Signals
Birch Bay
Bellingham
Opportunity
60 · Top 43%
vs62 · Top 38%
Climate
73 · Top 37%
vs73 · Top 37%
Physical resilience
50 · Bottom 43%
vs50 · Bottom 43%
Housing affordability
75 · Bottom 41%
vs31 · Bottom 1%
Access
34 · Bottom 1%
vs47 · Bottom 3%
Economic stability
39 · Bottom 16%
vs53 · Bottom 36%
Measured values
| Metric | Birch Bay | Bellingham | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 10,837 | 93,438 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $86,854 | $66,755 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $46,034 | $42,947 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 634/sq mi | 3,314/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $477,200 | $627,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,222 | $1,577 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 82.1% | 44.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.1% | 3.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.4% | -0.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 32.0% | 48.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 9.4% | 18.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Average July high | 73°F | 73°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 34°F | 34°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 34.7" | 34.7" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 98 mi | 85 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 27.6 min | 19.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 44.6 | 34.1 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 5 | 34 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 19.84 | 17.87 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 44.8% | 40.8% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Birch Bay
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Bellingham
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Your best match
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Birch Bay
55
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—
Area Score
Bellingham
54
Your Score
55
Area Score
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Full profiles: Birch Bay, WA · Bellingham, WA · How this is calculated: methodology