Population & age
- Total population
- 49,667
- Median age
- 31.4
Whatcom County · Bellingham, WA · Population 49,667
Bellingham, WA (ZIP 98225) sits in Whatcom County within the Bellingham metro area. The page draws on 2 federal data feeds retrieved Apr 27. Top health signal: Depression comes in above the national average at 32.8%. NCES lists 18 schools serving the area, 18 non-charter. 10 colleges and universities serve the area, with median in-state tuition of $5,258. IRS data shows average household income (AGI) of $79,904, well above the ~$45K national average per return. Census ZBP marks the area as a major commercial hub with 2,165 business establishments. FEMA has issued 27 federal disaster declarations affecting this ZIP since 1971 — a high-frequency exposure profile. 27.7% of residents in this county are flagged low-access by USDA's 2025 Food Environment Atlas — a notable supermarket-access gap. New residents arriving here predominantly come from King County, WA (IRS SOI Migration, 2022-2023). Healthcare access and school options both run strong here, giving residents a wide menu of providers and enrollment choices nearby. Notable: median household income $61,679, fair market rent of $1,820 for a two-bedroom, and a typical home value of $669,587, up 0.4% over the past year. Every figure on this page links to its underlying federal dataset with a retrieval date so you can audit the freshness yourself.
Studio
$1,480
/month
1 Bed
$1,510
/month
2 Bed
$1,820
/month
3 Bed
$2,530
/month
4 Bed
$3,050
/month
HUD Fair Market Rents represent the 40th percentile of standard-quality rental housing in this area. FY2026 data.
$669,587
Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI) · as of March 2026
+0.4%
vs. March 2025
+26.7%
vs. March 2021
Bellingham, WA
Metropolitan statistical area
Source: Zillow Research, ZHVI All Homes (SFR, Condo/Co-op) Time Series (zillow.com/research/data). Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI) is copyrighted by Zillow, Inc.
New housing units permitted
1,190
Across 823 permitted buildings. Total construction value: $295.4M.
Single-family
773
65% of total units
Multifamily (2+ unit)
417
35% of total units
Single-family value
$233.4M
construction value
Multifamily value
$61.9M
construction value
Based on county-level data (2024).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (census.gov/construction/bps). Public domain. BPS reports annual residential building permits from local permit-issuing jurisdictions, aggregated to county. A permit reflects intent to build, not a completed unit — actual construction lags by 6-24 months for multifamily projects.
Tax returns filed
22,680
Average AGI
$79,904
Avg property tax
$433
EITC participation
8.2%
Income distribution
Avg mortgage interest
$684
Avg charitable contribution
$852
Avg capital gains
$6,511
Avg total income tax
—
Source: IRS Statistics of Income — Individual Income Tax Statistics by ZIP Code (irs.gov). Public domain. Dollar columns reported in thousands by the IRS; figures here display real dollars. Total ZCTA AGI for the area was $1812.2M across all reported brackets.
Business establishments
2,165
Total employment
25,274
Annual payroll
$1.4B
Average annual pay
$56,273
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Business Patterns (census.gov). Public domain. ZBP covers establishments with paid employees; Census suppresses employment and payroll values when fewer employers operate in a ZIP than would protect their confidentiality.
Average annual pay
$65,174
Average weekly wage
$1,253
Total employment
93,430
Total establishments
7,358
Average annual pay tracks the US national average of about $65,470 per worker.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (bls.gov/cew). Public domain. QCEW is derived from state unemployment-insurance filings and covers ~95% of US jobs. Figures are county-level totals assigned to ZIPs whose primary county matches; small-employer cells are suppressed by BLS to protect employer confidentiality.
Unemployment rate
4.5%
That is 0.5 percentage points above the US national unemployment rate of about 4.0%.
Labor force
113,797
Employed
108,641
Unemployed
5,156
Based on Whatcom County, WA data (2024).
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (bls.gov/lau). Public domain. LAUS publishes monthly and annual labor-force estimates for every US county. Figures are county-level totals assigned to ZIPs whose primary county matches.
FDIC-insured bank branches
14
Strong banking access
Multiple institutions and offices within easy reach of residents.
Total deposits
$1.6B
across all branches in this ZIP
Distinct institutions
12
different banks operating here
Top banks by deposits in this ZIP
Based on FDIC-insured branch offices as of June 30, 2024.
Source: FDIC Summary of Deposits (fdic.gov). Annual June-30 snapshot of every FDIC-insured branch and the deposits booked there. Figures cover all institutions reporting a branch address in this ZIP.
Federally funded health-center sites
6
Strong health-center coverage
Several federally funded community health centers operate here, giving residents real choice in primary-care providers.
