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COUNTY · 2000 CENSUS

Whatcom County

Washington · 166,814 residents · 2,107.949 sq mi
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The short version

Whatcom County has roughly average household income, with a median household income of $40,005. Population has grown 31% since 1990. Median home value has risen by half since 1990, reaching $149,500.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $42,589
Mid-age
median age 34.0
US median: 35.2
More educated
27% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 24%
Less affordable
home values up 26%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $120,530
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
166,814
+31%since 1990
from 127,780 in 1990
1990 – 2025
Median age
34.0
+3%since 1990
from 32.9 in 1990
US average: 35.2
Population, 1990 – 2024
118K148K179K210K241K1990201020202024Whatcom County
2024231K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2000
Under 56.1%(10,210)
US avg: 6.8%
5 to 96.8%(11,312)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 147%(11,707)
US avg: 7.3%
15 to 198.4%(13,946)
US avg: 7.2%
20 to 2410.1%(16,776)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3412.8%(21,429)
US avg: 14.2%
35 to 4414.6%(24,418)
US avg: 16%
45 to 5414.4%(24,018)
US avg: 13.4%
55 to 648.2%(13,598)
US avg: 8.6%
65 to 745.9%(9,833)
US avg: 6.5%
75 to 844.2%(6,985)
US avg: 4.4%
85 and over1.5%(2,582)
US avg: 1.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$40,005
+7%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $28,367 in 1990
US average: $42,589
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$20,025
+46%since 1990
from $13,753 in 1990
US average: $21,522
Poverty rate
14.2%
+1.9 ptssince 1990
from 12.3% in 1990
US average: 12.4%
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$149,500
+26%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $90,400 in 1990
US average: $120,530
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$622
+11%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $425 in 1990
US average: $602
Owner-occupied
63.4%
−0.9 ptssince 1990
from 64.3% in 1990
36.6% rent
RELATED:See current rent listings in Whatcom County on RentDataNow
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

1990
White, non-Hispanic93.5%(119,447)
Black0.5%(618)
Hispanic / Latino2.5%(3,246)
Asian1.9%(2,408)
2000
White, non-Hispanic86.2%(143,842)
Black0.6%(1,065)
Hispanic / Latino5.2%(8,687)
Asian2.8%(4,598)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

