Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0Bellingham spent more per resident in 2022 than 73% of similar cities
Bellingham’s city government spent $207.1 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $2,205 per resident. Water and other utilities ($21.6 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Bellingham is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
Who’s in charge in Bellingham
From public records with a current term; a name is hidden the day its term ends.
About $2,205 per resident a year, or $6.04 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 17%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,605 per resident in 2022: more than 73% of them
Bellingham’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,605 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 15 Washington cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,121, and the middle half spent $809–$1,563. Bellingham spent more than 73% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($24.5 million), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Washington cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Bellingham itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 37% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Bellingham reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $1,605 · 2023: $2,024 · 2024: $2,205.
full-time in March 2025, up from 887 in 2022.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $4,353 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.69% of the home’s value, vs 0.81% across Washington.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Bellingham’s rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate.
Tax bills are one input to Bellingham’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Bellingham →
One full-time city employee for every 96 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (93,896).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Bellingham School District
Bellingham’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $18,143 per pupil, $10,897 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
Washington districts overall: 27% local, 66% state, 8% federal.
Meridian School District · $16,474 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Bellingham’s votes are counted by county
Washington reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Bellingham alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Whatcom County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat60.4%83,295 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican35.7%49,213 votesOthers: 3.9% (5,360 votes).
Most votes in Whatcom County: Kamala D Harris
Washington: Harris 57.2%, Trump 39.0%
100% of Bellingham lies in Whatcom County. Every 2024 race in Whatcom County is on the county’s page.
Whatcom County’s 2024 results →Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
From town hall to Washington
Bellingham sends 4 representatives to the Washington House alone.
- 1Your cityMayorKim Lundas listed by Open States, October 9, 2026
- 2Washington HouseBellingham is split between 2 districts
- 3Washington SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Washington
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Bellingham compares with the towns next door
Bellingham spent $1,605 per resident in 2022. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Bellingham | $1,605 | $4,353 |
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach Bellingham’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Bellingham’s government
How much does Bellingham spend per resident?
About $2,205 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,605 was more than 73% of 15 Washington cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Bellingham?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $4,353 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.69% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.81% across Washington. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cob.org.
Who is the mayor of Bellingham?
Kim Lund, as listed by Open States (checked October 9, 2026). The council and agencies are listed on cob.org.
How did Bellingham vote in 2024?
Washington counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Bellingham alone. Whatcom County, where 100% of Bellingham lies, voted Harris 60.4%, Trump 35.7% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Bellingham?
976 full-time and 130 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $9.1M (about $109.2M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Bellingham in the state legislature?
Bellingham is split among 2 State House districts and 2 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The Washington Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Bellingham’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →