Whatcom residents see personal income boost, but how does it compare to other areas?
A new federal report indicates Whatcom County residents received a boost in income last year.
The per capita personal income in Whatcom County was $48,792 in 2018, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis in the U.S. Department of Commerce. That’s a 4.4% increase compared to 2017.
Personal income is money that comes in from all sources, including wages, real estate, financial assets and government programs. That total is then divided by the county population for the per capita total.
While a healthy increase compared to recent years, Whatcom’s increase is below the U.S. average rise of 4.9%. The national per capita income was $54,446 in 2018, according to the report.
Whatcom’s per capita total ranked 13th highest in Washington state.
King County is significantly higher than all other Washington counties with a per capita personal income of $90,438. San Juan was second ($76,749) in the state, followed by Kitsap ($56,244) and Snohomish ($55,888). Skagit County is ranked eighth, with a per capita income of $53,060.
Whatcom’s 4.4% increase ranked 20th highest of the 39 counties. King County topped the list, with a 7% annual personal income increase.
This story was originally published November 15, 2019 at 5:00 AM.