Hispanic origin
Mexican7.4%(16,974)
Central American0.8%(1,926)
South American0.5%(1,125)
Puerto Rican0.4%(1,017)
Spaniard0.3%(730)
Guatemalan0.3%(711)
Salvadoran0.2%(513)
Honduran0.2%(477)
Peruvian0.2%(387)
Venezuelan0.1%(243)
Colombian0.1%(190)
Cuban0.1%(168)
+ 8 more hispanic origin groups with data
Dominican0.1%(143)
Costa Rican0.1%(137)
Chilean0.1%(121)
Argentine0%(99)
Bolivian0%(57)
Asian origin
Asian Indian1.2%(2,669)
Chinese0.9%(2,140)
Filipino0.8%(1,746)
Vietnamese0.4%(890)
Korean0.2%(527)
Japanese0.1%(267)
Cambodian0.1%(194)
Pakistani0.1%(193)
Taiwanese0.1%(185)
Kazakh0.1%(163)
Thai0.1%(144)
Sri Lankan0%(115)
+ 6 more asian origin groups with data
Burmese0%(37)
Malaysian0%(31)
Laotian0%(20)
Nepalese0%(12)
Pacific Islander origin
Fijian0.1%(312)
Chamorro0%(106)
Samoan0%(68)
Tongan0%(25)
Ancestry
German15.5%(35,735)
English14%(32,161)
Irish10%(23,089)
Norwegian5.5%(12,748)
Dutch5.3%(12,223)
Scottish3.7%(8,424)
Italian3.4%(7,838)
Swedish3.2%(7,468)
American3.2%(7,458)
French2.6%(5,888)
Polish2%(4,612)
Russian1.1%(2,640)
+ 48 more ancestry groups with data
Scotch-Irish1.1%(2,531)
Welsh1.1%(2,513)
British0.8%(1,898)
Canadian0.8%(1,734)
Danish0.6%(1,425)
French Canadian0.6%(1,277)
Swiss0.6%(1,268)
Ukrainian0.5%(1,221)
Finnish0.5%(1,111)
Portuguese0.3%(780)
Arab0.3%(741)
Hungarian0.3%(672)
Lithuanian0.3%(590)
Czech0.2%(555)
Greek0.2%(521)
Austrian0.2%(412)
Croatian0.2%(363)
West Indian0.2%(359)
Lebanese0.2%(350)
Belgian0.1%(297)
Romanian0.1%(265)
Iranian0.1%(241)
Jamaican0.1%(205)
Latvian0.1%(178)
Slovak0.1%(166)
Ghanaian0.1%(162)
Serbian0.1%(158)
Bulgarian0.1%(156)
Egyptian0.1%(126)
Brazilian0%(91)
Turkish0%(81)
Ethiopian0%(69)
Slovene0%(63)
Armenian0%(54)
Israeli0%(41)
Haitian0%(38)
Moroccan0%(31)
Somali0%(31)
Nigerian0%(24)
Syrian0%(23)
Jordanian0%(18)
Barbadian0%(18)
Iraqi0%(10)
RANKED:Largest German population · Largest English population · Largest Irish population · Largest Mexican population · Largest Norwegian population
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
27.2%
+5.3 ptssince 1990
from 22.0% in 1990
US average: 24.4%
High school or higher
87.5%
+4.3 ptssince 1990
from 83.2% in 1990
US average: 80.3%
Graduate degree
8.9%
+2.1 ptssince 1990
from 6.8% in 1990
US average: 8.8%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
13.6 min
−29%since 1990
from 19.2 min in 1990
US average: 17.6
Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status
Men 15+
Never married32.4%(21,175)
Married56.4%(36,833)
Widowed2.2%(1,412)
Divorced9%(5,882)
Women 15+
Never married26.8%(18,301)
Married54%(36,895)
Widowed8.4%(5,741)
Divorced10.8%(7,372)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2000
Drill deeper

Places similar to Whatcom County

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Pop 233,132
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Pop 226,568
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Pop 221,810
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Head to head

Compare Whatcom County to nearby counties

WHATCOM COUNTY VS
Skagit County
Income$89,263+123%
Home value$545,100+265%
Population132,975−44%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
WHATCOM COUNTY VS
Snohomish County
Income$111,246+178%
Home value$696,000+366%
Population870,656+268%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
WHATCOM COUNTY VS
Island County
Income$90,551+126%
Home value$593,300+297%
Population85,657−64%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
WHATCOM COUNTY VS
San Juan County
Income$84,800+112%
Home value$799,200+435%
Population18,577−92%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Whatcom County, Washington?

Whatcom County, Washington has about 166,814 residents according to the 2000 Census.

What is the median household income in Whatcom County, Washington?

The typical household in Whatcom County, Washington earns about $40,005 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Whatcom County, Washington expensive?

In Whatcom County, Washington, the median home is worth about $149,500, and the typical rent is about $622 a month.

How educated are people in Whatcom County, Washington?

About 27.2% of adults age 25 and over in Whatcom County, Washington hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Whatcom County, Washington?

About 14.2% of people in Whatcom County, Washington live below the federal poverty line.

Has Whatcom County, Washington grown since 1990?

Yes, Whatcom County, Washington has grown since 1990. The population has added about 39,034 residents, a change of about 31 percent over that period.

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Explore from here

54 census tracts (top 20 by population)
Census Tract 103.03Census Tract 1.02Census Tract 10Census Tract 9.02Census Tract 106Census Tract 7Census Tract 103.01Census Tract 8.03Census Tract 8.04Census Tract 107.01Census Tract 105.03Census Tract 102.02Census Tract 105.05Census Tract 5.01Census Tract 103.02Census Tract 107.02Census Tract 3.01Census Tract 8.05Census Tract 2.01Census Tract 12.04
16 ZIP codes
ZIP 98225ZIP 98226ZIP 98229ZIP 98248ZIP 98264ZIP 98230ZIP 98247ZIP 98266ZIP 98240ZIP 98295ZIP 98244ZIP 98276ZIP 98281ZIP 98262ZIP 98220ZIP 98283
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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →