ZIP Code 98226

ZIP code 98226 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 277.9 square miles in Bellingham, Whatcom County, Washington. The area is home to 41,235 residents, producing a population density of 148 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 98226 against Washington and the nation.

On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 98226 sits at $79,375 (13% below the Washington average), while per-capita income is $45,504. The poverty rate stands at 12.0% and the unemployment rate at 4.3%. On housing, the median home value is $607,600 (19% above the state average) with median rent at $1,620 per month, and 62.4% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 98226 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.

Education and household profile round out the picture: 39.7% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 41.1, and the average commute is 19 minutes. We also surface 5 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Whatcom County, so you can benchmark 98226 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 →