Whatcom County, WA
Housing, jobs, water, deposits and federal obligations for this county, each figure with the release it came from. Internal point 48.84, -121.84.
Assembled 2026-10-19. Read the brief.
- 96th pct · 103rd of 3,063 US counties · median $230,451
- 89th pct · 5th of 39 Washington counties · median $428,499
- counties in the Bellingham metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 1 counties in the Bellingham metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
- 23rd pct · 2,337th of 3,062 US counties · median +2.9%
- 52nd pct · 19th of 39 Washington counties · median +0.2%
- counties in the Bellingham metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 1 counties in the Bellingham metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
- 81st pct · 258th of 1,358 US counties · median $1,506
- 61st pct · 11th of 27 Washington counties · median $1,705
- counties in the Bellingham metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 1 counties in the Bellingham metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
- 90th pct · 317th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 76th pct · 10th of 39 Washington counties · median 18,771
- counties in the Bellingham metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 1 counties in the Bellingham metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
- 89th pct · 354th of 3,221 US counties · median $1,039
- 71st pct · 12th of 39 Washington counties · median $1,237
- counties in the Bellingham metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 1 counties in the Bellingham metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
- 94th pct · 171st of 3,063 US counties · median 4.2
- 78th pct · 9th of 39 Washington counties · median 6.7
- counties in the Bellingham metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 1 counties in the Bellingham metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
Typical home value divided by the average annual wage of one covered job.
A percentile here is a min-max scaling of average rank: the smallest published value in the cohort is 0 and the largest is 100, and tied values share the average of the ranks they span. It is not the share of entities below the value, so 0 means smallest, not none below. Entities that did not publish the metric are outside the cohort entirely and are counted in neither the rank nor its denominator.
Home values #
Typical home $607,644 (Sep 2026), +0.3% over one year, +12.9% over five
- 96th pct · 103rd of 3,063 US counties · median $230,451
- 89th pct · 5th of 39 Washington counties · median $428,499
- counties in the Bellingham metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 1 counties in the Bellingham metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Whatcom County, WA | $607,644 · +0.3% 1-yr |
Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), typical value of homes in the 35th to 65th percentile, smoothed and seasonally adjusted; a model estimate of value, not a sale price. Data through Zillow Research.
Rents #
Typical rent $1,951/mo (Sep 2026), +2.9% over one year; price-to-rent 25.9
- 81st pct · 258th of 1,358 US counties · median $1,506
- 61st pct · 11th of 27 Washington counties · median $1,705
- counties in the Bellingham metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 1 counties in the Bellingham metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Whatcom County, WA | $1,951/mo · +2.9% 1-yr |
Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI), smoothed, all homes and multifamily; price-to-rent = typical home / (typical rent × 12).
What the typical home costs to carry #
Principal and interest of $3,366 a month on $607,644 at 7.40%, against an average weekly wage worth $5,997 a month: 56.1% of one job’s pay.
- payment = P·r / (1 − (1+r)^−n), P = $607,644 × 80% = $486,115, r = 7.40%/12 (Freddie Mac PMMS via FRED, 2026-10-15), n = 360 → $3,366/mo principal and interest
- wage share = payment / (avg weekly wage $1,384 × 52 / 12 = $5,997) = 56% of one average job's pay (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all covered jobs)
- years of wages = $607,644 / ($1,384 × 52) = 8.4
- price-to-rent = $607,644 / ($1,951 × 12) = 25.9
The wage is one covered job’s average, not a household’s income, so this is the share of a single paycheque and not a mortgage underwriting ratio.
Estimate. Principal and interest on the typical home with 20% down over 30 years at this week's Freddie Mac average rate; compared with the average weekly wage of all jobs covered by unemployment insurance in the area (BLS QCEW), which is pay per job, not household income.
