Bellingham, WA vs Ferndale, WA

Side-by-side comparison from the latest government data.

MetricBellingham, WAFerndale, WA
Population93,43815,999
Median Household Income$66,755$87,579
Median Rent$1,577/mo$1,477/mo
Median Home Value$627,500$549,300
Cost of Living (US = 100)103103
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income62.5%55.3%
Poverty Rate18.6%12.8%
Unemployment Rate4.1%4.4% (county)
Violent Crime Rate /100k263146
Property Crime Rate /100k3,2761,051
Median AQI3131
Good AQI Days /yr342342
Summer Highs73°F71°F
Winter Lows35°F34°F
Snowfall3 in/yr3 in/yr
Avg Commute18.1 min21.6 min
Hospitals1—
Avg Hospital Rating4.0 / 5—
Students per Teacher17.615.5
College Degree Rate48.5%36.9%
Foreign-Born %8.5%15.9%
Population Growth (2020–2025)+5.4%+16.5%

Green = clearly better (more than 5% apart). Population, growth, weather, hospital count and foreign-born share aren’t scored.