Bellingham, WA Cost Of Living
Cost Of Living In Bellingham, WA Summary
Cost of living in Bellingham research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Bellingham is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Washington, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Bellingham is 136, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Bellingham is 1.4x higher than the national average.
Bellingham ranks as the #113 cheapest in Washington out of 192.
Bellingham ranks as the #5,256 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Bellingham is $664,946.
The median income in Bellingham is $65,821.
Table Of Contents
Bellingham's Overall Cost Of Living
Higher Than The National Average
What is the cost of living in Bellingham, WA?
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Bellingham has an overall cost of living index of 136, which is 1.4x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Washington, Bellingham has a cost of living index that's 1.2x higher than Washington's index of 118.
The standard of living in Bellingham ranks as #113 most affordable out of the 192 places we measured in Washington. By definition, that implies Bellingham ranks as the #79 most expensive place in the Evergreen State.
For more reading on life in Bellingham, check out:
In Washington
In America
Bellingham Cost Of Living Vs. Washington
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Bellingham. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Bellingham is 123.
The Groceries index in Bellingham is 110.
The Health index in Bellingham is 118.
The Housing index in Bellingham is 192.
The Transportation index in Bellingham is 124.
The Utilities index in Bellingham is 93.
| Living Expense | Bellingham | Washington | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 136 | 118 | 100 | |
| Services | 123 | 111 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 110 | 112 | 100 | |
| Health | 118 | 122 | 100 | |
| Housing | 192 | 135 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 124 | 124 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 93 | 91 | 100 | |
Bellingham, WA Housing Cost Breakdown
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Washington, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Bellingham is $664,946.
The Median Rent in Bellingham is $1,478.
The Median Income in Bellingham is $65,821.
The Home Value To Income in Bellingham is 10.1x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Bellingham is 0.27x.
| Statistic | Bellingham | Washington | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $664,946 | $595,737 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $1,478 | $1,682 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $65,821 | $94,952 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 10.1x | 6.3x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.27x | 0.21x | 0.21x |
Median Home Value
Median Rent
Median Income
Bellingham, WA Costs By Category
Detailed Bellingham Services Costs Vs. Washington
| Item | Bellingham | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.21 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $14.34 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $22.57 | $18 |
| Haircut | $28.08 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $51.55 | $45.56 |
Detailed Bellingham Groceries Costs Vs. Washington
| Item | Bellingham | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $6.04 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $2.19 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.95 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $4.4 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $14.85 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $11.4 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $4.05 | $3.7 |
Detailed Bellingham Health Costs Vs. Washington
| Item | Bellingham | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $219.25 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $165.08 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $120.58 | $113.29 |
Detailed Bellingham Transportation Costs Vs. Washington
| Item | Bellingham | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $4.43 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $64.11 | $59.92 |
Detailed Bellingham Utilities Costs Vs. Washington
| Item | Bellingham | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $163.64 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $200.8 | $192.25 |
Bellingham SnackAbility
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Cost Of Living In Cities Around Bellingham
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Bellingham. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Anacortes, WA has a cost of living index of 139, 1.0x Bellingham.
Lynden, WA has a cost of living index of 134, 1.0x Bellingham.
Ferndale, WA has a cost of living index of 130, 1.0x Bellingham.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Bellingham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anacortes, WA | 17,837 | 139 | 1.0x |
| Lynden, WA | 16,025 | 134 | 1.0x |
| Ferndale, WA | 15,447 | 130 | 1.0x |
| Sedro-Woolley, WA | 12,633 | 119 | 0.9x |
| Birch Bay, WA | 11,103 | 122 | 0.9x |
| Sudden Valley, WA | 6,963 | 136 | 1.0x |
