Residential comparison · 13 facts
Bellingham, WA vs Mount Vernon, WA
Compare the housing, tax, cost, income, safety, school, and climate facts that are available for both places. The table shows the numbers without declaring one city universally better.
A household earning $85,000 in Bellingham needs about $79,000 in Mount Vernon to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from Mount Vernon, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $91,000 in Bellingham.
A few differences
- Mount Vernon is higher on median household income ($75,777 vs $66,755).
- Mount Vernon is lower on cost of living index (110 vs 124).
- Mount Vernon is lower on 2-bedroom rent ($1,360/mo vs $1,685/mo).
Bellingham vs Mount Vernon · facet by facet
| Facet | Bellingham, WA | Mount Vernon, WA |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $627,500 | $472,300 |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,685/mo | $1,360/mo |
| Property tax rate | 0.87% | 0.87% |
| State & local income tax | 0% | 0% |
| Sales tax | 9.4% | 9.4% |
| Cost of living index | 124 | 110 |
| Groceries index | 106 | 106 |
| Utilities | $155/mo | $155/mo |
| Median household income | $66,755 | $75,777 |
| Unemployment rate | 4.3% | 4.3% |
| Crime index | 50/100 | 50/100 |
| School rating | 6.5/10 | 6.5/10 |
| Sunny days / year | 155 days | 155 days |
Data: Census ACS 2024 · BLS · Tax Foundation 2024 brackets · HUD/Zillow · NOAA 1991–2020 · FEMA NRI · Values are shown as reported; no universal winner is implied.
Full profiles: Bellingham, WA · Mount Vernon, WA
Questions & answers
- Is Bellingham cheaper than Mount Vernon?
- Mount Vernon has the lower day-to-day cost index (110 vs 124 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
- What household income in Mount Vernon equals $85,000 in Bellingham?
- A household earning $85,000 in Bellingham needs about $79,000 in Mount Vernon to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of Mount Vernon lifestyle costs about $91,000 in Bellingham.