Bellingham, WA · standard
ZIP Code 98225
Whatcom County, Washington — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 46,172
- 1,411/sq mi
- $63,941
- Median income
- $631,200
- Median home value
- 50.1%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
Bellingham pairs a below-median household income with top-decile home values, in a low-density, mixed-tenure area.
- 37th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 8%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 1,411
- people per sq mi
- 40%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 98225 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 98225 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 32.7 square miles in Bellingham, Whatcom County, Washington. The area is home to 46,172 residents, producing a population density of 1,411 people per square mile, and falls within the Los Angeles time zone. These USPS and Census boundary values drive every downstream statistic on this page, including the benchmarks that compare 98225 against Washington and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 98225 sits at $63,941 (30% below the Washington average), while per-capita income is $42,441. The poverty rate stands at 23.2% and the unemployment rate at 6.7%. On housing, the median home value is $631,200 (23% above the state average) with median rent at $1,523 per month, and 40.3% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 98225 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 50.1% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 31.8, and the average commute is 19 minutes. We also surface 3 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Whatcom County, so you can benchmark 98225 against its immediate geography rather than a national average alone. Every figure is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, HUD Fair Market Rents, and FHFA Home Price Index data, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with HUD →
Top industries in ZIP 98225
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 98225.
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
384 establishments
- Professional, scientific, and technical services
Professional, scientific, and technical services
334 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
246 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
245 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
198 establishments
What this shows Establishment counts come from the Census ZIP Code Business Patterns program, which counts physical business locations rather than employees or revenue.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + HUD FMR + FHFA HPI ACS demographics, ZBP business establishments, HUD Fair Market Rents, FHFA HPI for ZIP 98225, Bellingham, WA · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; HUD FMR + FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.
Quick Facts
46,172
Population
32.7
Area (sq mi)
1,411
People / sq mi
Los Angeles
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 98225?
31.8
Median Age
48.2%
Male
51.8%
Female
5.8%
Foreign-Born
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How much do residents earn?
$63,941
Median Household Income
-30% vs state
$42,441
Per Capita Income
23.2%
Poverty Rate
6.7%
Unemployment Rate
18.9 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 98225 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$63,941 37th percentile higher than 37% of 30,318 US ZIPs
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US ZIPs. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau — ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2019–2023
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What is the education profile here?
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What does housing look like?
24,205
Total Housing Units
22,612
Occupied Units
1,593
Vacant Units
2.05
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$631,200
Median Home Value
+23% vs state
$1,523
Median Rent
1976
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How have home values changed over time?
FHFA House Price Index, annual appreciation data based on repeat sales and appraisals
+10.9%
YoY Change (2024)
473
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+373%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 98225 have increased 10.9% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +373% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +4.5% | 319 |
| 2021 | +13.3% | 362 |
| 2022 | +19.4% | 432 |
| 2023 | -1.3% | 426 |
| 2024 | +10.9% | 473 |
Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index, All-Transactions, Five-Digit ZIP Codes (Developmental Index). Index base = 100 in year 2000. Data through 2024. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 2,164 business establishments in ZIP 98225, employing approximately 25,554 people with a combined annual payroll of $1,518,802,000.
2,164
Businesses
25,554
Employees
$1.5B
Annual Payroll
17
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 384 | 17.7% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 334 | 15.4% |
| Accommodation and food services | 246 | 11.4% |
| Retail trade | 245 | 11.3% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 198 | 9.2% |
| Construction | 134 | 6.2% |
| Finance and insurance | 114 | 5.3% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 109 | 5.0% |
| Manufacturing | 76 | 3.5% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 74 | 3.4% |
| Wholesale trade | 64 | 3.0% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 52 | 2.4% |
| Educational services | 45 | 2.1% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 29 | 1.3% |
| Information | 29 | 1.3% |
| Management of companies and enterprises | 14 | 0.7% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting | 12 | 0.6% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.
Nearby ZIP Codes
Want a side-by-side? Compare 98225 vs 98226 →
ZIP 98225 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 98225
Bellingham (98225)
46,172 residents
- 98226
Bellingham (98226)
41,235 residents
- 98229
Bellingham (98229)
30,321 residents
- 98248
Ferndale (98248)
22,361 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 98225 ranks the most populous — useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 98225 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 98248
Ferndale (98248)
$91,060 median income
- 98229
Bellingham (98229)
$90,945 median income
- 98226
Bellingham (98226)
$79,375 median income
- 98225
Bellingham (98225)
$63,941 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 98225 ranks #4 of 4 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
More ZIP Codes in Whatcom County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 98225 in? ▼
What is the population of ZIP code 98225? ▼
What is the median household income in ZIP 98225? ▼
What is the average home value in ZIP 98225? ▼
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 98225? ▼
How many businesses are in ZIP code 98225? ▼
What are the main industries in ZIP code 98225? ▼
How have home values changed in ZIP code 98225? ▼
What is the education level in ZIP code 98225? ▼
What is the average commute time in ZIP 98225? ▼
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 98225? ▼
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 98225? ▼
ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for Bellingham, WA
Verify and explore additional data for this area using these official government sources.
Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.