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City · 10,837 residents · Whatcom County, Washington

Birch Bay , Washington

In Birch Bay, a typical home is worth $477,200 and typical rent is $1,222 a month. Compared with all of Whatcom County, typical rent is 21% lower, the typical home value is 19% lower, and the share of households that own their home is 18 points higher.

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  • Typical home value

    $477,200

    19% below the county

    15% below Washington

    • Birch Bay
    • Whatcom
    • Washington

  • Typical rent

    $1,222a month

    21% below the county

    31% below Washington

    • Birch Bay
    • Whatcom
    • Washington

  • Typical household income

    $86,854a year

    6% above the county

    12% below Washington

    • Birch Bay
    • Whatcom
    • Washington

  • Households that own their home

    82%

    18 points above the county

    18 points above Washington

    • Birch Bay
    • Whatcom
    • Washington

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

Birch Bay is in Whatcom County. The FHA loan limit ($664,700 for a one-unit home), the fair market rents and the help on this page are those of all of Whatcom County. See the county

Data updated: October 1, 2026 11 official sources

Only here

What sets Birch Bay apart

What this place has that others do not, from public data, most unusual first.

  1. 82% of households in Birch Bay own their home, against 64% in Whatcom County.

  2. The typical rent in Birch Bay is $1,222 a month, 21% less than in Whatcom County as a whole ($1,555).

  3. The typical home in Birch Bay is worth $477,200, 19% less than in Whatcom County as a whole ($585,800).

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (Average 2020–2024).

The homes here

Housing in Birch Bay

What homes there are in Birch Bay, what they cost, how that changed and how people live, from Census figures (2020–2024).

What homes there are

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Kind of home

In Birch Bay, 7 in 10 homes are single-family detached houses; in Whatcom County, 6.

There are more mobile homes here than in Whatcom County: 15% of homes, against 6%.

Year built

The typical year built in Birch Bay is 1990, about the same as in Whatcom County (1989).

All homes, occupied or empty. A figure the Census cannot measure precisely enough here is not shown.

Census tables: B25024, B25034, B25035, B25041

What it costs here

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Value of owner-occupied homes
Monthly rent with utilities

With a mortgage

$2,064 a month

Whatcom County: $2,307 a month

Without a mortgage

$635 a month

Whatcom County: $735 a month

Owners with a mortgage

59%

Whatcom County: 63%

Owning costs less in Birch Bay: with a mortgage, the typical cost is $2,064 a month; in Whatcom County, $2,307. Without one, $635.

Value: what owners think their home is worth. Rent: rent plus utilities, for homes of every size. The FHA limit is the most an FHA loan (Federal Housing Administration) lends for a one-unit home; the fair market rent (FMR) is the one HUD uses for housing vouchers.

Census tables: B25075, B25063, B25088, B25081

How it changed

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2015–2019 and 2020–2024

Change since 2015–2019

The boundaries of Birch Bay changed since 2015–2019, so the Census does not compare its figures from then and now. In Whatcom County, the typical home value rose 70%.

Change between two 5-year periods that do not overlap, in each period's dollars, not adjusted for inflation.

Census tables: B25077, B25064, B19013

How people live

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

MeasureBirch BayWhatcom CountyWashingtonUnited States
Rental vacancy Unreliable estimate2.6%4.5%5.5%
Homeowner vacancy Unreliable estimate0.9%0.7%0.9%
More than one person per room Unreliable estimate3.7%3.5%3.4%
People per household 2.322.402.502.53
Drive alone 78%69%63%69%
Carpool 6%8%9%9%
Public transit Unreliable estimate2%3%3%
Walk or bike Unreliable estimate6%4%3%
Work from home 15%15%20%15%
Other means Unreliable estimate1%1%2%
Typical commute 20 to 29 minutes10 to 19 minutes20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes

Much as in Whatcom County, a household in Birch Bay has 2.32 people on average.

In Birch Bay, 78% of workers drive alone to work; in Whatcom County, 69%.

Vacancy: empty homes offered for rent or for sale. Rooms: every room in the home, not only bedrooms. Commute: the minute range of the typical worker.

Census tables: B25004, B25003, B25014, B25010, B08301, B08303

Do the math

What would you pay each month for a home in Birch Bay?

A typical home costs more than the typical income allows

We start with a typical home in Birch Bay, worth $477,200, an FHA loan with 3.5% down and the latest average rate (7.18%). That payment would take 53% of the typical household income in Birch Bay, which is $86,854 a year. For that payment to be 28% of income, a household would need to earn about $164,680 a year.

The calculator's FHA and conventional loan limits are those of all of Whatcom County.

Your numbers

Local data
$

Starts at the typical home value in Birch Bay. Change it to the price you have in mind.

Loan type
Your credit score

Your score changes which loans apply and FHA's minimum down payment. Your real rate also depends on your credit.

Down payment
%

That is $16,702 (3.5% of the price). The usual minimum for this loan is 3.5%.

This week's average ± a quarter or half point.

Term

National average as of November 5, 2026 (Freddie Mac); your rate may be different.

Adjust advanced details

Estimated monthly payment

Local data

$3,843

at 7.18% · 30 years

Loan amount
$468,557
Total interest
$674,143
Paid off in
November 2056

Includes $8,059 FHA upfront mortgage insurance premium.

Does it fit the income?

  • Comfortable

    up to $2,027 a month

  • Tight

    $2,027 to $2,606 a month

  • Hard

    more than $2,606 a month

    Your payment · 53%

Compared with the typical household income in Birch Bay ($86,854 a year). Reference: HUD calls paying more than 30% of income for housing a cost burden.

Show the result as
per month$3,843
Principal & interest$3,174
Property tax$259
Home insurance$199
FHA mortgage insurance (MIP)$211

You need at least $16,702 for the down payment, plus closing costs.

Next step

This is an estimate to give you an idea, not a loan offer. Your real payment depends on your rate, your credit, and the insurance and taxes on the home you buy.

The city and its county

Birch Bay and Whatcom County

Birch Bay is in Whatcom County, Washington. The U.S. Census Bureau publishes its own numbers for the city: home values, rent, household income, how many households own their home and the property tax. They are American Community Survey estimates (average 2020–2024).

Birch Bay's own numbers

Typical home value
$477,200
Typical monthly rent
$1,222
Typical yearly household income
$86,854
Households that own their home
82%
Effective property tax rate
0.65%

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (average 2020–2024).

Numbers for all of Whatcom County

FHA limit, one-unit home
$664,700
Conventional limit, one unit
$832,750
HUD fair market rent, 2 bedrooms
$1,872
Price change over 5 years (FHFA)
+50%
Homes in a high flood-risk zone
5.1%

HUD, FHFA and FEMA don't publish these numbers by city.

Other numbers are not published by city, only for the whole county: FHA and conventional loan limits, HUD’s fair market rents, FHFA’s price index and FEMA’s flood data. On this page, those numbers always say they are for all of Whatcom County.

Everything about Whatcom County

Buying

Buying a home in Birch Bay

A typical home in Birch Bay is worth $477,200: 19% below the county and 15% below Washington. With the typical household income in Birch Bay ($86,854 a year), a typical home costs 5.5 times what the household earns in a year.

Years of income to pay for a typical home

The typical home value divided by the typical household income for one year. The lower it is, the less buying weighs.

  • Birch Bay 5.5 years
  • Whatcom 7.2 years
  • Washington 5.8 years
  • United States 4.1 years
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

How prices have changed in Whatcom County

According to FHFA’s house price index, home prices in Whatcom County rose 121% in the 10 years through 2025.

FHFA does not publish this index by city: these are the numbers for all of Whatcom County.

Period County Washington U.S.
Last year (2025) +2.1% +1.8% +2.9%
5 years (2020–2025) +50% +44% +47%
10 years (2015–2025) +121% +113% +85%

The index follows the price of the same homes over time (sales and appraisals with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans). It is not the average price of a home. FHFA considers its annual county indexes experimental. Source: FHFA, 2025 data

Birch Bay next to Whatcom County, Washington and the U.S.

Three numbers side by side. “Typical” means the median: half are above it and half below.

Typical home value
  • Birch Bay $477,200
  • Whatcom $585,800
  • Washington $564,600
  • United States $332,700
Typical monthly rent
  • Birch Bay $1,222
  • Whatcom $1,555
  • Washington $1,760
  • United States $1,413
Typical yearly household income
  • Birch Bay $86,854
  • Whatcom $81,784
  • Washington $98,141
  • United States $80,734
See the full table
Birch Bay next to Whatcom County and Washington
Measure Birch Bay Whatcom County Washington U.S.
Typical home value $477,200 $585,800 $564,600 $332,700
Typical monthly rent $1,222 $1,555 $1,760 $1,413
Typical yearly household income $86,854 $81,784 $98,141 $80,734
Households that own their home 82% 64% 64% 65%
Typical yearly property tax $3,110 $4,087 $4,556 $3,119
Effective property tax rate 0.65% 0.7% 0.81% 0.94%
Renters with high rent for their income 60% 60% 50% 51%

“Typical” means the median: half are above and half are below. ▲ and ▼ say whether the city is above or below Whatcom County. “High rent” is the Census measure: renter households that pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

Four ways to pay for a typical home in Birch Bay

For a typical $477,200 home in Birch Bay, at Freddie Mac's average rate (7.18% as of November 5, 2026) over 30 years. The monthly payment adds principal and interest, Birch Bay's typical property tax, an example home insurance and mortgage insurance when it applies.

