City comparison
Bellingham, WA is about 80 miles (125 km) from Seattle, WA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 100 miles, or about 1 h 45 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Bellingham, WA to Seattle, WA takes about 9 min, covering roughly 80 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Seattle has a population of 734,603, vs 91,353 in Bellingham — about 8.0× larger by population. By land area, Seattle covers about 84 sq mi vs 28 sq mi for Bellingham.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Bellingham | Seattle | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,385/mo | $1,945/mo | 40.4% higher in Seattle |
| Median home value | $528,600 | $879,900 | 66.5% higher in Seattle |
| Median household income | $64,026 | $116,068 | 81.3% higher in Seattle |
| Groceries index | 104.9 | 103.0 | 1.8% higher in Bellingham |
| Utilities index | 102.2 | 92.5 | 10.5% higher in Bellingham |
| Transportation index | 99.9 | 108.1 | 8.1% higher in Seattle |
| Healthcare index | 99.9 | 108.8 | 8.9% higher in Seattle |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Bellingham, you'd need $116,881 in Seattle to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Bellingham, WA is about 14.4% cheaper overall than Seattle, WA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 35% higher in Seattle than in Bellingham. If you earn $80,000 in Bellingham, you'd need about $93,505 in Seattle to keep the same standard of living.