Jobs & wages #
92,566 jobs at 7,409 employers (2026 Q1); -1.0% jobs and +4.1% average weekly wage over the year
- 90th pct · 317th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 76th pct · 10th of 39 Washington counties · median 18,771
- counties in the Bellingham metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 1 counties in the Bellingham metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Whatcom County, WA | 92,566 jobs · $1,384/wk · -1.0% YoY |
| NAICS sector | Jobs | Avg weekly wage | Location quotient | Jobs over the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 13,855 | $1,409 | 0.99 | +1.7% |
| Retail trade | 10,056 | $831 | 1.11 | -2.3% |
| Manufacturing | 8,816 | $1,910 | 1.18 | -3.4% |
| Accommodation and food services | 7,688 | $572 | 0.92 | -5.0% |
| Construction | 7,652 | $1,727 | 1.58 | -5.9% |
| Professional and technical services | 4,594 | $1,989 | 0.72 | -0.9% |
| Administrative and waste services | 4,046 | $1,012 | 0.77 | +4.1% |
| Other services | 3,643 | $1,033 | 1.32 | +2.5% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 2,962 | $814 | 4.43 | +0.0% |
| Finance and insurance | 2,599 | $2,578 | 0.69 | +5.7% |
| Wholesale trade | 2,531 | $1,638 | 0.71 | -1.3% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 2,125 | $1,113 | 0.54 | +0.0% |
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, all ownerships, total covered employment in the quarter's third month; over-the-year changes as published. Suppressed cells stay blank.
Drought #
D2 severe drought
Sites found: 5, searched within 0 km of this place’s internal point. That is a disc around a point, not the area itself: sites outside the boundary are included, and sites inside it further than 0 km away are not.
US Drought Monitor current week; the highest class of any polygon containing the point.
Reservoirs #
1 USGS reservoir gauges, no capacity figures to weight
Sites found: 1, searched within 150 km of this place’s internal point. That is a disc around a point, not the area itself: sites outside the boundary are included, and sites inside it further than 150 km away are not.
| Site | Reading | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| LAKE CHELAN AT PURPLE POINT AT STEHEKIN, WA | 1,095 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 105 km |
Σ(capacity × percent full) / Σ capacity over TWDB reservoirs within 150 km. Texas only; elsewhere USGS reservoir elevation/storage is listed without a capacity to normalise by.
Stream gauges #
86 gauges · 0 flooding · 31 with quality panels averaging 94 % · 35 stale
Sites found: 86, searched within 75 km of this place’s internal point. That is a disc around a point, not the area itself: sites outside the boundary are included, and sites inside it further than 75 km away are not.
| Site | Reading | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| SUMAS RIVER NEAR SUMAS, WA | flow 8.74 ft³/s · quality 0 % (1) | 34 km |
| NF NOOKSACK RIVER BL CASCADE CREEK NR GLACIER, WA | flow 139.0 ft³/s · quality 100 % (1) | 7 km |
| GLACIER CREEK BELOW THOMPSON CREEK AT GLACIER, WA | stage 13.3 ft · STALE | 7 km |
| WARM CREEK NEAR WELCOME, WA | flow 5.50 ft³/s · STALE | 13 km |
| CLEARWATER CREEK NEAR WELCOME, WA | flow 38.6 ft³/s · quality 100 % (1) · STALE | 15 km |
| PARK CREEK AT UPPER BRIDGE NEAR CONCRETE, WA | flow 197.0 ft³/s · STALE | 15 km |
| SWIFT CREEK NEAR CONCRETE, WA | flow 195.0 ft³/s · STALE | 18 km |
| MF NOOKSACK RIVER NEAR DEMING, WA | flow 105.0 ft³/s · quality 100 % (2) | 21 km |
| RACEHORSE CREEK AT NORTH FORK ROAD NR KENDALL, WA | flow 23.4 ft³/s · quality 100 % (1) · STALE | 22 km |
| BAKER RIVER AB BLUM CREEK NEAR CONCRETE, WA | flow 127.0 ft³/s | 23 km |
USGS latest readings screened against EPA freshwater criteria (DO ≥ 5 mg/L, pH 6.5–9, conductance, turbidity, temperature); NWS flood categories where a NWPS gauge is co-located.
Groundwater #
3 wells in 0 named aquifers:
Sites found: 3, searched within 75 km of this place’s internal point. That is a disc around a point, not the area itself: sites outside the boundary are included, and sites inside it further than 75 km away are not.
| Site | Reading | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| USGS-482532122231401 | depth 5.58 ft · 2008-05-27 | 62 km |
| USGS-482410122261301 | depth 3.02 ft · 2008-05-27 | 66 km |
| USGS-481904122183301 | depth 171.3 ft · 2008-09-03 | 68 km |
USGS latest daily water levels. A single latest reading says where the table is, not which way it is moving; select a well for its 365-day trace.
