Bellingham vs Lake Stevens
Bellingham, Washington versus Lake Stevens, Washington: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Bellingham and Lake Stevens score about the same overall (54 vs 54 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Bellingham | Lake Stevens |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $64k | $112k |
| Cost of Living | $53k | $71k |
| Home Value | $529k | $517k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.71% | 0.88% |
| Income Tax | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Sales Tax | 9.38% | 9.38% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 8.96% | 7.18% |
| Unemployment | 4.8% | 5.1% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 41°F | 42°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 63°F | 65°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 38.2 in | 40.3 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 3.4 in | 3.0 in |
| Sunny Days | 198 days | 217 days |
| Summer Humidity | 54°F | 53°F |
| Comfortable Days | 100 days | 105 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 71.6 | 30.7 |
| Air Quality | 25 AQI | 32 AQI |
| School Quality | 91.5 | 65.4 |
| Violent Crime | 1194/100k | 576/100k |
| Property Crime | 6528/100k | 999/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 91,353 | 38,816 |
| Median Age | 33.7 | 34.4 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.34 | 0.39 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.93 | 1.02 |
| Political Leaning | D+52 | D+21 |
| White (%) | 76.8% | 72.7% |
| Black (%) | 1.3% | 2.8% |
| Hispanic (%) | 10.0% | 10.2% |
| Asian (%) | 5.7% | 6.6% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 6.3% | 7.7% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 19 min | 35 min |
| Walkability | 10.2/20 | 10.3/20 |
| Airport Distance | 90 mi | 39 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 91.9% | 94.6% |
| Amenities Nearby | 45.21 | 43.28 |
| Park & Nature Access | Excellent | Moderate |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Bellingham or Lake Stevens more affordable?
- Bellingham has the lower cost of living: its index is $53k, compared with Bellingham's $53k and Lake Stevens's $71k. Median rent is $1k in Bellingham versus $2k in Lake Stevens.
- Is Bellingham or Lake Stevens safer?
- Lake Stevens has the lower violent crime rate. Bellingham reports 1194/100k and Lake Stevens reports 576/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Bellingham or Lake Stevens?
- The median home value is $529k in Bellingham and $517k in Lake Stevens, so homes are more affordable in Lake Stevens.