FQHC sites
6
federally qualified
Look-Alike sites
0
FQHC equivalents
Avg hours / week
43.7
across sites in this ZIP
Sites in this ZIP
+ 3 more sites in this ZIP
Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and Look-Alike sites provide primary care on a sliding-fee scale, regardless of ability to pay. Active sites only; data refreshed 2026.
Source: HRSA Bureau of Primary Health Care (data.hrsa.gov). Per-ZIP counts of active service-delivery sites operated by Health Center Program grantees and Look-Alike organizations.
Public EV charging stations
53
Excellent EV charging coverage
Among the densest EV-charging ZIPs in the country — typical of urban cores, dense retail corridors, or designated EV transit hubs.
Level 2 ports
103
AC charging — workplace, retail, home
DC Fast ports
0
Highway-class fast charging
Charging networks
Active public stations only. Snapshot taken 2026; AFDC's underlying registry refreshes continuously as stations open and close.
Source: U.S. Department of Energy via NREL (afdc.energy.gov). Per-ZIP counts of active public alternative-fuel stations (electric, hydrogen, propane, CNG, biodiesel, E85, LNG, renewable diesel) and EV charging-port totals.
Public-library outlets
2
Multiple library outlets
Several public-library outlets within the ZIP, giving residents real choice in branch hours, programming, and walk-in distance.
Buildings
2
1 central · 1 branch
Avg hours / week
38.3
across outlets in this ZIP
Avg square feet
25,625
per outlet
Outlets in this ZIP
Public libraries provide free WiFi, computer access, children's programming, job-seeking resources, and meeting space — community infrastructure beyond books. FY2023 outlet inventory from the federal Public Libraries Survey.
Source: Institute of Museum and Library Services (imls.gov). Per-ZIP counts of active public-library outlets — central buildings, branches, and bookmobiles — operated by federally reporting library systems.
Overall SVI
51st percentile
High Vulnerability
Based on 14 census tracts, population 45,925
Vulnerability Themes
Households Without Vehicle
2,575
Limited English Speakers
637
Persons with Disability
5,718
Without HS Diploma
1,317
Without Health Insurance
1,876
Adults Age 65+
6,352
The Social Vulnerability Index uses U.S. Census data to identify communities most at risk during public health emergencies and natural disasters. Higher percentiles indicate greater vulnerability. Tract-level scores are aggregated to this ZCTA via Census 2020 ZCTA→Tract crosswalk, weighted by land-area share. Source: atsdr.cdc.gov. Public domain.
Federally Declared Disasters
27
Date Range
1971–2026
Most Recent Declaration
SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES
Flood — declared April 7, 2026 (DR-4906)
Incident period: December 5, 2025 – December 19, 2025
Top Incident Types
Individual Assistance
10
Direct help to disaster survivors
Households Program
5
Housing & temporary lodging support
Public Assistance
25
Repair of public facilities & roads
Hazard Mitigation
12
Funding to reduce future disaster risk
FEMA declares disasters at the county level; counts here include every federally declared disaster touching any county that overlaps this ZIP. Statewide declarations and pre-1964 records without county granularity are excluded. Program flags reflect which FEMA assistance categories were activated (Individual Assistance, Households, Public Assistance, Hazard Mitigation). Source: fema.gov/openfema. Public domain.
Median daily AQI
33
GoodPeak AQI (2024)
82
Moderate
Primary pollutant
PM2.5
288 days as main pollutant
Days measured
361
Based on Whatcom County data (2024).
Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Air Quality System (epa.gov). Public domain. Only counties with EPA AQS monitoring stations appear here (~30% of US counties); rural ZIPs whose primary county has no monitor will not show this section.
Years of potential life lost (per 100K)
6,159
That is roughly 2,041 years per 100,000 below the national county median (~8,200).
Premature death is the headline composite outcome CHR reports — age-adjusted, all-cause, before age 75.
Fair or poor health
15%
of adults self-report
Poor physical health days
4.2
avg per adult per month
Poor mental health days
6.0
avg per adult per month
Uninsured
7.8%
of residents under 65
Primary care MDs
94
per 100,000 residents
Preventable hospital stays
2,021
per 100K Medicare enrollees
Food environment (0-10)
8.0
10 = best access & security
Exercise access
83%
residents near a facility
Flu vaccinated
49%
of Medicare enrollees
Low birth weight (under 2,500 g) accounts for 5.8% of live births in this county — an early-life health input that downstream outcomes track against.
Based on Whatcom data (2025 CHR release).
Source: County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute (countyhealthrankings.org). Annual release. Underlying source datasets vary by measure (CDC BRFSS, NCHS Vital Statistics, AHA, USDA Food Environment Atlas, and others). Figures are county-level and assigned to every ZIP whose primary county matches.
Food access status
Significant food access concerns
27.7% of Whatcom County, WA residents live more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket.