Water stress #
moderate (0.34)
Σ wᵢ·termᵢ / Σ wᵢ = 0.35×0.50 + 0.2×0.06 / 0.55
Banks & federal dollars #
$5.1 bn in deposits at 48 offices of 14 banks (SOD June 2026); HHI 1,190, moderately concentrated. $1.6 bn federal obligations in FY2026 (direct payments $1.4 bn, grants $106.4 m), $17,041 per covered job
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Peoples Bank | $1.2 bn · 23.6% share · 9 offices | |
| JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association | $632.7 m · 12.3% share · 4 offices | |
| Bank of America, National Association | $556.1 m · 10.8% share · 2 offices | |
| Whatcom, WA | $1.6 bn FY2026 · $17,041/job | |
| MULTIPLE RECIPIENTS | $1.3 bn · top recipient FY2026 |
| Institution | Deposits | Share | Offices |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peoples Bank | $1,207,742,000 | 23.6% | 9 |
| JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association | $632,672,000 | 12.3% | 4 |
| Bank of America, National Association | $556,089,000 | 10.8% | 2 |
| U.S. Bank National Association | $524,305,000 | 10.2% | 4 |
| Banner Bank | $459,948,000 | 9.0% | 5 |
| WaFd Bank | $440,525,000 | 8.6% | 5 |
| Wells Fargo Bank, National Association | $353,692,000 | 6.9% | 2 |
| KeyBank National Association | $196,133,000 | 3.8% | 4 |
| Bank of the Pacific | $186,790,000 | 3.6% | 3 |
| Heritage Bank | $159,839,000 | 3.1% | 2 |
Deposit concentration is 1,190 across 14 banks, which the 1995 Department of Justice bank merger screen calls moderately concentrated.
HHI = Σ (share %)² over 14 banks with deposits in the county = 23.6² + 12.3² + 10.8² + … (11 more) = 1,190
FDIC Summary of Deposits: deposits at every insured office as of June 30, annual; HHI is the sum of squared county deposit shares (DOJ 1995 bank merger screen: 1000 / 1800). USAspending: obligations by place of performance for the latest complete federal fiscal year (Oct 1 to Sep 30), what agencies committed, not what they paid out; recipients are legal entities. Per-job divides obligations by BLS QCEW covered employment.
Federal obligations #
USAspending place-of-performance obligations for FY2026, by awarding agency.
| Awarding agency | Obligations |
|---|---|
| Social Security Administration | $1,205,760,724 |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | $116,586,373 |
| Department of Transportation | $60,611,175 |
| Department of Housing and Urban Development | $51,976,786 |
| Department of the Interior | $49,951,516 |
| Department of Education | $34,451,624 |
| Department of Defense | $16,137,006 |
| Department of Homeland Security | $9,191,747 |
| National Science Foundation | $8,783,229 |
| Department of Health and Human Services | $6,166,439 |
| General Services Administration | $4,869,333 |
| Railroad Retirement Board | $4,227,354 |
That is $17,041 per covered job, against 92,566 jobs in the 2026 Q1 QCEW quarter.
per job = FY2026 obligations $1.6 bn / 92,566 covered jobs (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all ownerships) = $17,041
USAspending obligations are recorded where the work is performed, so a prime award performed here is counted here even when the recipient is headquartered elsewhere. Recipients are legal entities, never people.
National context, not this county #
These are United States, single-gauge, single-state and port series. None of them is keyed to this county.
