By the numbers · The Tally

What moved

The scoreboard

Six numbers that change every issue. Tap one for details.

Housing · last 30 days

66new homes permitted in Bellingham5% below the ~70 a month the 2045 goal needsSept. 10–Oct. 10 · City permits 100new homes finished and cleared for move-in43% above the ~70 a month the goal needsSept. 10–Oct. 10 · City permits

Decisions · next 10 days

$6.8Min County spending up for a final vote9 final votes scheduled, 22 more items introducedOct. 13 · County agendas 64%of those dollars on the consent agenda, approved in one vote unless pulledOct. 13 · our agenda ledger

Elections · Nov. 3

19%of the $1.54M raised in Whatcom's 8 contested races came from Whatcom addressesLocal races 52%, legislative races 15%Through Oct. 9 · PDC filings $567Kspent by outside groups for or against Whatcom candidates75% of it spent against a candidateThrough Oct. 9 · PDC filings

Housing: City permit data, last updated Oct. 8. Decisions: our agenda ledger. Elections: PDC filings through Oct. 9. Methods: housing · decisions · elections

Housing supply

Are we building enough?

Progress against the 2045 goal, and every stage of the pipeline from application to move-in.

Are we building toward the 2045 housing goal?

Bellingham and its growth area are planning for 18,390 new homes between 2023 and 2045, about 836 a year.

33% belowan even pace to the goal. That's about 1,040 homes short of where a steady 836 a year would put us by now.

Even pace: ~3,160

2,122 permitted since Jan. 2023Goal: 18,390 by 2045

Last 30 days: 66 homes permitted, 5% below the roughly 70 a month the goal needs.

Average per year since 2023~562

Needed per year to reach the goal~836

Permitting since 2023 is running 33% below an even pace. The goal doesn't require a straight line, so "even pace" is our yardstick, not the County's. Permits are not finished homes, and the goal also includes the unincorporated growth area outside city limits, which this City data doesn't cover.

Goal: Whatcom County housing allocation, revised March 2026. Progress: City permit database, pulled Oct. 10, 2026. Our counts for 2023 and 2024 land within 4% of the City dashboard figures reported by Cascadia Daily News in December 2025. Method

Bellingham's housing pipeline right now

Applied for, waiting on a permit (past year)760

Permitted and under construction914

Finished in the last 6 months381

New homes at each stage, counted by unit. In the last 30 days, 26 new homes were applied for, 66 were permitted and 100 were finished. Over 6 months, finished homes are running about 9% below the goal's pace (roughly 760 a year against 836).

As of Oct. 10, 2026. City permit database, updated weekly. Method

New homes in permits issued, by year

1,286

851

407

529

754

432

202120222023202420252026*

+54%+2%−51%−37%−10%−33%

Red dashed line: 836 a year, the pace the 2045 goal needs. Percentages compare each year to that line. *2026 through Oct. 10, compared with the same share of a year. Permits issued, not homes finished. The goal period starts in 2023.

As of Oct. 10, 2026. Calculated from the City permit database. Method

Development projects in the pipeline

Pre-applications, past 18 months75

Land use projects in review69

Land use projects approved, past 2 years285

Counts projects, not homes. A pre-application is the first step before a developer files.

As of Oct. 10, 2026. City development projects data, updated weekly. Method

How long a Bellingham permit takes

2024 dataLatest the City has posted

Apartment buildings223 / 112 days

Building permits155 / 65 days

Final subdivisions64 / 21 days

Total time, including waits on the applicant
City's time only

Decisions that met the state deadline (goal: all)90% · 10% short

2024 decisions. The City's 2025 report was due to the state in March 2026 but isn't posted on the City's page yet. We'll update this when it is. Method

Housing stock

What we have, and who it's for

The homes Bellingham already has, the rentals inside them, and the income groups the 2045 goal is meant to serve.

Who the 18,390 homes are meant for

Lowest incomes (0–30% of median), incl. 1,944 supportive6,922 · 38%

30–50% of median4,158 · 23%

50–80% of median1,197 · 7%

80–120% of median2,389 · 13%

Above 120% of median3,725 · 20%

Two-thirds of the goal (12,277 homes) is for households earning 80% of area median income or less. Permit data doesn't record affordability, so we can't yet track progress by income.

Set: Whatcom County housing allocation, revised March 2026. Changes only when the County revises it. Also planned: 299 emergency housing beds. Method

What Bellingham's 51,700 homes look like

Houses, townhouses & ADUs45.5%
Buildings with 7+ units30.1%
2 to 6 unit buildings11.7%
Dorms & group housing5.6%
Mixed-use4.5%
Mobile & manufactured2.6%

Duplexes through sixplexes, the "middle housing" state law now allows on most residential lots, hold about 6,000 of the city's homes.

As of Oct. 10, 2026. City housing stock data, updated monthly. Estimated units, grouped by building type. Method

Who inspects Bellingham's rentals

City inspectors9,396 · 44%

Private inspectors9,241 · 43%

Exempt from inspection2,903 · 13%

About 21,500 registered rental units in all. The City's program requires periodic safety inspections, and owners can use a private inspector instead.

As of Oct. 10, 2026. City rental registration data. Method

Economy

Slower-moving numbers

Monthly and annual figures that set the backdrop.

Slower-moving numbers

4.5%Whatcom unemployment in August, up 0.9 points from 3.6% in July

60active City of Bellingham capital projects

Police and fire calls: for daily Bellingham police and fire activity, see Civic Informer.

Unemployment: August 2026, state Employment Security Department, monthly. Projects: as of Oct. 10, 2026. Method

Twice a week

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