Demographics of Whatcom County, Washington

Whatcom County, Washington had 236,392 people on July 1, 2025, by the Census Bureau’s estimate: +8,940 since July 2020. Age, income, poverty, housing and origin below come from the American Community Survey, averaged over 2020–2024, each with its margin of error.

Whatcom County, in four figures

236,392
Population: July 1, 2025, Vintage 2025 estimate.; +3.9%
Change since July 2020: +8,940 people.; 38.4 ±0.3
Median age: ACS 2020–⁠2024.; $81,784 ±$2,688
Median household income: ACS 2020–⁠2024, in 2024 dollars.

Population, year by year

July 1 estimates from the Census Bureau’s Vintage 2025. Each year's change is births less deaths, net moves from abroad and net moves from elsewhere in the country, with the Bureau's small residual. The 2020 row's components run 3 months, from the April census to July 1.

Whatcom County, Washington's population grew 3.9% from July 2020 to July 2025, against +3.1% nationally

The July 1 estimate of Whatcom County, Washington's resident population and the nation's, each year of the Census Bureau's Vintage 2025, as a share of its July 2020 level (= 100).

U.S. Census Bureau — Census Bureau population estimates — counties and Puerto Rico municipios, with components of change

About this chart

The figures

Whatcom County, Washington's population grew 3.9% from July 2020 to July 2025, against +3.1% nationally. The July 1 estimate of Whatcom County, Washington's resident population and the nation's, each year of the Census Bureau's Vintage 2025, as a share of its July 2020 level (= 100).
July 1	Population	Index	United States
2020	227,452	100.0	100.0
2021	226,760	99.7	100.2
2022	230,641	101.4	100.7
2023	232,620	102.3	101.6
2024	234,601	103.1	102.5
2025	236,392	103.9	103.1

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Population of Whatcom County, Washington on July 1 of each year, Vintage 2025
July 1	Population	Change	Births less deaths	From abroad	From elsewhere in the country
2020	227,452	+607	+71	+7	+517
2021	226,760	−692	−18	+208	−983
2022	230,641	+3,881	−106	+512	+3,232
2023	232,620	+1,979	−74	+730	+1,328
2024	234,601	+1,981	−72	+832	+1,217
2025	236,392	+1,791	−74	+424	+1,434

Age, 2020–2024

The median age is 38.4 ±0.3: for men 37.8 ±0.3 and for women 39.0 ±0.5. Shares are of everyone the survey counts, in the Bureau’s sex-by-age table (B01001).

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People in Whatcom County by age, ACS 2020–2024
Age	People	Share	Washington	United States
Under 5	10,525 ±119	4.6% ±0.1	5.5% ±<0.1	5.6% ±<0.1
5 to 17	32,218 ±1,050	14.0% ±0.5	15.8% ±0.1	16.3% ±<0.1
18 to 24	29,969 ±1,379	13.0% ±0.6	8.5% ±0.1	9.1% ±<0.1
25 to 44	61,773 ±1,147	26.8% ±0.5	29.5% ±0.1	26.9% ±<0.1
45 to 64	52,450 ±1,162	22.8% ±0.5	24.0% ±0.1	24.8% ±<0.1
65 and over	43,568 ±1,260	18.9% ±0.5	16.6% ±0.1	17.2% ±<0.1

Income and poverty, 2020–2024

Median household income is $81,784 ±$2,688, and income per person $45,361 ±$1,079, in 2024 dollars. The median is $98,141 ±$414 in Washington and $80,734 ±$166 in the United States.

Households by income

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Households in Whatcom County by income, ACS 2020–2024
Household income	Households	Share	Washington	United States
Under $25,000	13,201 ±1,058	14.0% ±1.1	11.1% ±0.2	14.6% ±<0.1
$25,000 to $49,999	15,337 ±1,112	16.3% ±1.2	13.2% ±0.2	16.7% ±<0.1
$50,000 to $74,999	15,121 ±932	16.1% ±1.0	14.1% ±0.2	15.5% ±<0.1
$75,000 to $99,999	11,712 ±824	12.5% ±0.9	12.4% ±0.1	12.6% ±<0.1
$100,000 to $149,999	18,485 ±1,290	19.7% ±1.4	19.2% ±0.2	17.5% ±<0.1
$150,000 to $199,999	9,035 ±737	9.6% ±0.8	11.4% ±0.1	9.6% ±<0.1
$200,000 or more	11,130 ±683	11.8% ±0.7	18.5% ±0.2	13.4% ±0.1

Poverty by age

The poverty rate is the share of people whose family income is below the federal threshold for their family’s size, of everyone for whom the Bureau determines it (B17020).

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Poverty rate in Whatcom County by age, ACS 2020–2024
Age	Below poverty	Rate	Washington	United States
All ages	29,038 ±2,677	12.9% ±1.2	9.9% ±0.2	12.5% ±0.1
Under 18	5,651 ±896	13.6% ±2.1	11.6% ±0.3	16.1% ±0.1
18 to 59	18,468 ±1,524	14.5% ±1.2	9.5% ±0.2	11.6% ±0.1
60 and over	4,919 ±598	8.7% ±1.0	9.3% ±0.2	11.0% ±<0.1

Housing, 2020–2024

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Housing in Whatcom County, ACS 2020–2024
Measure	Whatcom County	Washington	United States
Housing units	103,520 ±83	3,306,620 ±517	143,775,355 ±10,234
Occupied	90.8% ±0.7	92.7% ±0.2	89.9% ±0.1
Vacant	9.2% ±0.7	7.3% ±0.2	10.1% ±0.1
Owner occupied	63.7% ±1.1	63.8% ±0.3	65.2% ±0.3
Renter occupied	36.3% ±1.2	36.2% ±0.2	34.8% ±0.1
Median home value	$585,800 ±$9,479	$564,600 ±$1,940	$332,700 ±$236
Median gross rent	$1,555 ±$39	$1,760 ±$7	$1,413 ±$2
Median year built	1989 ±2	1985 ±1	1980 ±1

Occupied and vacant are shares of all housing units; owner and renter occupied are shares of occupied units. Value and rent are medians in 2024 dollars.

Origin and place of birth, 2020–2024

Hispanic or Latino origin is not a race in the Census Bureau’s tables. Here the people of Hispanic origin, of any race, are one row, and everyone else is counted by race alone (B03002), so the rows add to the whole.

Hispanic origin and race

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People in Whatcom County by Hispanic origin and race, ACS 2020–2024
Origin	People	Share	Washington	United States
Hispanic or Latino	24,461 ±0	10.6% ±<0.1	14.4% ±<0.1	19.3% ±<0.1
White alone, not Hispanic	174,501 ±644	75.7% ±0.3	63.1% ±0.1	57.4% ±<0.1
Black alone, not Hispanic	2,118 ±348	0.9% ±0.2	3.8% ±0.1	11.9% ±<0.1
Asian alone, not Hispanic	10,036 ±634	4.4% ±0.3	9.7% ±0.1	5.9% ±<0.1
American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic	3,609 ±328	1.6% ±0.1	0.8% ±<0.1	0.5% ±<0.1
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic	503 ±100	0.2% ±<0.1	0.7% ±<0.1	0.2% ±<0.1
Some other race alone, not Hispanic	378 to 1,380	0.2% to 0.6%	0.6% ±<0.1	0.6% ±<0.1
Two or more races, not Hispanic	14,396 ±1,035	6.2% ±0.4	6.8% ±0.1	4.3% ±<0.1

A range (the estimate less and plus its margin) where the Bureau's estimate is too uncertain to state as one number: a coefficient of variation over 30%.

Place of birth and citizenship

“Born a citizen outside the states” counts people born in Puerto Rico, the island areas, or abroad to American parents. Naturalized citizens and those who are not citizens together make up the people born abroad (B05002).

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People in Whatcom County by place of birth and citizenship, ACS 2020–2024
Born	People	Share	Washington	United States
Born in the state	117,096 ±2,212	50.8% ±1.0	46.4% ±0.2	57.3% ±<0.1
Born in another state	85,159 ±2,128	36.9% ±0.9	36.2% ±0.2	26.9% ±<0.1
Born a citizen outside the states	5,346 ±634	2.3% ±0.3	1.9% ±<0.1	1.7% ±<0.1
Born abroad	22,902 ±1,254	9.9% ±0.5	15.4% ±0.1	14.1% ±<0.1
Naturalized citizens	12,808 ±859	5.6% ±0.4	7.5% ±0.1	7.4% ±<0.1
Not citizens	10,094 ±998	4.4% ±0.4	7.9% ±0.1	6.8% ±<0.1

Whatcom County among the counties of Washington

9th of 39 by population, July 2025. Every one is listed on the Washington page.

Counties of Washington near Whatcom County in population, July 2025
County	July 2025	Change since 2020
Spokane County	558,344	+3.2%
Clark County	532,119	+5.3%
Thurston County	304,261	+2.8%
Kitsap County	283,374	+2.7%
Yakima County	259,185	+1.0%
Whatcom County	236,392	+3.9%
Benton County	221,722	+6.9%
Skagit County	132,975	+2.4%
Cowlitz County	114,885	+3.5%
Grant County	105,727	+6.3%
Franklin County	102,612	+5.6%

Elsewhere on the site

Sources

Census Bureau population estimates — counties and Puerto Rico municipios, with components of change — U.S. Census Bureau · U.S. Government work · retrieved September 25, 2026
American Community Survey 5-year estimates — table-based Summary File · U.S. Government work

Data retrieved September 25, 2026