TexacoStation, 2009
Kendall’s story
139 years in pictures
Census counts: 158 in 2000, 769 in 2020. The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 2009 and 3 maps from 1919 on.
- 1887Kendall is founded
KendallWA
A town founded in 1887, now home to 657 people.
Population
657
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$339K
Census ACS
Median age
42.6
years
Jobs based here
41
A commuter town
Is Kendall a good place to live?
Kendall’s mean commuting time is 41 minutes, above both the Washington town median (27 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). Kendall has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
657 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Peaceful ValleyMaple FallsKendall
Getting set up
Moving to Kendall: who provides what
Kendall is unincorporated, so Whatcom County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerPuget Sound Energy17.0¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterColumbia Valley Water DistrictNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers98% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesWhatcom CountyWhatcom County provides services here
Register to voteOnlineIn Washington you can register online until 8 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (received 8 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereWhatcom County AuditorWhatcom County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Oct 2016
ZIP codes98266, 9824498266 78% · 98244 22%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Kendall.
Natural hazards
Kendall has a high natural-hazard risk, chiefly from avalanches
FEMA puts 79% of Kendall’s expected hazard losses down to avalanches, and 16% to inland flooding.
79risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
AvalanchesInland flooding
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Schools
The schools Kendall’s kids attend
The Mount Baker School District runs its public schools. Its one school is below. Enrollment at Kendall’s public school: 317 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kendall ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–6 | Grades K–6 | 317 | – |
NCES · EDFacts
Work & commute
Most of Kendall’s workers head elsewhere: there are 0.1 jobs for each of them
Commuting out is the norm in Kendall: 1% of working residents work locally. Kendall: 23% of residents live below the poverty line. Between 2013 and 2023, jobs in Kendall dropped by 29, to 41. Half of commuters travel less than 20 miles.
1%work in town
| Kendall | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 23% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 0.6% | 4.9% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Kendall1%
Bellingham25%
Deming6%
Ferndale5%
Lynden5%
20 mi
median commute distance
41
jobs based in Kendall
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers: that is Kendall’s year
For Kendall, the typical July afternoon high is 75°F.
11″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter33–44°
Spring40–58°
Summer52–73°
Fall43–58°
Oct 18
typical first frost
Apr 18
typical last frost
+1.4°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
Compared with most of Washington and the rest of the country, more of Kendall’s adults have been diagnosed with depression
For adults in Kendall, the share who have obesity is 32%. Among 286 Washington towns, just 5 have a higher share of adults who smoke cigarettes than Kendall. 21% of adults in Kendall report frequent mental distress; 17% report frequent physical distress.
| Kendall | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 26% | 23% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 17% | 17% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 13% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 11% | 14% |
31 measures vs. Washington
0 better10 too close to call21 worse
| What stands out | Kendall | WA |
|---|---|---|
| More smokers | 17% | 10.1% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 16.8% | 10.2% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 8.3% | 5.1% |
Peacehealth United General Medical Center
29.7 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Housing
A home in Kendall sells for about $428K at the median
In Kendall, 73% of households own their home.
$428Kmedian sale price
2
homes sold in April
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Nearby attractions
All 19 attractions →Mount Baker and 12 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Kendall. Close and well known come first.
Big draw17 mi MountainMount Baker
23 mi National ParkNorth Cascades National Park47K visitors a year
29 mi LandmarkPeace Arch22 mi Ski areaMt Baker47 runs · 1,475 ft vertical
19 mi TheatreMount Baker Theatre
19 mi MuseumWhatcom Museum of History and ArtSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Mount Baker: Walter Siegmund (talk), CC BY 2.5 · North Cascades National Park: Daniel Hershman, CC BY 2.0 · Peace Arch: Arnold C (User:Buchanan-Hermit), Attribution · Mount Baker Theatre: Benjamin Cody, Public domain · Whatcom Museum of History and Art: Benjamin Cody, Public domain
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Kendall
16pages on Kendall
The big questions
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Kendall; the nearest are
Whatcom Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Bellingham18.4 mi$5,115 in-state tuitionWestern Washington UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Bellingham20.2 mi$9,582 in-state tuition
About 2 of every 100 Kendall residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Washington.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave Kendall for work
Where Kendall’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
41jobs based in Kendall
1%of working residents work in town
20 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Kendall
CDP in Washington, United States
Kendall is a census-designated place (CDP) in Whatcom County, Washington, United States. As of the 2020 census, Kendall had a population of 769.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.8 sq mi
- Elevation
- 443 ft
- Area code
- 360
Questions about Kendall
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Kendall, WA a good place to live?
Kendall has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.