Question 1

What is the cost of living in Bellingham, WA?

Accepted Answer

Bellingham, WA's overall price level (BEA Regional Price Parity) is 103.33, where 100 equals the U.S. average. That means everyday goods, services, and housing cost about 3.3% more than the national average. HUD's Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom is $1,794/month.

Question 2

What is the average salary in Bellingham, WA?

Accepted Answer

Across the 100 BLS-tracked occupation categories with published data in Bellingham, WA, the average median wage is $113,925. The single highest-paying occupation here is Chief Executives at $236,930/year (BLS OEWS).

Question 3

What are the highest-paying jobs in Bellingham?

Accepted Answer

Based on BLS OEWS data, the top-paying occupations in Bellingham, WA are: 1) Chief Executives at $236,930; 2) Architectural and Engineering Managers at $193,360; 3) Computer and Information Systems Managers at $169,640; 4) Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary at $169,470; 5) Dentists, General at $168,030. Click any occupation above to see the full wage breakdown (10th to 90th percentile).

Question 4

How much does it cost to rent a 2-bedroom apartment in Bellingham?

Accepted Answer

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Fair Market Rent (FMR) for a 2-bedroom unit in Bellingham, WA is $1,794/month. FMR is the rent level HUD uses to administer housing assistance and reflects the 40th percentile of standard-quality rentals, updated annually.

Question 5

Where does AffordMap's Bellingham data come from?

Accepted Answer

Salary figures come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. Cost of living comes from the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities (RPP). Rent comes from HUD Fair Market Rents. All three are federal datasets, updated annually, and free to use. AffordMap pairs them so you can see what a salary actually buys after local costs.

Rank	Occupation	Category	Median salary	Hourly
61	Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education	Education	$101K	N/A
62	Firefighters	Public Safety	$101K	$48.62/hr
63	Special Education Teachers, Middle School	Education	$101K	N/A
64	Industrial Engineers	Engineering	$101K	$48.47/hr
65	Network and Computer Systems Administrators	Technology	$101K	$48.33/hr
66	Speech-Language Pathologists	Healthcare	$100K	$48.3/hr
67	Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education	Education	$100K	N/A
68	Urban and Regional Planners	Science	$100K	$48.1/hr
69	Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists	Community & Social	$99K	$47.57/hr
70	Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education	Education	$98K	N/A

Top Paying Jobs in Bellingham, WA

Highest paying careers in Bellingham

Affordability snapshot: Bellingham