Whatcom County Demographics

A map of Whatcom County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	174,501	170,385	75.7%	75.1%
Hispanic	24,461	22,825	10.6%	10.1%
Multiracial	14,396	13,995	6.2%	6.2%
Asian	10,036	9,952	4.4%	4.4%
Native American/Other	4,991	7,469	2.2%	3.3%
Black	2,118	2,221	0.9%	1.0%

Whatcom County, Washington has an estimated population of 230,503, a slight increase from the 226,847 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 75.7% White, 10.6% Hispanic, 6.2% Multiracial, 4.4% Asian, 2.2% Native American/Other, and 0.9% Black. This demographic dot map shows the population of Whatcom County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Whatcom has become slightly less racially diverse since the 2020 Census. It is considerably less diverse than Washington overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Whatcom County, that probability was 41.9% in 2020 and 40.9% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Whatcom County is ranked the 9th most populous county in Washington, out of 39 counties. Whatcom County was ranked the 9th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Whatcom County's White Population

174,501 residents of Whatcom County, or 75.7% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Whatcom County is considerably higher than in Washington overall, where 63.1% of the population is White. Whatcom County ranks 21st statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 39 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Whatcom County's White population has grown by an estimated 2.4%. White residents' share of Whatcom County's population has increased from 75.1% to 75.7%.

Whatcom County is more White than neighboring Skagit County (70.9% White), Snohomish County (62% White), Island County (75.4% White), and King County (52.9% White). Whatcom County is less White than neighboring San Juan County (85.2% White).

Whatcom County's Black Population

2,118 residents of Whatcom County, or 0.9% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Whatcom County is slightly lower than in Washington overall, where 3.8% of the population is Black. Whatcom County ranks 15th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 39 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Whatcom County's Black population has declined by an estimated 4.6%. Black residents' share of Whatcom County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.9%.

Whatcom County is more Black than neighboring Skagit County (0.7% Black), and San Juan County (0.2% Black). Whatcom County is less Black than neighboring Snohomish County (3.6% Black), Island County (2.2% Black), and King County (6.4% Black).

Whatcom County's Asian Population

10,036 residents of Whatcom County, or 4.4% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Whatcom County is lower than in Washington overall, where 9.7% of the population is Asian. Whatcom County ranks 9th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 39 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Whatcom County's Asian population has remained roughly the same. Asian residents' share of Whatcom County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 4.4%.

Whatcom County is more Asian than neighboring Skagit County (2.1% Asian), and San Juan County (1.3% Asian). Whatcom County is less Asian than neighboring Snohomish County (13.6% Asian), Island County (4.9% Asian), and King County (20.5% Asian).

Whatcom County's Hispanic Population

24,461 residents of Whatcom County, or 10.6% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Whatcom County is slightly lower than in Washington overall, where 14.4% of the population is Hispanic. Whatcom County ranks 20th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 39 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Whatcom County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 7.2%. Hispanic residents' share of Whatcom County's population has increased from 10.1% to 10.6%.

Whatcom County is more Hispanic than neighboring Island County (8.7% Hispanic), and San Juan County (7.6% Hispanic). Whatcom County is less Hispanic than neighboring Skagit County (19.3% Hispanic), Snohomish County (12.1% Hispanic), and King County (11% Hispanic).

Whatcom County's Native American/Other Population

4,991 residents of Whatcom County, or 2.2% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Whatcom County is comparable to the share in Washington overall, where 2.1% of the population is Native American/Other. Whatcom County ranks 10th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 39 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Whatcom County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 33.2%. Native American/Other residents' share of Whatcom County's population has decreased from 3.3% to 2.2%.

Whatcom County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Skagit County (1.8% Native American/Other), Snohomish County (1.8% Native American/Other), Island County (1.3% Native American/Other), San Juan County (1% Native American/Other), and King County (1.7% Native American/Other).

Whatcom County's Multiracial Population

14,396 residents of Whatcom County, or 6.2% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Whatcom County is comparable to the share in Washington overall, where 6.8% of the population is Multiracial. Whatcom County ranks 15th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 39 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Whatcom County's Multiracial population has grown by an estimated 2.9%. Multiracial residents' share of Whatcom County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 6.2%.

Whatcom County is more Multiracial than neighboring Skagit County (5.2% Multiracial), and San Juan County (4.6% Multiracial). Whatcom County is less Multiracial than neighboring Snohomish County (6.9% Multiracial), Island County (7.5% Multiracial), and King County (7.3% Multiracial).

Sources: Most recent population estimates are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 2020 population counts and map data are from 2020 Census State Redistricting Data. Geographic data are from Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles.