Should I Move To
Roughly 91,353 people live in Bellingham, Washington. Living here costs moderate relative to the rest of the country, 6% above the national average. Median rent runs about $1,385/mo; the typical household pulls in $64,026. On the UrbRank Score it pulls a 62/100 — a C+, putting it at #93 nationally.
UrbRank Score · General
Each dimension scored 0-100 against every other US city.
Based on overall cost of living vs. other US cities.
Inverse of violent + property crime rate per 100,000 residents.
Temperate summers & winters, moderate precipitation.
Walk Score — how feasible daily errands are on foot.
Unemployment rate plus household income vs. national median.
Air quality index (EPA AQS data).
Share of residents 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
By the composite index, Bellingham sits at 106 — moderate when stacked against the rest of the country. Running the rent-to-income math ($1,385/mo against $64,026 median household income), housing eats roughly 26% of a typical paycheck — right inside the standard 30%-of-income guideline. Buying-side, the median home value is $528,600.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →The weather here is four-season: roughly 75°F in summer, 38°F in winter. Annual precipitation lands near 39 inches. Walkability is exceptional — most residents can live without a car if they want to. Crime statistics are on the rougher end of the US distribution; the citywide aggregate hides safer pockets but the headline number isn't great. Air quality reads good (AQI 33).
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
For families, Bellingham is workable — not standout, not weak. It earns 55/100 (grade C) on the families profile. Strongest on climate (96/100); weakest on safety (2/100).
For retirees, Bellingham is workable — not standout, not weak. It earns 64/100 (grade C+) on the retirees profile. Strongest on climate (96/100); weakest on safety (2/100).
For remote workers, Bellingham is workable — not standout, not weak. It earns 64/100 (grade C+) on the remote workers profile. Strongest on climate (96/100); weakest on safety (2/100).
For young professionals, Bellingham is workable — not standout, not weak. It earns 60/100 (grade C) on the young professionals profile. Strongest on climate (96/100); weakest on safety (2/100).
Bellingham, Washington pulls a 62/100 overall on the UrbRank Score (grade C+), currently ranked #93 nationally. The composite weights seven lifestyle dimensions: affordability, safety, climate, walkability, jobs, environment, and education.
Bellingham's cost-of-living index is 106 (with 100 as the US average), which lands in the moderate band — 6% above the national average. Median rent runs about $1,385/mo.
Four-season — summer averages around 75°F, winter averages around 38°F, with about 39 inches of precipitation a year.
Walk Score: 94/100. Walkability is exceptional — most residents can live without a car if they want to.
Bellingham has about 91,353 residents, 46% of adults 25+ holding a bachelor's degree or higher with a median age of 34.
Use UrbRank's comparison tool to put Bellingham head-to-head against any other US city — housing, salaries, demographics, and quality-of-life metrics side by side. The leaderboard pages also show how Bellingham stacks up for families, retirees, remote workers, and young professionals specifically.
Every US city is scored 0-100 on seven dimensions using public data from the US Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, FBI Crime Data Explorer, EPA Air Quality System, NOAA NCEI, and Walk Score. Each dimension is a percentile rank against every other city — so a score of 80 means the city is in the top 20% nationally on that dimension.
The overall score is a weighted average. Five lifestyle profiles — general, families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals — weight the dimensions differently to reflect what each cares about. Families get more weight on safety and schools; young professionals get more weight on jobs and walkability; retirees get more weight on climate.
Compare Bellingham with other Washington cities scored on UrbRank.
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