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Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Bellingham, WA

Population: 91,353 (2022) · Small Cities (50K–100K)

B
65/100

Good fiscal health — above-average across most metrics

Total Spending
$1.8B
Per Capita
$19,583
Total Revenue
$1.9B
Total Debt
$26.5M

Spending Breakdown

Other
47.3%$846.7M
Housing & Community Development
14.3%$256.7M
Utilities
11.5%$205.2M
Public Welfare
7.7%$138.2M
Parks & Recreation
6.9%$123.3M
Health
3.4%$61.3M
Hospitals
3.3%$58.8M
Fire Protection
2.9%$52.7M
Police
1.7%$29.9M
Highways & Roads
0.4%$8.0M
Education
0.2%$4.4M
Sewerage
0.2%$4.0M

Spending data sourced from the Census Bureau's Annual Survey of State & Local Government Finances. Per-capita comparisons use the Lincoln Institute's Fiscally Standardized Cities methodology for fair cross-city benchmarking.

Revenue Sources

Property Tax
0.3%$6.3M
Sales Tax
2.0%$39.1M
Intergovernmental
8.7%$166.1M
Charges & Fees
17.4%$332.7M
Other
35.7%$683.8M

Per Capita Spending by Department

Police$327/person
Fire Protection$576/person
Highways & Roads$87/person
Parks & Recreation$1,350/person
Education$48/person
Health$671/person

Score Breakdown

Budget Balance & Reserves (25%)39/100
Debt Burden (20%)91/100
Pension Funding (20%)76/100
Spending Efficiency (15%)53/100
Revenue Diversity (10%)93/100
Trend Direction (10%)50/100

Debt Overview

Total Debt$26.5M
Long-Term Debt$36.6M
Debt Per Capita$290
Cash & Securities$6.4M

Compare Cities

See how Bellingham stacks up against another city.

vs Seattle, WAvs Spokane, WAvs Tacoma, WA
Data source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023). Population from American Community Survey.

Other Cities in Washington

Seattle, WA

Pop. 735K

C
Total Spending
$25.3B
Per Capita
$34,463

Spokane, WA

Pop. 228K

B
Total Spending
$3.7B
Per Capita
$16,224

Tacoma, WA

Pop. 219K

C
Total Spending
$5.2B
Per Capita
$23,896

Vancouver, WA

Pop. 191K

D
Total Spending
$2.6B
Per Capita
$13,434

Compare Bellingham With

Seattle, WA

Spending: $34,463/person · Grade: C

Spokane, WA

Spending: $16,224/person · Grade: B

Tacoma, WA

Spending: $23,896/person · Grade: C

Vancouver, WA

Spending: $13,434/person · Grade: D

Frequently Asked Questions

Bellingham, WA spends $19,583 per resident, based on total expenditures of $1.8B for a population of 91,353. The city has a Fiscal Health Score of B (65/100).

Bellingham, WA has total expenditures of $1.8B and total revenue of $1.9B. The city carries $26.5M in total debt, based on Census Bureau data from 2023.

Bellingham, WA employs 0 government workers, of which 0 are full-time. The average government salary is $0, with 0.0 employees per 10,000 residents.

Bellingham, WA has a Fiscal Health Score of B (65/100). This score evaluates budget balance, debt burden, pension funding, spending efficiency, revenue diversity, and 3-year fiscal trajectory compared to peer cities of similar population.

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