The story of this market
The typical home in Whatcom County, Washington sells for about $609,000, or $379 per square foot.
Prices are up +3.7% from a year ago, so sellers still have some momentum. Homes take about 52 days to sell. Over the long run, values in this county have grown 280% since 2000. Last year 33 of 52 neighborhoods saw prices rise, so the story isn't the same street to street. The biggest natural hazard here is ice storm, which FEMA rates relatively high. HUD's fair market rent for a two-bedroom is $1,872 a month.
HUD sets the fair market rent for a 2-bedroom at $1,872 a month. FEMA's National Risk Index rates overall hazard risk here as Relatively Moderate.
Price climate
Every year of price change, 2000–2025
+0.1%
2025
Each stripe is one year's median price change across the area's census tracts (FHFA repeat-sales index). Deep blue is a strong gain year, red a falling year. Best: 2005 (+22.2%). Worst: 2010 (-6%). Hover to read a year.
Monthly price momentum
Home values since 2015
-0.2%
WA · past 12 months
Freddie Mac House Price Index, single-family homes, monthly through 2026-08. Each line starts at 100 in January 2015, so a reading of 180 means prices are up 80% since then.
Rent benchmark
Fair market rent by size
$2,545
3-bed / month
HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal 2027, for this county. A typical rent for a modest unit, used to set housing-voucher payments.
Neighborhood price trend
Long-run price trend, 2000–2025
+0.1%
2025 change
FHFA repeat-sales index, median of 52 census tracts in this county (2000 = 100). Bars are each year's median change.
Natural hazard exposure
The area's risk shape
69
Relatively Moderate
FEMA National Risk Index. Each spoke is a hazard ranked nationally, where 100 is the most exposed. Expected annual loss: $180,667,729.
Whatcom County, Washington
The Whatcom County housing market is currently in a neutral state, characterized by a balance between inventory growth and steady demand. While median prices have seen modest year-over-year gains, the increase in active listings suggests a cooling from the extreme highs of previous years.
No ARED distress-ledger coverage for this county yet — the foreclosure ingest rotates the national county directory, and filings appear here once the county's posted notices are read. Key-figure check: no independent anchor retained yet — first-researched cycles establish the anchor baseline this pass.
Select a city to expand its ZIP intel reports beneath · 4 cities · 6 ZIP reports
Median prices moved up 2.7% year over year.
Homes spend a median of 43 days on market with 2.6 months of supply — a fast-moving market.
6% of listings have cut prices · homes sell at 54.88% of asking — demand is holding steady.
no recorded foreclosure-ledger notices (0.0 per 10,000 residents) · unemployment 4.2% · poverty 11.5% — a stable, low-distress profile.
ACS 2024 5-year estimates. Aggregate published statistics for this county — never individual records, and never an attribute of any individual property or resident.
Owned and leased federal assets with active or excess status, per the General Services Administration's Real Estate Across the United States inventory (read 2026-09-25). A federal footprint read on this county — not a market valuation, and never an attribute of any individual property or tenant.
Deterministic aggregate of 6 researched ZIP reports — sales_count-weighted (population fallback); per point, children lacking the value or its weight are excluded. Tax rates, sentiment and context notes are tier-native and never roll.
Whatcom County, Washington — researched county-level history with a deterministic 1 / 3 / 5-year projection
Solid: researched ten-year history · dotted: 1 / 3 / 5-year projection extended from the historical 9.3%/yr trend — a deterministic estimate, not a published forecast or guarantee.
No researched properties in this county yet — the property base layer populates as property research runs, and each property feeds its ZIP's roll-up.
researched Sep 26
researched Sep 26
researched Sep 26
researched Sep 26
researched Sep 26
researched Sep 26
| 98225 | Bellingham | $674,000 | $360 | -0.3% | 40 | 100% | — | 3.7 | 345 | $1,850 | researched Sep 26 |
| 98226 | Bellingham | $609,182 | $345 | -0.5% | 226 | 98.5% | 15% | 5.2 | 257 | $2,000 | researched Sep 26 |
| 98229 | Bellingham | $650,000 | $397 | -0.1% | 12 | — | — | — | 666 | $1,815 | researched Sep 26 |
| 98230 | Blaine | $599,000 | $315 | +8.8% | 68 | 98.5% | 18% | 6.2 | 212 | $2,150 | researched Sep 26 |
| 98248 | Ferndale | $666,000 | $353 | +6% | 37 | — | — | — | 118 | $2,400 | researched Sep 26 |
| 98264 | Lynden | $600,000 | $315 | +2.5% | 17 | 99.3% | 15% | 3.2 | 119 | $2,150 | researched Sep 26 |
Figures are each ZIP report's own latest research — the county roll-up aggregates them sales_count-weighted (population fallback); ZIPs cycle quarterly.
