Whatcom County Profile
2-page PDF documentGENERAL INFORMATION
Sources: Office of Financial Management (population), U.S. Bureau of the Census (land area), Department of Revenue (assessed value), Economic and Revenue Forecast Council (personal income)
| GENERAL COUNTY INFORMATION | ||
|---|---|---|
| Amount | Rank | |
| Population - 2007 | 188,300 | 9 |
| Unincorporated | 82,309 | 9 |
| Incorporated | 105,991 | 8 |
| Land Area in Square Miles | 2,119.53 | 12 |
| Density (Persons per Square Mile) - 2007 | 88.8 | 11 |
| Assessed Value - 2006 | ||
| Total $ in Thousands | $16,740,750 | 8 |
| Per Capita $/Person | $90,834 | 8 |
| Personal Income - 2005 | ||
| Total $ In Thousands | $5,420,349 | 9 |
| Per Capita $/Person | $29,561 | 13 |
| Taxable Retail Sales - see Table LT01 | ||
| County Seat - Bellingham | ||
topCOMPONENTS OF POPULATION CHANGE, MARRIAGES, DIVORCES
Sources: Office of Financial Management (population components of change),
Department of Health (marriages, divorces)
| COMPONENTS OF POPULATION CHANGE, MARRIAGES, DIVORCES 2000 to 2007 | |
|---|---|
| Estimated Births | 14,493 |
| Estimated Deaths | 9,096 |
| Natural Increase | 5,396 |
| Net Migration | 16,078 |
| Total Change | 21,474 |
| Marriages in 2005 | 1,257 |
| Per 1,000 Population | 6.95 |
| Divorces in 2005 | 609 |
| Per 1,000 Population | 3.37 |
Note: Marriages are tabulated by county where license was issued. Divorces are tabulated by county of decree. Both are occurrence data, not residence data.
CITIES AND TOWNS
Source: Office of Financial Management
| CITY AND TOWN POPULATION AS OF APRIL 1, 2007 | |
|---|---|
| City/Town | Population |
| Bellingham | 75,220 |
| Blaine | 4,650 |
| Everson | 2,165 |
| Ferndale | 10,540 |
| Lynden | 11,150 |
| Nooksack | 1,075 |
| Sumas | 1,191* |
Note: City population numbers are from either special census (*), informal census (#), informal count (+), or state estimate (no symbol).
POPULATION BY RACE AND HISPANIC ORIGIN
Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, Office of Financial Management
| APRIL POPULATION BY RACE AND HISPANIC ORIGIN BY CENSUS BUREAU DEFINITIONS | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Total | White | Black | AIAN | Asian | NHOPI | Two or More Races | Hispanic Origin |
| 2000 | 166,814 | 152,313 | 1,245 | 4,825 | 4,769 | 248 | 3,414 | 8,687 |
| 2006 | 184,300 | 166,570 | 1,466 | 5,475 | 6,157 | 320 | 4,311 | 11,263 |
AIAN: American Indian and Alaska Native
NHOPI: Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander.
Note: Persons of Hispanic Origin can be of any race.
STATE COLLECTED REVENUES DISTRIBUTED TO COUNTY GOVERNMENTS
Source: State Treasurer
| STATE COLLECTED REVENUES DISTRIBUTED TO COUNTY GOVERNMENTS ($) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| State Fiscal Year | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 |
| Criminal Justice | $2,096,530.12 | $2,439,349.56 | $5,582,650.65 | $7,745,249.45 |
| Federal Revenues | 1,668,251.93 | 1,690,524.74 | 1,729,019.09 | 1,750,051.40 |
| Forest Excise and Reclassified | 506,902.97 | 300,799.07 | 523,449.45 | 457,303.46 |
| Hotel/Motel Tax | 153,706.60 | 151,550.58 | 167,608.05 | 184,649.29 |
| Liquor Excise Tax | 107,295.43 | 116,236.57 | 122,242.61 | 136,295.78 |
| Liquor Profits | 277,224.83 | 322,347.63 | 311,355.55 | 319,293.61 |
| Local Sales & Use Tax/Interest | 9,596,581.25 | 10,588,507.33 | 11,793,168.08 | 13,128,546.27 |
| Miscellaneous | 507,515.04 | 543,855.63 | 568,171.28 | 655,774.95 |
| Motor Vehicle Fund | 4,002,997.32 | 3,953,026.46 | 4,230,487.83 | 4,413,841.73 |
| Natural Resources Transfers | 6,926,854.95 | 5,939,299.04 | 6,136,969.40 | 1,764,130.77 |
| PUD Privilege Tax | 83,845.15 | 96,126.67 | 92,114.41 | 99,484.30 |
| Total Revenue Distributed | $25,927,705.59 | $26,141,623.28 | $31,257,236.40 | $30,654,621.01 |
Note: These are monies collected by the State Treasurer and distributed to county governments, not city governments. Miscellaneous category includes the following: camper/travel trailer excise tax, local leasehold excise tax, boating safety/education, prosecuting attorneys' salaries, centennial documents, autopsy reimbursement, deferred property assessments, FHWA pass through reimbursements, state DOT grants to local governments, and local real estate excise tax.
REAL ESTATE EXCISE TAX COLLECTIONS
Source: State Treasurer
| REAL ESTATE EXCISE TAX COLLECTIONS - 1% of Sales | |
|---|---|
| State Fiscal Year | Tax Collections |
| 2004 | $19,924,058.33 |
| 2005 | $24,819,465.10 |
| 2006 | $28,323,619.45 |
| 2007 | $27,090,867.06 |
COUNTY REVENUE AND EXPENDITURES
Source: State Auditor
| COUNTY REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES - Calendar Year 2006 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenues ($) | Expenditures ($) | |||
| Property Taxes | $41,025,800 | General Government Services | $37,874,468 | |
| Retail Sales & Use | 19,145,002 | Security of Persons & Property | 31,911,947 | |
| All Other Taxes | 7,149,494 | Physical Environment | 6,566,944 | |
| Licenses & Permits | 2,414,757 | Transportation | 24,773,178 | |
| Intergovernmental Revenues | 29,776,243 | Economic Development | 1,699,030 | |
| Charges for Services | 21,933,231 | Mental & Physical Health | 10,317,526 | |
| Fines & Forfeits | 2,344,520 | Culture & Recreation | 4,023,629 | |
| Miscellaneous Revenue | 18,884,902 | Debt Service | 2,176,296 | |
| Other Financing Resources | 1,166,931 | Capital Outlays | 20,699,532 | |
| Total Revenues | $143,840,880 | Total Expenditures | $140,042,550 | |
Note: These are revenues and expenditures for county governments and do not include incorporated city/town revenues and expenditures. Reasons why total revenues and total expenditures do not match include (1) the listings do not take into account the fund balances, and (2) counties account for certain transactions such as bond issues by recording the "net" effect rather than each piece of the transaction.
AVERAGE MONTHLY EMPLOYMENT AND TOTAL WAGES IN COVERED EMPLOYMENT
Source: Employment Security Department
| AVERAGE MONTHLY EMPLOYMENT AND TOTAL WAGES IN COVERED EMPLOYMENT CY 2006 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Industry | Employers | Average Number of Employees | Percent of Total | Wages Paid | Percent of Total |
| Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting | 367 | 2,750 | 3.4 | $61,678,542 | 2.4 |
| Mining | 6 | 150 | 0.2 | 6,338,014 | 0.2 |
| Utilities | 16 | 205 | 0.3 | 11,968,645 | 0.5 |
| Construction | 938 | 7,215 | 9.0 | 318,886,985 | 12.2 |
| Manufacturing | 327 | 8,630 | 10.8 | 389,505,185 | 14.9 |
| Wholesale/Retail Trade | 983 | 13,136 | 16.4 | 362,733,708 | 13.9 |
| Transportation & Warehousing | 163 | 1,751 | 2.2 | 58,229,663 | 2.2 |
| Information | 57 | 1,620 | 2.0 | 61,747,995 | 2.4 |
| Finance, Insurance, Real Estate | 393 | 3,014 | 3.8 | 113,211,599 | 4.3 |
| Professional & Technical Services | 475 | 2,856 | 3.6 | 126,869,305 | 4.9 |
| Management of Companies & Enterprises | 22 | 506 | 0.6 | 25,642,080 | 1.0 |
| Administrative & Waste Services | 268 | 3,024 | 3.8 | 73,550,653 | 2.8 |
| Educational Services | 64 | 583 | 0.7 | 10,369,417 | 0.4 |
| Health Care & Social Assistance | 466 | 8,644 | 10.8 | 281,538,035 | 10.8 |
| Arts, Entertainment & Recreation | 80 | 1,457 | 1.8 | 22,544,317 | 0.9 |
| Accommodation & Food Services | 425 | 7,940 | 9.9 | 98,411,045 | 3.8 |
| Other Services, except Public Administration | 1,247 | 2,968 | 3.7 | 62,099,039 | 2.4 |
| Government | 113 | 13,742 | 17.1 | 529,520,093 | 20.3 |
| Not Elsewhere Classified | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Total | 6,401 | 80,181 | 100.0 | $2,614,844,320 | 100.0 |
PUBLIC ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS
Source: Department of Social and Health Services
| PUBLIC ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS IN STATE FISCAL YEAR 2007 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Program | Total Grants | Persons Served | ||
| Monthly Average | % of County Population | County Rank by % of Pop | ||
| Consolidated Emergency Assistance Program (CEAP) | $4,251 | 2 | 0.00 | 9 |
| Diversion | 220,429 | 59 | 0.03 | 20 |
| Food Assistance | 18,517,076 | 16,592 | 8.81 | 23 |
| General Assistance | 2,936,484 | 795 | 0.42 | 22 |
| Medical Assistance | 108,220,423 | 31,277 | 16.97 | 21 |
| Refugee Assistance | 18,164 | 5 | 0.00 | 9 |
| State Supplemental SSI | 490,630 | 809 | 0.43 | 18 |
| Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) | $6,591,313 | 2,869 | 1.52 | 27 |
Note: Persons living in one county may be served by a local office in another county. Services are reported by county of service rather than county of residence. County data may not match other published sources. County data may not add to the state totals presented in the State of Washington profile or the Human Services section. County data include congregate care and exclude refunds and cancellations. Rankings by percent of population are computed on unrounded numbers. Both percent of population and ranking are computed by the Office of Financial Management.