| Series | Latest | As of | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi River at Memphis, stage · ft | not published | not published | |
| Mississippi River at St. Louis, stage · ft | not published | not published | |
| Ohio River at Louisville, stage · ft | 17.95 | 2026-10-18 | -2.6% |
| Missouri River at St. Joseph, stage · ft | not published | not published | |
| Colorado River below Hoover Dam, flow (Hoover releases) · ft³/s | 5,170.00 | 2026-02-05 | -25.3% |
| Texas reservoirs, statewide percent full · % | 72.20 | 2026-10-19 | +0.0% |
| Laredo truck crossings, monthly · trucks | 258,700.00 | 2026-08-01 | -0.4% |
| Los Angeles + Long Beach container volume, annual · TEU | 10,513,167.00 | 2023-01-01 | -13.5% |
| Containerships waiting for a berth, all US ports · ships | 7.00 | 2026-10-13 | +133.3% |
| Shanghai to Los Angeles container rate · $ per 40 ft box | 7,848.00 | 2026-09-01 | +14.9% |
| US diesel retail price · $ per gallon | unavailable | not published | |
| WTI crude oil, spot · $ per barrel | 101.91 | 2026-10-14 | +1.0% |
| 30-year fixed mortgage rate · % | 7.40 | 2026-10-15 | +0.0% |
| Housing starts, annual rate · thousands of units | 1,275.00 | 2026-08-01 | -2.6% |
| Building permits, annual rate · thousands of units | 1,403.00 | 2026-08-01 | -2.1% |
| Case-Shiller US home price index · index, Jan 2000 = 100 | 337.31 | 2026-07-01 | +0.1% |
| Unemployment rate · % | 4.20 | 2026-09-01 | +2.4% |
| US goods and services trade balance, monthly · $ millions | -105,572.00 | 2026-08-01 | -13.7% |
| Retail sales excluding food services, monthly · $ millions | 652,115.00 | 2026-09-01 | +0.7% |
The indicator registry has no county-keyed series and no geographic selection: every entry is national, a named gauge, a single state or a port. They are here as the backdrop the county's own numbers move against, and they are never this county's readings.
What changed #
Whatcom County, WA: 12 findings, 4 at a watch level and 8 noted
watchWhatcom County, WA's price-to-rent ratio of 25.9 ranks 72nd of 1,358 US counties, a watch level here: price-to-rent in the top tenth of US counties (position among the counties that published both ZHVI and ZORI this month; not an official level). The previous published period is not in this table, so this is a standing level rather than a change.
Period 2026-09.Show the arithmetic
- test: priceToRent percentile = 94.76787030213707 >= 90
- typical home value / (typical rent × 12); Zillow ZHVI over ZORI, same month
position among the counties that published both ZHVI and ZORI this month; not an official level
watchWhatcom County, WA's years of wages of 8.4 ranks 171st of 3,063 US counties, a watch level here: years of wages in the top tenth of US counties (position among the counties that published both a ZHVI value and a QCEW average weekly wage; not an official level). The previous published period is not in this table, so this is a standing level rather than a change.
Period 2026-09.Show the arithmetic
- test: yearsOfWages percentile = 94.44807315480078 >= 90
- typical home value / (average weekly wage × 52); one average covered job, not a household
position among the counties that published both a ZHVI value and a QCEW average weekly wage; not an official level
watchWhatcom County, WA's covered employment is -1.0% against a year earlier, a watch level here: covered employment below the same quarter a year earlier (BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published; not an official level). The previous published period is not in this table, so this is a standing level rather than a change.
Period 2026 Q1.Show the arithmetic
- test: jobs.yoy.emp = -1 < 0
BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published; not an official level
watchWhatcom County, WA's price-to-rent ratio is 25.9, a watch level here: typical home value worth 25 or more years of typical rent (typical home value / (typical rent × 12), Zillow ZHVI over ZORI, same month; convention chosen for this dashboard, not an official level). The previous published period is not in this table, so this is a standing level rather than a change.
Period 2026-09.Show the arithmetic
- test: priceToRent = 25.94883304308754 >= 25
- typical home value / (typical rent × 12); Zillow ZHVI over ZORI, same month
typical home value / (typical rent × 12), Zillow ZHVI over ZORI, same month; convention chosen for this dashboard, not an official level
noteWhatcom County, WA's average weekly wage was 4.1% higher than the same quarter a year earlier in 2026 Q1, on BLS QCEW's published over-the-year change.
Period 2026 Q1.Show the arithmetic
- +4.1 % = BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change for 2026 Q1, as published
- the newest QCEW file carries no year-earlier level, so no move from one level to another is printed
BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published
Read all 12 findings in the full brief
Every finding is produced by a fixed rule table and a fixed sentence for each rule. Nothing here is generated prose.