Whatcom County, Washington Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Whatcom County, WA Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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A
Health Above averageHealthier than 84% of counties in Washington
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C
Income Below average
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B
Education Around averageBetter educated than 82% of counties in Washington
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Whatcom County | Washington Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 230,493 | 7,801,159 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 92.1 | 109.3 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 1.18% | 1.21% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 36.2 | 36.2 | 37.3 |
| Households | 94,016 | 3,058,619 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Whatcom County grew by 19.4% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 230,493 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Whatcom County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 25.3% of residents. That is 3.9 points above Washington as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 58,278 25.3% +3.9 pts
- Millennials 29–44 48,272 20.9% -2.4 pts
- Gen X 45–60 42,816 18.6% -0.9 pts
- Boomers 61–79 40,591 17.6% +1.4 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Washington, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 50.2% of the people living in Whatcom County and men 49.8%.
- Women 50.2% Washington 49.7%
- Men 49.8% Washington 50.3%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Whatcom County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Whatcom County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Whatcom County | Washington Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $82,153 | $98,224 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.22% | 5.64% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.8% | 5.0% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Whatcom County is about 16% lower than in Washington.
Housing
| Metric | Whatcom County | Washington Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $487,382 | $485,016 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,555 | $1,759 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 63.7% | 63.8% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Whatcom County is about 26.1 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,555 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Whatcom County spend about 36 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 149 hours, about 6.2 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Whatcom County | Washington Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 17.9 | 22.4 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 35.8 | 44.8 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 149 | 187 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,619 | $5,785 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 14.8% | 19.8% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 7,859 | 10,119 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 954 | 1,525 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Washington:
Walla Walla County (12.2 min), San Juan County (12.3 min), Asotin County (13.2 min).
Slowest:
Mason County (32.0 min), Garfield County (28.4 min), Snohomish County (28.3 min).
The average commute time in Whatcom County is 18 minutes, shorter than the 22 minutes in Washington.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Whatcom County has a education index of B, which means it is quite educated.
| Metric | Whatcom County | Washington Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 33.0% | 35.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.40 | 2.50 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Washington:
King County (0.4), San Juan County (0.4), Jefferson County (0.4).
Lowest:
Adams County (0.2), Yakima County (0.2), Grant County (0.2).
Health
Whatcom County has a health index of A, which means it is very healthy.
| Metric | Whatcom County | Washington Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 80.5 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 12.8% | 15.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 15.5% | 16.4% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Washington:
King County (0.8), Whitman County (0.8), San Juan County (0.8).
Lowest:
Adams County (0.8), Okanogan County (0.8), Pacific County (0.8).
Whatcom County, WA Compared With Nearby Counties
Whatcom County, WA is the 3rd largest of the 5 counties compared here, 230,493 residents against a local median of 487,232. The measure that sets Whatcom County, WA apart most is commute: 17.9 min, 23% below the local median of 23.3 min. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
Median household income tells the same story from another angle: $82,153 against a local median of $102,025, 19% below it. The picture is mixed rather than uniform: commute runs ahead of the neighbourhood while median household income runs behind it, so Whatcom County, WA is trading one against the other rather than simply out-performing what surrounds it. The counties themselves spread 10.8 min on commute, so Whatcom County, WA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Whatcom County, WA has the 2nd lowest commute of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whatcom County, WA | 230,493 | $82,153 #5/5 | $487,382 #4/5 | 17.9 min #2/5 |
| Skagit County, WA | 131,328 | $88,887 | $412,493 | 21.1 min |
| Snohomish County, WA | 843,136 | $111,921 | $550,004 | 28.3 min |
| Island County, WA | 86,836 | $92,129 | $623,893 | 17.5 min |
| King County, WA | 2,275,758 | $124,760 | $833,657 | 25.4 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Whatcom County, Washington.
What is the population of Whatcom County, Washington?
About 230,493 people live in Whatcom County, Washington, in 94,016 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 36.2, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Whatcom County, Washington mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Whatcom County, Washington has 92 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Whatcom County, Washington?
The median home costs 5.9 times the median household income ($487,382 against $82,153), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,555 a month takes about 23% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
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