PUBLIC KINDERGARTEN THROUGH GRADE 12 (K-12) SCHOOLS
Sources: State Treasurer (apportionment), Superintendent of Public Instruction (all other information)
| PUBLIC K-12 SCHOOLS | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Districts | 7 | School Apportionment | ||
| Average Annual FTE Enrollment 2005-06 | 25,359.08 | State Fiscal Year 2006 | $156,315,488.87 | |
| Average Annual FTE Enrollment 2006-07 | 25,330.10 | State Fiscal Year 2007 | $166,916,148.05 | |
| Major Sources of Operating Revenue - FY 2005-06 | Selected Expenditures for Instructional Programs - FY 2005-06 | |||
| State | $142,470,403.40 | Basic Education | $113,739,804.43 | |
| Federal | 19,619,519.06 | Special Education | 21,256,636.12 | |
| Local Property Tax | 36,808,374.75 | Vocational Education | 6,433,782.02 | |
| Other Local | 7,332,644.91 | Transportation | 7,703,777.87 | |
| Payments from Other Districts | 76,279.65 | |||
| Total | $206,307,221.77 | Total Selected Expenditures | $149,134,000.44 | |
Note: Direct Expenditures for Instructional Programs are direct expenditures for instructional programs supported by state, federal, and local revenues. Expenditures do not include instruction support or district-wide support expenditures which are treated as indirect costs of the instructional programs. Direct expenditures differ from total program expenditures shown in Table ET02, Table ET03, and Table ET04, which include both direct and allocated indirect program costs.
TRANSPORTATION
Source: Department of Licensing
| TRANSPORTATION:1 REGISTRATIONS FOR Calendar Year 2006 | |
|---|---|
| Total Licensed Drivers: | 140,823 |
| Licensed Vehicles: | |
| Passenger | 119,035 |
| Trucks | 46,392 |
| Recreational | 15,991 |
| Trailers | 17,906 |
| Other | 108 |
| Exempt | 166 |
| Total1 | 199,598 |
| Vanity1 | 1,974 |
1County licensed drivers data will not add to the state totals presented in the Washington State profile because the county numbers exclude drivers whose county of residence is unknown. State totals exclude licensed military personnel and include drivers whose county of residence is unknown. Vehicles for which county of licensing is unknown have not been prorated by county. Vanity plates are also included in other categories by type.
COUNTY POPULATION BY AGE AND GENDER
Source: Office of Financial Management
| COUNTY POPULATION BY AGE AND GENDER – APRIL 1, 2007 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Age | Total | Male | Female |
| 0-4 | 11,045 | 5,613 | 5,432 |
| 5-9 | 11,436 | 5,810 | 5,626 |
| 10-14 | 11,957 | 6,115 | 5,842 |
| 15-19 | 15,523 | 7,484 | 8,039 |
| 20-24 | 20,590 | 10,257 | 10,333 |
| 25-29 | 12,130 | 6,305 | 5,825 |
| 30-34 | 10,424 | 5,336 | 5,088 |
| 35-39 | 11,722 | 5,842 | 5,880 |
| 40-44 | 12,183 | 6,053 | 6,130 |
| 45-49 | 14,525 | 7,117 | 7,408 |
| 50-54 | 13,884 | 6,908 | 6,976 |
| 55-59 | 11,647 | 5,816 | 5,832 |
| 60-64 | 8,878 | 4,383 | 4,495 |
| 65-69 | 6,510 | 3,222 | 3,288 |
| 70-74 | 4,969 | 2,386 | 2,583 |
| 75-79 | 4,155 | 1,854 | 2,301 |
| 80-84 | 3,128 | 1,234 | 1,893 |
| 85 + | 3,592 | 1,209 | 2,383 |
| Total | 188,300 | 92,945 | 95,355 |
| Median Age | 35.45 | 34.58 | 36.27 |
Note: Data are estimated population by age and gender.
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| Whatcom County Profile | ||
| Last modified March 28, 2008 OFM Forecasting Division E-mail: OFM.Forecasting@ofm.wa.gov | Valid XHTML Valid CSS |  |