Bellingham drops a spot among state’s biggest cities in latest U.S. Census estimates
Bellingham is no longer among the top dozen in Washington state, at least not as of 2019.
Despite seeing its annual growth rate surpass 2% for the third time in four years, according to U.S. Census Bureau population estimates released Thursday, May 21, Bellingham dropped one place and is now the 13th-largest city in the state.
Bellingham’s estimated population reached 92,314 as of July 1, 2019 — an increase of 1,850 people (2.05%) since the 2018 estimate.
Despite that, Kirkland surpassed Bellingham to move into the top 12 largest cities in the state, as it grew by 3,101 people (3.45%) to 93,010 to join Seattle (753,675 people), Spokane, Tacoma, Vancouver, Bellevue, Kent, Everett, Renton, Spokane Valley, Federal Way and Yakima in the state’s top dozen.
Overall, the U.S. Census Bureau estimates there were 328,239,523 people in the United States in 2019 — an increase of more than 1.5 million people or 0.05%.
Washington state was well ahead of that national growth rate at 1.2%, increasing by more than 91,000 people to a 2019 estimate of 7,614,893.
After a relatively slow growth year in 2018 (1.61%), Bellingham grew faster than both state and national averages in 2019. The city had a 2.3% growth rate in 2016 and a 2.39% rate in 2017.
Bellingham was actually the 76th-fastest growing city in the nation among cities with populations of 50,000 or more in 2019, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, and the fourth fastest in the state behind Redmond (6.7%), Lacey (3.9%) and Kirkland.
In the past decade, Bellingham’s estimated population has grown by 13.55%, jumping by 11,017 people since 2010 estimates. More than four-fifths of that growth came since 2014, when the city’s estimated population grew by 8,928.
In addition to being the 13th-largest city in the state, Bellingham was the 360th largest in the nation in 2019, the U.S. Census Bureau reported.
Whatcom County’s growth
Overall, Whatcom County’s growth was slightly slower than Bellingham’s in 2019, increasing by 4,050 people to 229,247.
The county’s 1.8% growth rate was slightly ahead of 2018’s 1.71% rate and made it the fifth-fastest growing county in the state behind San Juan, Mason, Lincoln and Pacific, which all have populations of less than 70,000.
Since 2010 estimates, the county’s population has grown by 13.74%, adding 27,702 residents.
Whatcom held steady as the state’s ninth-most populated county in 2019 behind King, Pierce, Snohomish, Spokane, Clark, Thurston, Kitsap and Yakima.
Elsewhere around the county, the Census estimates showed :
▪ Blaine: Grew by 176 people (3.24%) to 5,607 in 2019. The city has grown by 19.04% (897 people) since 2010 estimates.
▪ Everson: Grew by 69 people (2.49%) to 2,841 in 2019. The city has grown by 15.07% (372 people) since 2010 estimates.
▪ Ferndale: Grew by 363 people (2.5%) to 14,897 in 2019. The city has grown by 29.95% (3,433 people) since 2010 estimates.
▪ Lynden: Grew by 498 people (3.38%) to 15,223 in 2019. The city has grown by 26.44% (3,183 people) since 2010 estimates.
▪ Nooksack: Grew by 57 people (3.62%) to 1,631 in 2019. The city has grown by 20.64% (279 people) since 2010 estimates.
▪ Sumas: Grew by 35 people (2.33%) to 1,534 in 2019. The city has grown by 17.1% (224 people) since 2010 estimates.
2020 Census
The 2020 Census is underway with self reporting.
So far, Whatcom County’s response rate is 67.1% — slightly higher than the state average of 65.2%, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Those who have yet to complete their census questionnaires are encouraged to go to my2020census.gov to do so.