Grocery stores
0.16
per 1,000 residents
Supercenters & clubs
0.02
per 1,000 residents
SNAP-authorized stores
0.69
accepting food benefits
Fast-food restaurants
0.56
per 1,000 residents
Among low-income residents, 7.1% are low-access — those without a supermarket within 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural).
Per-1,000 figures show how many of each store type exist in Whatcom County, WA for every 1,000 residents. Higher grocery and supercenter density usually means easier access to fresh food; higher convenience-store-only density (with low grocery rate) often signals a food swamp.
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Environment Atlas (ers.usda.gov). County-level metrics fanned to ZIP via the primary county in the Census ZCTA-county relationship file. Variable years differ per family (stores ~2020, low-access ~2019).
Net migration (2022-2023)
▲+737 people
+640 households • +$34.4M net AGI flow
Moved in
8,602households
12,807 people • $658.3M AGI
Moved out
7,962households
12,070 people • $623.9M AGI
Where new residents came from
Where departing residents went
Incoming households reported an average AGI of $76,532 versus departing households' $78,366.
Source: U.S. Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income, Migration Data (irs.gov). Public domain. Migration is measured by year-over-year changes in the address on individual tax returns; figures are county-level totals attributed to ZIPs whose primary county matches. Foreign migration contributes to inflow/outflow totals but does not appear in the top-county lists. Small flows are suppressed by IRS to protect taxpayer confidentiality.
Crude prevalence estimates from CDC PLACES, derived from BRFSS small-area modeling. Population-level figures only.
26.2%
6.8pp below the 33.0% national rate.
24.5%
7.5pp below the 32.0% national rate.
32.8%
10.8pp above the 22.0% national rate.
67.7%
8.3pp below the 76.0% national rate.
8.2%
4.8pp below the 13.0% national rate.
7.2%
3.8pp below the 11.0% national rate.
18 schools serve this ZIP, including 18 non-charter.
| School | Type | Grades | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bellingham High School | Public | 9–12 | 1,194 |
| Sehome High School | Public | 9–12 | 1,183 |
| Shuksan Middle School | Public | 6–8 | 663 |
| Whatcom Middle School | Public | 6–8 | 610 |
| Bellingham Family Partnership Program | Alternative | 0–12 | 562 |
Showing top 5 by enrollment. 13 more schools serve this ZIP.
Schools listed from NCES Common Core of Data via the Urban Institute Education Data Portal.
Fresh.NCES CCD via Urban Institute EDP · Apr 27, 2026Colleges in this area
10
Median in-state tuition
$5,258
Median earnings (10 yr)
$45,378
Bellingham, WA · 98225
Bellingham, WA · 98225
Everett, WA · 98201
Mount Vernon, WA · 98273
Bellingham, WA · 98226
Everett, WA · 98208
Bellingham, WA · 98226
Bellingham, WA · 98226
Marysville, WA · 98271
Oak Harbor, WA · 98278
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (collegescorecard.ed.gov). Public domain data. Earnings figures reflect median earnings 10 years after entry for federally-aided students.
Bellingham, WA (ZIP 98225) sits in Whatcom County within the Bellingham metro area. The page draws on 2 federal data feeds retrieved Apr 27. Top health signal: Depression comes in above the national average at 32.8%. NCES lists 18 schools serving the area, 18 non-charter. 10 colleges and universities serve the area, with median in-state tuition of $5,258. IRS data shows average household income (AGI) of $79,904, well above the ~$45K national average per return. Census ZBP marks the area as a major commercial hub with 2,165 business establishments. FEMA has issued 27 federal disaster declarations affecting this ZIP since 1971 — a high-frequency exposure profile. 27.7% of residents in this county are flagged low-access by USDA's 2025 Food Environment Atlas — a notable supermarket-access gap. New residents arriving here predominantly come from King County, WA (IRS SOI Migration, 2022-2023). Healthcare access and school options both run strong here, giving residents a wide menu of providers and enrollment choices nearby. Notable: median household income $61,679, fair market rent of $1,820 for a two-bedroom, and a typical home value of $669,587, up 0.4% over the past year. Every figure on this page links to its underlying federal dataset with a retrieval date so you can audit the freshness yourself.
These two readings tell a consistent story. Strong access numbers usually correlate with denser provider networks, and a high school count signals the population base that supports them. Reading them together: a household weighing this ZIP for a multi-year stay can expect both healthcare and education infrastructure to keep pace.
One concrete reading worth keeping: Depression prevalence sits higher the national rate at 32.8%. Each figure on this page links to the original federal dataset with its retrieval date — this synthesis is a reading, not a substitute for the underlying records.
26.2%, which is 6.8 percentage points below the national average of 33.0% (CDC PLACES, retrieved Apr 24, 2026).
32.8%, which is 10.8 percentage points above the national average of 22.0% (CDC PLACES, retrieved Apr 24, 2026).
24.5%, which is 7.5 percentage points below the national average of 32.0% (CDC PLACES, retrieved Apr 24, 2026).