  • FHA, 3.5% down $3,843a month

    Least cash to close
    Down payment
    $16,702
    Cash to close
    $31,018
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    FHA MIP · $211

  • Conventional, 5% down $3,755a month

    Down payment
    $23,860
    Cash to close
    $38,176
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    PMI · $227

  • Conventional, 20% down, no PMI $3,043a month

    Down payment
    $95,440
    Cash to close
    $109,756
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

  • ITIN, 15% down (example) $3,485a month

    Down payment
    $71,580
    Cash to close
    $85,896
    Rate
    8.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

The option that asks for the least cash to close is FHA, 3.5% down.

  • Cash to close = down payment plus 3% of the price in closing costs (example).
  • Minimum score: FHA requires 580 or higher for the minimum down payment (HUD Handbook 4000.1). * Fannie Mae requires 620 when a loan is underwritten by hand; its automated system has no fixed minimum.
  • The ITIN row is an example with a rate 1 percentage point higher: ITIN loans follow no federal rule and each lender sets its own down payment and rate. Nothing in this table promises an approval.

How much house can I afford? Estimate closing costs

Taxes and floods

Two costs that change from place to place

Property tax and flood insurance raise or lower what you pay each month. Here are the numbers for Birch Bay and for Whatcom County.

Property tax

Effective rate in Birch Bay

0.65%of the home’s value each year

$3,110 a year for the typical owner in Birch Bay.

  • Birch Bay 0.65%
  • Whatcom 0.7%
  • Washington 0.81%

What Washington publishes Exemption for people 61 and older or with disabilities (Washington State Department of Revenue)

Exemptions and deadlines in Washington

Flood risk in Whatcom County

FEMA does not publish these numbers by city: they are for all of Whatcom County.

Homes in the high-risk zone
5.1%
4,011
Of those, with NFIP insurance
29%
County Washington U.S.
Homes in the high-risk zone 5.1% 1.6% 3.5%
Of those, with NFIP insurance 29% 40% 48%

Most homeowners insurance policies do not cover flood damage.

Look up your address on FEMA’s map

Renting

Renting in Birch Bay

Typical rent in Birch Bay is $1,222 a month: 21% below the county. In Birch Bay, 60% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

HUD publishes a fair market rent for all of Whatcom County, by unit size. To pay the 2-bedroom one ($1,872 a month) without spending more than 30% of your income, you would need to earn $36.00 an hour working full time.

HUD fair market rent for all of Whatcom County

What you need to earn to pay it without spending more than 30% of income, working full time.

Size Fair rent a month Hourly wage Yearly income
Studio $1,489 $28.63 $59,560
1 bedroom $1,529 $29.40 $61,160
2 bedrooms $1,872 $36.00 $74,880
3 bedrooms $2,545 $48.94 $101,800
4 bedrooms $3,129 $60.17 $125,160

Includes basic utilities. It isn't the lowest or highest rent: it's a reference point. Source: HUD, Fiscal year 2027

By ZIP code

Fair market rent by ZIP code in Birch Bay

HUD also publishes a fair market rent for each ZIP code (Small Area FMR, fiscal year 2027). Birch Bay is in ZIP code 98230.

For 2 bedrooms it is $1,800: $72 less than the fair market rent for Whatcom County ($1,872).

  • 98230 $1,800$2,450

1 of these ZIP codes crosses the city line: HUD sets the rent by ZIP code, not by city. A ZIP code counts for Birch Bay when at least 50% of its land is inside the city or it covers at least 15% of the city (Census 2020 boundaries). Source: Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Fiscal year 2027 Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Source: Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file Data from 2020 data Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file

Is your rent high for your ZIP?

Free help

Help to buy or rent in Birch Bay

You do not have to do this alone. A HUD-approved housing counseling agency helps for free or at low cost: getting ready to buy, understanding your credit, or solving a problem with your rent.

There is 1 HUD-approved agency with an office in Whatcom County; none says it serves in Spanish.

A man listens closely, seated at a meeting table.

HUD counseling is free or low-cost

Assistance programs in Birch Bay

No down payment, repair or rent-help program on our list is for Birch Bay or Whatcom County. The ones below are statewide in Washington: they work in Birch Bay the same as in the rest of the state.

Which programs do I qualify for? All programs in Washington

  • Home Advantage Downpayment Assistance

    Statewide in Washington

    Washington state commission 0% second mortgage for 3%, 4% or 5% of the first mortgage, with no monthly payments; you do not need to be a first-time buyer. Offered by Washington State Housing Finance Commission.

    Deferred

    See the program Official page

  • Covenant Homeownership Program

    Statewide in Washington

    Washington state commission loan with no monthly payments of up to 20% of the price (maximum $150,000) plus closing costs, for first-time buyers whose family lived in Washington before 1968 and belonged to a group affected by housing discrimination, including Hispanic people. Offered by Washington State Housing Finance Commission.

    Deferred

    See the program Official page

  • House Key Opportunity DPA

    Statewide in Washington

    Washington state commission loan of up to $15,000 at 1% simple interest, with no monthly payments, for the down payment and closing costs of first-time buyers with the House Key Opportunity mortgage. Offered by Washington State Housing Finance Commission.

    Deferred

    See the program Official page

Housing counselors near Birch Bay

The HUD-approved agencies closest to the center of Birch Bay, in a straight line, nearest first. If one says it serves in Spanish, its card says so.

  • Kulshan Community Land Trust

    1715 C St, Bellingham · 17 miles away

    • Pre-purchase counseling
    360-671-5600-1

  • Opal Community Land Trust

    286 Enchanted Forest Rd, Eastsound · 17 miles away · Spanish

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Budget and financial counseling
    • and 2 more
    (360) 376-3191

  • Parkview Services

    4720 200th St SW Ste 200, Lynnwood · 79 miles away · Spanish

    Also serves in Cantonese, Mandarin Chinese, and other languages.

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Workshops for new owners
    • and 2 more
    (206) 542-6644

Every agency in Whatcom County All counseling agencies in Washington

Help in Spanish near Birch Bay

2 of the 3 agencies on this list say they serve in Spanish.

Ask for service in Spanish

When you call, say “Spanish, please” or ask if someone speaks Spanish. If not, ask whether they offer an interpreter.

Housing authorities of Birch Bay

HUD’s record names them for Birch Bay or Whatcom County. They run public housing or Section 8 vouchers. Ask whether their waiting list is open.

One other authority has an office in Whatcom County: see the list Source: HUD

Cities

Other cities in Whatcom County

These cities are also in Whatcom County. They share its loan limits and fair market rents, but home values and rent change from one to the next.

Everything about Whatcom County Housing in Washington

Nearby cities

The cities closest to Birch Bay, with the typical home value.

Neighboring counties

If Whatcom County is out of reach, look next door. Each number is that county's own.

Keep going

Guides for your next step

Short explanations, in plain language and with official sources, for buying or renting in Birch Bay.

All guides
Three generations of a family gather on the porch of their home.

Questions

Housing questions about Birch Bay

Short answers with the numbers for Birch Bay and all of Whatcom County. If your case is different, a HUD-approved counseling agency can guide you for free or at low cost.

How much does a typical home cost in Birch Bay?

The typical home value in Birch Bay is $477,200, according to the U.S. Census Bureau (average 2020–2024). For comparison, in Whatcom County it is $585,800.

How much does it cost to rent in Birch Bay?

Typical rent in Birch Bay is $1,222 a month, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. HUD’s fair market rent for 2 bedrooms in Whatcom County is $1,872.

What is the FHA loan limit in Birch Bay?

Birch Bay uses the FHA limit for all of Whatcom County (2026): $664,700 for a one-unit home and $1,278,300 for a four-unit home.

How much property tax do owners pay in Birch Bay?

The typical homeowner in Birch Bay pays $3,110 a year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is 0.65% of the home’s value; in Whatcom County, the rate is 0.7%.

Where can I find free help to buy or rent in Birch Bay?

There is 1 HUD-approved counseling agency with an office in Whatcom County. They can help you get ready to buy, with your credit, or with rent.

Sources: American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates (Average 2020–2024); FHA mortgage limits (HUD) (2026 data); Conforming loan limits (FHFA) (2026 data); Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file (2020 data); HUD-approved housing counseling agencies (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Public Housing Agencies (HUD) (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) (As of November 5, 2026); FHFA House Price Index (HPI) (2025 data); Homes with flood insurance (NFIP, FEMA) (As of August 3, 2026).