Ferndale, WA vs Birch Bay, WA

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

MetricFerndale, WABirch Bay, WA
Population15,99910,837
Median Household Income$87,579$86,854
Median Rent$1,477/mo—
Median Home Value$549,300$477,200
Cost of Living (US = 100)103103
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income55.3%57.4%
Poverty Rate12.8%9.4%
Unemployment Rate4.4% (county)4.4% (county)
Violent Crime Rate /100k146117*
Property Crime Rate /100k1,051472*
Median AQI3131
Good AQI Days /yr342342
Summer Highs71°F71°F
Winter Lows34°F34°F
Snowfall3 in/yr9 in/yr
Avg Commute21.6 min26.4 min
Hospitals——
Avg Hospital Rating——
Students per Teacher15.5—
College Degree Rate36.9%32%
Foreign-Born %15.9%9.9%
Population Growth (2020–2025)+16.5%—

Green = clearly better (more than 5% apart). Population, growth, weather, hospital count and foreign-born share aren’t scored.
* Rate of the agency that polices Birch Bay (the city has no police department of its own), so it isn’t scored.