Living in Bellingham, WA
Small city in Washington
Bellingham is a small city in Washington, home to about 92,000 people, with 253,000 living within 31 mi. Day to day, much of daily life is walkable. Life moves at a moderate pace, and homes are mostly apartments.
Is Bellingham a good place to live? Pros and cons
👍 Pros
- Mild summers: highs around 73°F
- Great outdoors: coast or a lake close by
- Low taxes: about $70 state income tax per resident, 0.7% property tax
- Safe: violent crime is 0.7× the US rate (FBI 2019)
👎 Cons
- Cloudier than most places
- Smaller job market: about 253,000 people live within 31 mi
- Fewer family amenities than most places
- Quieter on culture: few museums and attractions nearby
Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Bellingham ranks against your own priorities.
Key facts
Living in Bellingham: common questions
What is the cost of living in Bellingham?
A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $674k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $2,500 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are above the US average (index 103, where the US is 100).
What are taxes like in Bellingham?
Washington collects about $70 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 0.7% of their home's value in property tax each year.
Is Bellingham safe?
Violent crime is well below the national rate (0.7× in FBI 2019 data).
What is the weather like in Bellingham?
Bellingham has cool winters: winter days average around 48°F and summer days around 73°F, with roughly 3″ of snow a year.
Does Bellingham get natural disasters?
Natural disaster risk is moderate, mainly from earthquakes and flooding: 11 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 0.91 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.
What is the nearest major airport to Bellingham?
The nearest major airport is SEA, about 91 mi away.
How Bellingham scores
Each bar compares Bellingham with the other 1143 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).
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Is Bellingham right for you?
Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.