City comparison
Bellingham, WA is about 225 miles (350 km) from Vancouver, WA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 275 miles, or about 4 h 30 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 Vancouver, WA takes about 26 min, covering roughly 225 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.
Vancouver has a population of 190,700, vs 91,353 in Bellingham — about 2.1× larger by population. By land area, Vancouver covers about 49 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 | Vancouver | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,385/mo | $1,525/mo | 10.1% higher in Vancouver |
| Median home value | $528,600 | $403,400 | 31.0% higher in Bellingham |
| Median household income | $64,026 | $73,626 | 15.0% higher in Vancouver |
| Groceries index | 104.9 | 105.1 | ≈ equal (Vancouver slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 102.2 | 108.6 | 6.3% higher in Vancouver |
| Transportation index | 99.9 | 100.5 | 0.6% higher in Vancouver |
| Healthcare index | 99.9 | 100.5 | 0.6% higher in Vancouver |
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 $105,549 in Vancouver to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Bellingham, WA is about 5.3% cheaper overall than Vancouver, WA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 11% higher in Vancouver than in Bellingham. If you earn $80,000 in Bellingham, you'd need about $84,439 in Vancouver to keep the same standard of living.