Calculate
United States › Washington › Whatcom County › Bellingham

Bellingham property tax, in one number.

0.69%effective tax rate on a home's value

The typical Bellingham homeowner pays $4,353 a year on a $627,500 home. That's close to the Whatcom County rate (0.70%) and well below the U.S. rate (0.94%).

Estimate my tax
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. Rate = median tax paid ÷ median home value.
Data from public sources
U.S. Census BureauAmerican Community Survey2020–2024 estimates

Bellingham at a glance

Five numbers that shape a typical property tax bill here.

$627,500
Median home value
$4,353
Median tax paid
$4,351
With a mortgage
$4,358
Mortgage paid off
44.6%
Of homes owner-occupied
Estimate my tax

Property tax calculator

Enter a home value to see a typical yearly bill at Bellingham's average effective rate, or pick another area.

Estimate only. Uses average effective rates and doesn't apply homestead, senior or other exemptions, which lower many bills.
Estimated yearly tax
–
about – a month
−0.15 pts
Rate change since 2015
From 0.84% (2015) to 0.69% (2024), ACS 1-year
  • Bills are up, rates are down.The median tax paid rose from $2,493 in 2015 to $4,804 in 2024 (+93%), while home values rose 132%. That pushed the effective rate down.
  • Mortgage or not, bills are similar.Homes with a mortgage paid a median $4,351, and homes owned outright paid $4,358.
  • Share of income.The median bill equals about 6.5% of the median household income of $66,755.

The data, charted

Median tax paid & effective rate

Bellingham, ACS 1-year estimates (2020 not released)
Median tax paidEffective rate

Owners vs renters

41,500 occupied homes, ACS 2020–2024
Owner-occupied 44.6%Renter-occupied 55.4%

Cities in Whatcom County

Effective rate, ACS 2020–2024

Bellingham compared

ACS 2020–2024
AreaMedian taxHome valueRate
Bellingham$4,353$627,5000.69%
Whatcom County$4,087$585,8000.70%
Washington$4,556$564,6000.81%
United States$3,119$332,7000.94%

Other cities in Whatcom County

Effective property tax rates nearby.

Sudden Valley
0.74%
$3,619 median
Bellingham
0.69%
$4,353 median
Ferndale
0.68%
$3,712 median
Birch Bay
0.65%
$3,110 median
Lynden
0.63%
$3,756 median

Nearby

Good to know

What is the property tax rate in Bellingham?

The effective rate is about 0.69%. The median homeowner pays $4,353 a year on a home worth a median $627,500 (ACS 2020–2024). The legal tax rates set by each taxing unit are different numbers; the effective rate is what owners actually pay as a share of value.

How much is property tax on a $650,000 home in Bellingham?

About $4,485 a year, or roughly $374 a month, at Bellingham's average effective rate of 0.69%. Homestead, senior, veteran or other exemptions can lower the real bill, and a recent purchase or reassessment can raise it.

Why is my bill different from this estimate?

Your bill depends on your home's assessed value from the county assessor, the exact taxing units where you live (county, city, school district, special districts) and any exemptions you get. These figures are medians across all owner-occupied homes, not a bill for any address.

How current is this data?

It comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-year estimates for 2020–2024, the latest release. Homeowners report the taxes they paid, so the numbers lag current bills by one to two years. We update the site when the Census Bureau publishes new estimates each December.

Estimates, not your tax bill. These are Census survey medians for all owner-occupied homes (2020–2024). Your bill depends on your assessed value, the taxing units at your address and any exemptions. For your actual bill, check with your county assessor or tax collector. How we calculate this.

More: Whatcom County · all Washington counties · calculator for any county