Crime rates in Whatcom County generally align with regional averages for Western Washington, with urban centers like Bellingham experiencing higher property crime volumes compared to rural areas.
The county is served by several well-regarded school districts, with Bellingham Public Schools frequently cited for high graduation rates and strong academic performance.
The region faces moderate risks from flooding in low-lying river valleys and wildfire potential in forested eastern areas, with insurance premiums reflecting these environmental exposures.
Economic momentum is driven by the education, healthcare, and manufacturing sectors, with major employers including Western Washington University and PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center.
Property taxes are assessed by the Whatcom County Assessor based on market value, with rates varying by local taxing districts including school, fire, and library levies.
The economy is anchored by higher education, healthcare, and a diverse mix of small-to-medium manufacturing and agricultural businesses.
The county is served by the I-5 corridor, providing critical north-south connectivity between Seattle and Vancouver, BC.
The Whatcom County Assessor performs annual revaluations to ensure property assessments reflect current market conditions.
Parcels are subject to various special districts including fire protection, water/sewer, and public utility districts.
Property insurance markets remain stable but sensitive to regional wildfire and flood risk assessments.
- Cultus Lake Waterpark4.413.6 mi
- Castle Fun Park4.415.9 mi
- The Outdoor Experience4.625.9 mi
- Cultus Lake Adventure Park4.513.6 mi
- Bridal Falls Waterpark423.8 mi
- Greater Vancouver Zoo4.127.9 mi
- Maan Farms Market and Estate Winery3.917 mi
- Rogers Forum4.417.7 mi
- Castle Fun Park4.415.9 mi
- Merry & Bright at Martini Town4.424.7 mi
- Mt. Baker Ski Area4.714 mi
- Artist Point4.912.9 mi
- Maan Farms Market and Estate Winery3.917 mi
- Castle Fun Park4.415.9 mi
- Cultus Lake Adventure Park4.513.6 mi
- Chilliwack Cultural Centre4.720.1 mi
- Whatcom Falls4.822.6 mi
- SPARK Museum of Electrical Invention4.824.7 mi
- Gur Sikh Temple National Historic Site4.819.3 mi
- Whatcom Museum4.724.8 mi
- Artist Point4.912.9 mi
- Castle Fun Park4.415.9 mi
- Mill Lake Park4.619.4 mi
- Chain Lakes Loop Trailhead4.912.8 mi
- Picture Lake Viewpoint4.913.4 mi
- Cultus Lake Marina4.413 mi
- Bellingham Yacht Club4.625.7 mi
- Port of Bellingham4.625.2 mi
- Olympic Marine & Rec - Abbotsford4.820.1 mi
- Castle Fun Park4.415.9 mi
- Ledgeview Golf Club4.517.7 mi
- Chilliwack Golf course4.317.6 mi
- Sudden Valley Golf Course4.319.8 mi
- Cultus Lake Golf Club4.513.6 mi
- Sevenoaks Shopping Centre4.119.4 mi
- Maan Farms Market and Estate Winery3.917 mi
- Canadian Tire3.919.9 mi
- Cottonwood Centre3.918.2 mi
- Canadian Tire418.2 mi
- Abbotsford International Airport4.120.4 mi
- Bellingham International Airport4.526.2 mi
- Chilliwack Airport Restaurant4.419.1 mi
Theme parks, venues, golf, airports, museums, water and shopping across the area from Google Maps, ranked by popularity within the radius shown.
The amenity base that shapes daily life and property demand in this county — what residents actually live with, and what the pipeline is adding.
Offers extensive hiking, skiing, and outdoor recreation opportunities that define the region's lifestyle.
A primary water source and recreational hub for boating, fishing, and residential living.
A historic waterfront district in Bellingham known for its unique shops, galleries, and dining.
Retrieved from data.census.gov
Public schools whose reported address is in this area (NCES). Not attendance boundaries — schools that serve residents may sit outside it. Check the district's address locator for assignment.