One expensive household bill sent Whatcom County up the national rankings
A new national report provides another sign that Whatcom County’s housing prices are making it an expensive place to live.
The bill payment company Doxo estimates that residents in this area pay an average of $2,152 a month in nine common household bills as well as mortgage or rent. That ranks Whatcom County 69th highest out of 914 metro areas.
In a study done earlier this year that didn’t include mortgage/rent, Whatcom County ranked 113th highest out of 914 metro areas.
The rise in the rankings is because of mortgage payments. The study, which uses U.S. Census data, estimates the average Whatcom County mortgage payment is $1,501 a month. That’s $222 higher than the national average. In the Seattle metro area the average mortgage payment is $2,009 a month.
Whatcom’s average rent is right about at the national average, according to the report. It’s at $1,061 a month, one dollar less than the national average. Seattle’s average rent is more than $450 above the national level, averaging $1,512 a month.
Higher home sale values have led to higher mortgage payments, a trend that continued this summer. According to data from the Northwest Multiple Listing Service, the median price for houses and condominiums sold in August was $548,500, up 28% compared to August 2020. Similar year-over-year jumps also took place in May, June and July.
The company also looked at bills for auto loans, auto insurance, utilities, health insurance, life insurance, cable/satellite, cell phone, alarm/security and dental insurance to come up with its ranking.
Whatcom County’s bills tent to be close to the national average in most of these categories except for auto loans and health insurance, according to the study. On average a Whatcom resident pays $537 for a car loan, while the national average is $411. For health insurance, the average bill in Whatcom is $180 while the national average is $113.
Whatcom residents pay slightly less than the national average in utilities, cable/satellite and cell phone bills.
This story was originally published September 16, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
