Bellingham, WA — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·Washington·Bellingham

Whatcom County · Bellingham · population 95,860

Bellingham, WA
Image: Wikipedia · Bellingham, Washington
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
66
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Bellingham stands

At or near all-time high.

Median home $669,185
1-year +0.2%
5-yr CAGR +4.2%
vs 5-yr peak -0.5%
Population +1.2%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-02$669k$300k$433k$566k$699k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
52/100
Somewhat walkable
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
30/100
Minimal transit
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
83/100
Excellent for remote work
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent trajectory · last 5 years

Zillow ZORI · monthly
$2,065/mo$1,464$1,826$2,189202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent123133100120202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 27.0
Rent

At a 27.0 price-to-rent ratio, renting beats buying in Bellingham for most shorter holds. The premium you pay to own would take many years of rent savings to recoup, and that's before maintenance, taxes, and opportunity cost on the down payment.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
51 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
60 · w22%
Distance from peak
87 · w18%
Population growth
68 · w16%
Rent YoY
57 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
78 · w10%
Long thesis

Bellingham has held up across the cycle: home values at $669,185 with +4.2% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

Bellingham's bear case is the boring one: the cycle is real and any market that's run hard can stall. Watch for slowing population growth, rising days-on-market, or builder discounts as the early warning signals.

About Bellingham

Bellingham is a city in Whatcom County, Washington, with an estimated population of 95,860. The population grew 1.2% annually from 2020 to 2024, a moderate gain. The median home value in Bellingham is $669,185 as of 2026-04, up 0.2% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +4.2% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Bellingham average $2,065 per month, roughly flat year-over-year (+1.8%). The composite momentum score is 66 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Net positive migration: population up 1.2% per year — demand fundamentals are intact.
●Held the highs: currently -0.5% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.

▼ Bear case

○Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About Bellingham (Wikipedia)

Bellingham is a city in and the county seat of Whatcom County in the U.S. state of Washington. It lies 21 miles (34 km) south of the Canada–United States border, between Vancouver, British Columbia, 52 miles (84 km) to the northwest and Seattle 90 miles (140 km) to the south.

Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.

City facts

MayorKim Lund
Area30.511 sq mi
Elevation66 ft
IncorporatedDecember 28, 1903
NicknameCity of Subdued Excitement
Density3332/sq mi
Named forSir William Bellingham, 1st Baronet

Extracted from the Wikipedia infobox. Values may be slightly out of date relative to the latest sources.

Things to see in Bellingham(Local attractions)

  • Whatcom Museum of History and Art
  • SPARK Museum of Electrical Invention
  • KMRE-LP 102.3 FM
  • Whatcom Falls Park
  • Olympic pipeline explosion
  • Lake Whatcom
  • Bellis Fair Mall

Extracted from the Wikipedia article. Names linked in the source — open the city’s Wikipedia page for details.

Playbook

Buyer

You're not in a frenzy but you're not getting bargains either. Make a competitive offer with normal inspection terms. Don't lowball — the listing will move with or without you.

Seller

Price at fair market value; expect movement in 30-45 days. Don't get clever with terms (rent-back, contingencies) — buyers in a Rising market have options.

Investor

Appreciation tailwind exists but cash flow requires discipline on price. Run the numbers conservatively and confirm rent comps before committing.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Whatcom County right now.

NWS active alerts (WA)Washington Emergency ManagementHow to prepare (NWS)

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Whatcom County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Neighborhoods of Bellingham

26 tracked · ranked by median home value
1Edgemoor$1,363,454+0.6%
2South Hill$1,004,048+1.3%
3Geneva$859,318+1.8%
4Samish Hill$836,225-0.7%
5Silver Beach$808,214-0.5%
6Whatcom Falls$773,342-0.0%
7Alabama Hill$761,823+0.5%
8Fairhaven$733,551-1.9%
9Barkley$725,724+1.1%
10Cornwall Park$707,302-1.6%
11South$692,911+0.5%
12Columbia$691,175+1.5%
13King Mountain$654,402-1.0%
14Puget$652,839-0.1%
15Marietta-Alderwood$638,852+1.7%
16Lettered Streets$636,115-0.1%
17York$613,269+3.6%
18Sunnyland$606,412+0.5%
19Birchwood$605,079-1.1%
20Downtown Business District$588,720+2.8%
21Sehome$582,778-2.0%
22Happy Valley$567,259+1.0%
23Sudden Valley$556,777-2.6%
24Roosevelt$537,581-0.2%

See the full neighborhood ranking →

Cities like Bellingham

Kennewick, WA67 · RisingSpokane Valley, WA63 · RisingRichland, WA66 · RisingPasco, WA67 · Rising

Run the numbers for Bellingham

ToolCan I afford Bellingham?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Bellingham rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Bellingham to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolBellingham cost-of-livingEquivalent income elsewhere

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
45° / 35°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
77° / 56°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
152
~42% of year
Annual precip
38″ rain
10″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
Very low
Tornado
Very low
Wildfire
High
Earthquake
Very high
Flood
Moderate

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Bellingham listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local news & community

Updated 2026-05-21 from Google News + Reddit RSS. Headlines link to original sources.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Bellingham area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
75%
Very humid climate
Median household income
$90,400
Washington state median
Top industries (state-level)
Tech (Amazon/MS)Aerospace (Boeing)Agriculture

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.

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