County-level Census Bureau data covering income, housing, demographics, education, employment, and more. Counties are the primary administrative division in the U.S. and the most common unit for comparing local conditions across a state.
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023 (released December 2024).
Quick Facts — Whatcom County
- What is the median household income in Whatcom County?
- The median household income in Whatcom County is $76,100 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023).
- What is the poverty rate in Whatcom County?
- The poverty rate in Whatcom County is 4.6% (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What is the median home value in Whatcom County?
- $237,600 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What is the average rent in Whatcom County?
- The median gross rent in Whatcom County is $867 per month (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What percentage of Whatcom County residents have a college degree?
- 25.3% of adults in Whatcom County hold a bachelor's degree or higher (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
Population
16,174
Median Income
$76,100
Median Home Value
$237,600
Poverty Rate
4.6%
Unemployment (ACS 2023)
3.9%
Median Age
44.0 yrs
Since 2019
Median Income:
+$12,530 (+19.7%)
Home Value:
+$55,700 (+30.6%)
Poverty Rate:
+0.5 pp (+12.2%)
Bachelor's+:
-3.6 pp (-12.5%)
Unemployment:
+1.8 pp (+85.7%)
Demographics
Total Population
16,174
Median Age
44.0
Female
47.5%
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino 3.1%
White (non-Hisp.) 89.1%
Black 3.9%
Asian 1.2%
Two or More 3.8%
Other 0.2%
Asian Subgroups (% of total pop.)
Japanese
0.3%
Chinese
0.2%
Indian
0.1%
Filipino
0.1%
Vietnamese
0.1%
Hispanic Subgroups (% of total pop.)
Mexican
2.3%
Puerto Rican
0.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Income & Poverty
Median Household Income
$76,100
±$4,531
-$18,852 vs. state
Per Capita Income
$97,946
Median Family Income
$102,305
Poverty Rate
4.6%
-1.8 pp vs. state
Child Poverty Rate
8.0%
Working-Age Poverty Rate
—
SNAP Recipients
6.9%
Social Security Income
—
Retirement Income
34.8%
Household Income Distribution
< $10k
3.4%
$10–15k
2.2%
$15–25k
4.5%
$25–35k
7.8%
$35–50k
10.3%
$50–75k
20.7%
$75–100k
14.4%
$100–150k
21.4%
$150–200k
8.4%
$200k+
6.8%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Housing
Total Housing Units
6,591
Owner-Occupied
75.5%
Renter-Occupied
24.5%
Vacancy Rate
4.9%
Median Home Value
$237,600
-$282,200 vs. state
Median Gross Rent
$867
Owner Cost Burden (30%+)
11.2%
Renter Cost Burden (30%+)
18.9%
Home Value Distribution
< $50k
3.3%
$50–100k
2.3%
$100–200k
10.1%
$200–300k
32.1%
$300–500k
22.6%
$500k–$1M
7.9%
$1M+
0.9%
Gross Rent Distribution
< $500
9.6%
$500–1k
53.4%
$1–1.5k
34.1%
$1.5–2k
0.9%
$2–2.5k
0.1%
$3.5k+
2.0%
Vehicle Availability
No vehicle
3.2%
1 vehicle
30.1%
2 vehicles
46.6%
3+
20.2%
Housing Type
Single-fam. det.
68.2%
Single-fam. att.
5.0%
2–4 units
7.9%
5–19 units
4.6%
20+ units
3.5%
Mobile home
2.3%
Housing Age
Pre-1940
22.7%
1940–1969
3.7%
1970–1999
16.0%
2000–2009
10.8%
2010+
4.5%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Education
High School or Higher
94.4%
Bachelor's or Higher
25.3%
-13.5 pp vs. state
Graduate Degree
7.4%
Some College / Associate
20.0%
Less Than High School
0.7%
Enrolled in School
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Employment
Labor Force Participation
55.0%
Unemployment Rate
3.9%
-1.1 pp vs. state
Work from Home
9.8%
Self-Employed
5.0%
Government Workers
11.4%
Private For-Profit
83.7%
Industry
Manufacturing
29.5%
Edu/Health
17.9%
Retail
10.2%
Arts/Entmt.
9.1%
Prof. Services
6.3%
Finance
5.8%
Construction
4.3%
Public Admin
3.3%
Transportation
3.1%
Wholesale
3.1%
Agriculture
2.9%
Information
1.5%
Occupation
Management
34.6%
Production
20.7%
Sales
19.1%
Food Prep
16.9%
Construction
8.6%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Commute
Median Travel Time
17.6 min
Drove Alone
81.2%
Carpool
5.5%
Public Transit
0.0%
Work from Home
9.8%
Walked
2.7%
Bicycle
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Households & Families
Total Households
6,271
Avg. Household Size
2.00
Avg. Family Size
—
Married-Couple Households
53.2%
Single-Mother Households
—
Single-Father Households
—
Living Alone
—
Households with Children
13.6%
Multigenerational
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Age Distribution
Under 5
2.6%
5–9
5.2%
10–14
4.9%
15–19
6.4%
20–24
7.5%
25–34
11.7%
35–44
12.2%
45–54
11.6%
55–64
6.3%
65–74
8.7%
75–84
15.0%
85+
5.5%
Under 18: 16.6%
Working age (18–64): 83.4%
65 and over: 23.0%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Social Characteristics
Immigration
Foreign Born
1.7%
Naturalized Citizen
39.6%
Speaks English Less Than Very Well
1.1%
Foreign-Born Origin
Asia
57.2%
Europe
25.8%
Latin America
11.7%
Africa
2.5%
Veterans & Disability
Veteran
7.3%
With a Disability
10.7%
Cognitive Difficulty
—
Ambulatory Difficulty
—
Health Insurance
Insured
96.8%
Uninsured
3.2%
Employer Insurance
—
Medicaid
—
Medicare
—
Technology & Mobility
Broadband Internet
86.1%
Has a Computer
93.3%
Same House 1 Year Ago
88.6%
Moved from Abroad
0.0%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Compare Whatcom County
Compare to another county →Where People Move From (IRS Migration Data)
Top origins of people who moved to Whatcom County in 2023, by number of tax returns filed (IRS SOI Migration Data).
| Origin | Tax Returns | People (est.) |
|---|---|---|
| King County | 1,004 | 1,433 |
| Other flows - West | 860 | 1,298 |
| Other flows - South | 650 | 1,083 |
| Snohomish County | 514 | 760 |
| Skagit County | 450 | 685 |
| Other flows - Midwest | 359 | 542 |
| Other flows - Northeast | 248 | 330 |
| Pierce County | 178 | 241 |
| Island County | 140 | 194 |
| Spokane County | 136 | 190 |