18 schools serve this ZIP, including 18 public schools (NCES CCD, retrieved Apr 27, 2026). No charter schools are listed in this ZIP by NCES CCD.
No charter schools are listed in ZIP 98225 by NCES CCD (retrieved Apr 27, 2026).
Yes, 8 high schools serve this ZIP: Bellingham High School, Sehome High School, Bellingham Family Partnership Program, and 5 more. (NCES CCD, retrieved Apr 27, 2026).
49,667 people live in ZIP 98225, with a median age of 31.4 (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
$61,679 per year (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
In ZIP 98225, 42.3% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 57.7% are renter-occupied (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
In ZIP 98225, 13.2% of workers work from home. Public transit is used by 4.7% of commuters (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
22.7% of the population in ZIP 98225 lives below the federal poverty line (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
90.6% of households in ZIP 98225 have broadband internet access (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
The typical home value in ZIP 98225 is $669,587, up 0.4% from a year ago (Zillow Home Value Index, retrieved May 1, 2026).
Home values are up 0.4% over the past year and up 26.7% over the past five years (Zillow Home Value Index, retrieved May 1, 2026).
The average Adjusted Gross Income reported on tax returns from ZIP 98225 (Bellingham, WA) is $79,904 per return (IRS SOI Tax Year 2022, retrieved May 2, 2026).
Tax returns from ZIP 98225 report an average of $433 per return in real-estate tax deductions (IRS SOI Tax Year 2022, retrieved May 2, 2026).
6.7% of tax returns from ZIP 98225 (Bellingham, WA) report Adjusted Gross Income of $200,000 or more (IRS SOI Tax Year 2022, retrieved May 2, 2026).
As of 2022, 2,165 business establishments operated in ZIP 98225 employing 25,274 workers (Census ZIP Business Patterns, retrieved May 3, 2026).
The average annual pay across all local establishments in ZIP 98225 is $56,273, based on Census ZIP Business Patterns 2022 data (retrieved May 3, 2026).
According to the CDC Social Vulnerability Index (2022), ZIP 98225 ranks in the 51th percentile nationally for social vulnerability — a high vulnerability profile (retrieved May 3, 2026).
Housing Type & Transportation is the highest-scoring CDC SVI theme for ZIP 98225, ranking in the 76th percentile nationally (CDC/ATSDR Social Vulnerability Index 2022, retrieved May 3, 2026).
FEMA has recorded 27 federal disaster declarations affecting ZIP 98225 between 1971–2026 (FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations, retrieved May 3, 2026).
Flood is the most common federally declared disaster type affecting ZIP 98225, accounting for 13 of 27 declarations (48%, FEMA OpenFEMA, retrieved May 3, 2026).
The most recent FEMA disaster declaration affecting ZIP 98225 was "SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES" — a flood declared in 2026 (DR-4906) (FEMA OpenFEMA, retrieved May 3, 2026).
10 colleges and universities are listed near ZIP 98225 by the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, including Western Washington University, Bellingham Technical College, and Everett Community College (retrieved May 2, 2026).
Median in-state tuition across 10 nearby institutions is $5,258 (College Scorecard, retrieved May 2, 2026).
Graduates of nearby colleges earn a median of $45,378 ten years after entry (College Scorecard, retrieved May 2, 2026).
This page covers health outcomes from CDC PLACES (33 metrics), school information from NCES CCD (18 schools), demographics from the Census ACS 5-Year (2022), home values from the Zillow Home Value Index, colleges from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (10 institutions), income & tax statistics from the IRS SOI (Tax Year 2022), local business & employment from Census ZIP Business Patterns (2022), social vulnerability scores from the CDC/ATSDR SVI (2022), and federal disaster declarations from FEMA OpenFEMA (27 on record). Data is refreshed on Mubboo's standard schedule.
Health data retrieved Apr 24, 2026 from CDC PLACES. School data retrieved Apr 27, 2026 from NCES CCD. Demographics retrieved Apr 30, 2026 from Census ACS 5-Year (2022). Home values retrieved May 1, 2026 from Zillow Research. College data retrieved May 2, 2026 from U.S. Dept of Education College Scorecard. Income & tax statistics retrieved May 2, 2026 from IRS SOI (Tax Year 2022). Business & employment retrieved May 3, 2026 from Census ZBP (2022). Social vulnerability scores retrieved May 3, 2026 from CDC/ATSDR SVI (2022). Federal disaster declarations retrieved May 3, 2026 from FEMA OpenFEMA (27 on record).
Nearby ZIPs: more ZIP code profiles launching Q3 2026.
Have a specific question about ZIP 98225?
Ask Mubboo — launching Q4 2026.
Data refreshed via Mubboo's ETL pipeline; oldest source on this page retrieved Apr 24, 2026.