23, 2020FloodDR-4539: Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides
March 22, 2020BiologicalDR-4481: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3427: Covid-19
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024; BLS QCEW and LAUS; NOAA Storm Events; FEMA OpenFEMA (not endorsed by FEMA).