Bellingham is a larger medium-sized coastal city (ie. on the ocean or tidally-influenced rivers) located in the state of Washington. With a population of 66,815 people and 14 constituent neighborhoods, Bellingham is the tenth largest community in Washington.

Unlike some cities, Bellingham isn't mainly white- or blue-collar. Instead, the most prevalent occupations for people in Bellingham are a mix of both white- and blue-collar jobs. Overall, Bellingham is a city of sales and office workers, professionals, and service providers. There are especially a lot of people living in Bellingham who work in office and administrative support jobs (15.43%), sales jobs (12.93%), and management occupations (7.78%).

Bellingham is also a major college town with a large number of people who are 18 years or older and attending college. As is often the case in college towns, the many students that live in Bellingham have a strong influence on the local culture and entertainment scene, which may seem dormant by comparison in the summer months when much of the student population is away. In the fall, the return of students has a reinvigorating effect on the community. Because colleges are lasting institutions, they have a stabilizing effect on the economy by providing direct local benefits such as jobs for faculty and staff and spending by students. Bellingham's economy is one such example of this.

Not only is Bellingham a city with many college students, but it also retains many recent graduates who are looking to start new careers, shaping the character of the city into a place that is geared toward, and considered attractive to, many single, educated people. Many singles consider Bellingham a good place to live without being in a really big city, with opportunities for friendships and fun with others like themselves.

The city is also nautical, which means that parts of Bellingham are somewhat historic and bounded by the ocean or tidal bodies of water, such as inlets and tidal rivers. Such areas are often places that visitors and locals go for waterfront activities or taking in the scenery.

One of the benefits of Bellingham is that there is very little traffic. The average commute to work is 17.75 minutes, which is substantially less than the national average. Not only does this mean that the drive to work is less aggravating, but noise and pollution levels are lower as a result.

Bellingham Information and Demographics

The population of Bellingham is very well educated relative to most cities and towns in the nation, where the average community has 14.96% of its adult population holding a 4-year degree or higher: 33.03% of adults in Bellingham have a bachelor's degree or even advanced degree.

The per capita income in Bellingham in 2000 was $19,483, which is middle income relative to Washington, and upper middle income relative to the rest of the US. This equates to an annual income of $77,932 for a family of four.

The people who call Bellingham home come from a variety of different races and ancestries. The most prevalent race in Bellingham is White, followed by Asian. Important ancestries of people in Bellingham include German, English, Irish, Norwegian, Scottish, Swedish, Italian, Dutch, and European.

The most common language spoken in Bellingham is English. Some people also speak Spanish.