Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Bellingham, Washington
A $577,000 home here costs
$4,070per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $2,966. The real number is $1,103 higher every month — 37% more than the payment most buyers budget for.
Where every dollar goes
Only the first line is a mortgage payment. Change any assumption above and every figure below recalculates.
Bellingham against Whatcom County and Washington
| Measure | Bellingham | Whatcom County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $577,400 | $536,100 |
| Median property tax | $4,019 | $3,819 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.696% | 0.712% |
| Median gross rent | $1,478 | $1,465 |
| Population | 92,367 | 228,432 |
The weather behind that power bill
Bellingham sits in Whatcom County, which averages a high of 77.8°F in its hottest month and a low of 32.1°F in its coldest, with 83" of precipitation a year and 46% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 126 cooling and 5,664 heating degree days, which is what sets the $134 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Whatcom County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Whatcom County
Full Whatcom County cost breakdown · Every county in Washington
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Bellingham?
A $577,000 home in Bellingham, Washington costs approximately $4,070 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $2,966 principal and interest, $335 property tax, $86 homeowners insurance, $202 utilities and $481 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Bellingham?
Bellingham has an effective property tax rate of 0.696%, based on a median home value of $577,400 and median real estate taxes of $4,019. That is lower than the Whatcom County average of 0.712%.
What is the average home price in Bellingham?
The median owner-occupied home value in Bellingham, Washington is $577,400, against $536,100 across Whatcom County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Bellingham?
Median gross rent in Bellingham is $1,478 a month, against $4,070 to own the median home all in. Renting costs less month to month here, though renting builds no equity.
Sources & methodology
- Median home value, real estate taxes, gross rent and population for Bellingham — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Washington.
- Electricity price — EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A.
- Mortgage rate — Freddie Mac PMMS, refreshed weekly.
- Maintenance (1%/yr) and water and sewer ($68/mo) are national estimates. Every assumption above is editable.