Nooksackwashington-postoffice, 2009
Nooksack’s story
127 years in pictures
Census counts: 283 in 1920, 1,471 in 2020. The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 2009 and 3 maps from 1906 on.
- 1899Nooksack is settled
NooksackWA
A town of 1,833, settled in 1899.
1 bordering townMap →
Photo: Nesnad · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
1,833
2025 Census estimate · +23% since 2020
Typical home
$511K
+0.1% in a year
Household income
$97K
median
Median age
31.6
years
Jobs based here
296
A commuter town
Is Nooksack a good place to live?
The best of Nooksack’s subject grades is an A− for health; the weakest is a D for cost of living. 29% of residents are under 18 in Nooksack, against 22% in Washington’s towns and 22% across U.S. towns. Nooksack has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Nooksack stand out
Where Nooksack beats most towns.
A commuter town
96% of working residents leave Nooksack for work
Where Nooksack’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
296jobs based in Nooksack
4%of working residents work in town
13 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Nooksack grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Washington), ordered by how far Nooksack is from typical.
Cost of livingDOpen →Hazard riskavalanches tops the listC−Open →HealthPeacehealth United General Medical Center 30 miles awayA−Open →Jobs & income$97K median household incomeC+Open →SchoolsBOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 8.1 of 20; 2.3% of households have no car; 0.9% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
ClimateCold winters, 76° summer afternoons, 11″ of snow–Open →Housing market9 days on market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 31.6; 19% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Nooksack: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Nooksack, and how to reach them.
PowerPuget Sound Energy17.0¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterNooksack Water DeptNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Nooksack’s trash rules yet
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 codes98276, 9824798276 97% · 98247 3%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 Nooksack.
HealthA−
Nooksack ranks healthier than 78% of the country’s towns
Nooksack beats the Washington average on 3 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 3. 69% of Nooksack adults had a checkup this year, below both the Washington town median (71%) and the median of U.S. towns (79%). 30% of Nooksack adults have been diagnosed with depression.
79%healthier than U.S. townsA−Health Grade
| Nooksack | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 69% | 71% | 79% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 26% | 23% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 31% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 17% | 16% |
31 measures vs. Washington
3 better25 too close to call3 worse
| What stands out | Nooksack | WA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with diabetes | 8.1% | 9.5% |
| Fewer adults with high blood pressure | 26.6% | 30.5% |
| More adults with depression | 30.4% | 25.1% |
Peacehealth United General Medical Center
30 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
SchoolsB
Public schools in Nooksack beat 56% of Washington districts
Its public schools are run by the Nooksack Valley School District. One of its 2 schools is below, with why it’s listed.
56%of WA districts it outscoresBSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nooksack Valley Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 469 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WA on state tests and graduation
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C+
Nooksack has 0.4 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most working residents leave Nooksack for work: only 4% work in town. 15% of residents live below the poverty line in Nooksack. Since 2013, Nooksack has added 27 jobs, to 296 in 2023.
4%work in town
| Nooksack | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 15% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 30 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 9.5% | 15% | 11% |
| Working residents who work in town | 3.9% | 4.9% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Nooksack4%
Bellingham25%
Lynden11%
Ferndale5%
Seattle4%
13 mi
median commute distance
296
jobs based in Nooksack
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 49% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C−
Nooksack faces a high natural-hazard risk, led by avalanches
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 76% of U.S. communities. Since 1983, 62 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Nooksack.
76risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
AvalanchesInland floodingEarthquakes
62
paid flood claims since 1983
4
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Nooksack has four seasons and pleasant summers
Nooksack has mild winters and cool summers, with plenty of rain. The July high in Nooksack is 75°F.
11″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter34–45°
Spring41–59°
Summer53–74°
Fall43–60°
Oct 18
typical first frost
Apr 18
typical last frost
+1.4°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HousingCost of living grade D
Homes in Nooksack are worth about $511K, by Zillow’s estimate
The typical Nooksack home is worth about $511,000, about the same as a year ago, 13% below the Washington typical home. Nooksack’s median rent is $1,721 a month.
$511KZillow home value
| Nooksack | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 86% | 71% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,721 a month | $1,739 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Nooksack$511K
Washington$588K
Market temperature
9
days on market
91.7%
sale-to-list price
+0.1%
value change, 1 year
5
homes sold in April
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
OutdoorsC+
Nooksack has set aside 0.2% of its land for conservation
0.8 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve.
0.2%conserved
| Nooksack | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.2% | 4% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.9 miles per square mile | 0.8 | 0.4 |
0.2%
conserved · 1 of 585 acres
0.8 mi
of trails · 0.9 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Nooksack City Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Nearby attractions
All 20 attractions →Mount Baker and 11 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Nooksack. Close and well known come first.
Big draw25 mi MountainMount Baker
32 mi National ParkNorth Cascades National Park47K visitors a year
21 mi LandmarkPeace Arch30 mi Ski areaMt Baker47 runs · 1,475 ft vertical
14 mi TheatreMount Baker Theatre
14 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 Nooksack
19pages on Nooksack
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Nooksack
Whatcom Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Bellingham12.2 mi$5,115 in-state tuitionBellingham Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Bellingham14.2 mi$4,431 in-state tuition
About 5 of every 100 Nooksack residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Washington.
About Nooksack
City in Washington, United States
Nooksack ( NUUK-sak) is a city in Whatcom County, Washington, United States, 5 mi (8.0 km) south of the border with Canada. The population was 1,471 at the 2020 census. Despite the name, it is actually located right next to the upper stream of the Sumas River, and is 1.2 mi (1.9 km) northeast of the nearest bank of the Nooksack River. Nooksack shares Nooksack Valley School District with the nearby Sumas and Everson. State Route 9 runs through Nooksack.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.7 sq mi
- Elevation
- 85 ft
- ZIP code
- 98276
- Area code
- 360
Nooksack’s neighbors
One town shares a border with Nooksack.
EversonNooksack
How the neighbors grade
Nooksack has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Nooksack reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Nooksack with a neighbor →
Questions about Nooksack
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Nooksack, WA expensive?
Yes. That is 6.2 years of the area's median household income ($81,784 across the Bellingham, WA metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.