Bellingham is a city located in Whatcom County Washington. Bellingham has a 2024 population of 95,669. It is also the county seat of Whatcom County. Bellingham is currently growing at a rate of 1% annually and its population has increased by 4.13% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 91,871 in 2020.
The average household income in Bellingham is $89,546 with a poverty rate of 18.71%. The median age in Bellingham is 33.7 years: 32.9 years for males, and 34.4 years for females.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Bellingham was:
Race | Population | Percentage (of total) |
|---|---|---|
| White | 73,837 | 80.83% |
| Two or more races | 7,132 | 7.81% |
| Asian | 5,205 | 5.7% |
| Other race | 3,025 | 3.31% |
| Black or African American | 1,176 | 1.29% |
| Native American | 740 | 0.81% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander | 238 | 0.26% |
White
Two or more races
Asian
Other race
Black or African American
Native American
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
Household Type | Count | Average Size | Owner | Renter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All | 40,085 | 2.18 | 45.6 | 54.4 |
| Non Family | 21,934 | 1.61 | 29.2 | 70.8 |
| Married | 13,959 | 2.81 | 75.6 | 24.4 |
| Female | 3,231 | 2.93 | 27.6 | 72.4 |
| Male | 961 | 3.36 | 44.3 | 55.7 |
2.76
Average Family Size
2.18
Average Household Size
45.6%
Rate of Home Ownership
Married
Male
Female
NonFamily
owner
renter
Male
Female
Education Attained | Count | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 9th to 12th Grade | 2,215 | 3.77% |
| Associates Degree | 6,591 | 11.22% |
| Bachelors Degree | 15,681 | 26.69% |
| Graduate Degree | 11,414 | 19.43% |
| High School Graduate | 9,866 | 16.79% |
| Less Than 9th Grade | 972 | 1.65% |
| Some College | 12,009 | 20.44% |
Less Than 9th Grade
9th to 12th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Associates Degree
Bachelors Degree
Graduate Degree
High School Graduation Rate
Bachelors Rate
Race | Total | High School | Bachelors |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 47,683 | 45,858 | 23,049 |
| Hispanic | 4,271 | 3,502 | 1,361 |
| 2+ Races | 3,370 | 3,112 | 1,219 |
| Asian | 3,217 | 2,897 | 1,516 |
| Other Race | 1,691 | 1,197 | 335 |
| Black | 731 | 651 | 246 |
| Native American | 379 | 341 | 103 |
| Islander | 124 | 116 | 33 |
The highest rate of high school graduation is among white people with a rate of 96.17%.
The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among white people with a rate of 48.34%.
All
Male
Female
Name | Average | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelors Degree | $54,042 | $64,622 | $45,646 |
| Graduate Degree | $76,016 | $95,000 | $61,791 |
| High School Graduate | $36,046 | $41,533 | $31,294 |
| Less Than 9th Grade | $30,806 | $40,200 | $15,582 |
| Overall | $46,256 | $52,829 | $39,848 |
| Some College | $37,447 | $44,116 | $33,942 |
$46,256
Average Earnings
$52,829
Average Male
$39,848
Average Female
Only English
Spanish
Other Indo-European Languages
Asian and Pacific Island Languages
Other Languages
88.3% of Bellingham residents speak only English, while 11.7% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 5.32% of the population.
rate
Name | Total | In Poverty | Poverty Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 67,049 | 11,298 | 16.85% |
| Hispanic | 8,626 | 2,770 | 32.11% |
| Multiple | 6,676 | 1,488 | 22.29% |
| Other | 2,863 | 1,004 | 35.07% |
| Asian | 4,932 | 937 | 19% |
| Black | 1,101 | 238 | 21.62% |
| Native | 709 | 144 | 20.31% |
| Islander | 199 | 8 | 4.02% |
18.71%
Overall Poverty Rate
17.84%
Male Poverty Rate
19.54%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in Bellingham is Other, with 35.07% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in Bellingham is Islander, with 4.02% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 2.22%. Among those working part-time, it was 30.89%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 26.08%.
rate
Rate | Poverty |
|---|---|
| Less Than 9th Grade | 25.3% |
| High School | 18.16% |
| Some College | 14.87% |
| Bachelors or Greater | 5.63% |
rate
Rate | Poverty |
|---|---|
| Male Unemployed | 53.25% |
| Female Unemployed | 25.83% |
| Female Employed | 15.13% |
| Male Employed | 11.25% |
Households
Families
MarriedFamilies
NonFamilies
Name | Median | Mean |
|---|---|---|
| Families | $100,228 | $123,061 |
| Households | $64,026 | $89,546 |
| Married Families | $117,222 | $-999,999,999 |
| Non Families | $45,403 | $58,904 |
mean
median
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
37.0%
Overall Marriage Rate
38.4%
Male Marriage Rate
35.7%
Female Marriage Rate
male
female
The age group where males are most likely to be married is 55-64, while the female age group most likely to be married is 55-64.
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
Second Gulf War
First Gulf War
Vietnam
Korea
World War II
4,290
Number of Veterans
3,907
Male Veterans
383
Female Veterans
War | Veterans |
|---|---|
| Vietnam | 1,659 |
| Second Gulf War | 1,145 |
| First Gulf War | 868 |
| Korea | 226 |
| World War II | 78 |
count
Age Group | Veterans |
|---|---|
| 75+ | 1,210 |
| 65 to 74 | 1,037 |
| 35 to 54 | 1,026 |
| 55 to 64 | 563 |
| 18 to 34 | 454 |
count
Name | Veterans | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| White | 3,811 | 5.88% |
| Black | 207 | 21.08% |
| 2+ Races | 141 | 2.7% |
| Hispanic | 117 | 1.8% |
| Native American | 69 | 10.6% |
| Other Race | 26 | 1.11% |
| Islander | 19 | 13.29% |
| Asian | 17 | 0.36% |
Less Than 9th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Bachelors or Greater
9.13%
Veteran Poverty Rate
36.51%
Veteran Disability Rate
LaborForceParticipation
65.3%
Labor Force Participation
61.9%
Employment Rate
4.8%
Unemployment Rate
LaborForceParticipation
LaborForceParticipation
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
48.28%
Born in Bellingham
90.68%
Native Born
9.32%
Foreign Born
4.26%
Non Citizen
5.06%
Naturalized
90.68% of Bellingham residents were born in the United States, with 48.28% having been born in Washington. 4.26% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Asia.
Year | Population | Growth | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2029 | 100,418 | 950 | 0.96% |
| 2028 | 99,468 | 950 | 0.96% |
| 2027 | 98,518 | 949 | 0.97% |
| 2026 | 97,569 | 950 | 0.98% |
| 2025 | 96,619 | 950 | 0.99% |
| 2024 | 95,669 | 949 | 1% |
| 2023 | 94,720 | 778 | 0.83% |
| 2022 | 93,942 | 3,740 | 4.15% |
| 2021 | 90,202 | -1,669 | -1.82% |
| 2020 | 91,871 | -541 | -0.59% |
| 2019 | 92,412 | 1,557 | 1.71% |
| 2018 | 90,855 | 1,397 | 1.56% |
| 2017 | 89,458 | 2,059 | 2.36% |
| 2016 | 87,399 | 1,946 | 2.28% |
| 2015 | 85,453 | 1,625 | 1.94% |
| 2014 | 83,828 | 801 | 0.96% |
| 2013 | 83,027 | 305 | 0.37% |
| 2012 | 82,722 | 451 | 0.55% |
| 2011 | 82,271 | 566 | 0.69% |
| 2010 | 81,705 | 0 | 0% |
| 2000 | 67,171 | 14,992 | 28.73% |
| 1990 | 52,179 | 6,385 | 13.94% |
| 1980 | 45,794 | 6,419 | 16.3% |
| 1970 | 39,375 | 4,687 | 13.51% |
| 1960 | 34,688 | 576 | 1.69% |
| 1950 | 34,112 | 4,798 | 16.37% |
| 1940 | 29,314 | -1,509 | -4.9% |
| 1930 | 30,823 | 5,238 | 20.47% |
| 1920 | 25,585 | 1,287 | 5.3% |
| 1910 | 24,298 | 13,236 | 119.65% |
| 1900 | 11,062 | 2,907 | 35.65% |
| 1890 | 8,155 | -92,263 | -91.88% |