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City · 6,100 residents · Whatcom County, Washington

Blaine , Washington

In Blaine, a typical home is worth $549,600 and typical rent is $1,450 a month. Compared with all of Whatcom County, typical rent is 7% lower, the typical home value is 6% lower, and the share of households that own their home is 7 points higher.

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  • Typical home value

    $549,600

    6% below the county

    3% below Washington

    • Blaine
    • Whatcom
    • Washington

  • Typical rent

    $1,450a month

    7% below the county

    18% below Washington

    • Blaine
    • Whatcom
    • Washington

  • Typical household income

    $84,030a year

    3% above the county

    14% below Washington

    • Blaine
    • Whatcom
    • Washington

  • Households that own their home

    71%

    7 points above the county

    7 points above Washington

    • Blaine
    • Whatcom
    • Washington

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

Market now, with Zillow data

Zillow data
Typical home value
$537,508
about the same as 12 months ago
Typical rent
$2,443 a month
5.5% more than 12 months ago

From Zillow (ZHVI/ZORI), September 2026. The Census figures above are 5-year averages (2020–2024).

Blaine 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 Blaine apart

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

  1. Nearby, in Birch Bay, the typical rent is $1,222: 16% less than in Blaine ($1,450).

  2. 71% of households in Blaine own their home, against 64% in Whatcom County.

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

The homes here

Housing in Blaine

What homes there are in Blaine, 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

The detached house rules in Blaine: 72% of homes, more than in Whatcom County (63%).

Year built

Here half of the homes date from 1994 or later; in Whatcom County, from 1989 or later.

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

$2,076 a month

Whatcom County: $2,307 a month

Without a mortgage

$895 a month

Whatcom County: $735 a month

Owners with a mortgage

72%

Whatcom County: 63%

The typical cost for an owner with a mortgage in Blaine is $2,076 a month, less than in Whatcom County ($2,307); without one, $895.

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

From 2015–2019 to 2020–2024, the typical home value in Blaine rose 65%; in Whatcom County, it rose 70%.

Rents in Blaine rose more slowly than in Whatcom County: 36% since 2015–2019, against 47%.

The typical household income in Blaine rose 18%: less than home values (+65%) and rent (+36%).

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

MeasureBlaineWhatcom 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 2.382.402.502.53
Drive alone 68%69%63%69%
Carpool Unreliable estimate8%9%9%
Public transit Unreliable estimate2%3%3%
Walk or bike Unreliable estimate6%4%3%
Work from home 22%15%20%15%
Other means Unreliable estimate1%1%2%
Typical commute 10 to 19 minutes10 to 19 minutes20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes

A household in Blaine has 2.38 people on average, about the same as in Whatcom County (2.40).

Many people here do not commute at all: 22% work from home; in Whatcom County, 15%.

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 Blaine?

A typical home costs more than the typical income allows

We start with a typical home in Blaine, worth $549,600, an FHA loan with 3.5% down and the latest average rate (7.18%). That payment would take 63% of the typical household income in Blaine, which is $84,030 a year. For that payment to be 28% of income, a household would need to earn about $190,451 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 Blaine. 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 $19,236 (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

$4,444

at 7.18% · 30 years

Loan amount
$539,645
Total interest
$776,423
Paid off in
November 2056

Includes $9,281 FHA upfront mortgage insurance premium.

Does it fit the income?

  • Comfortable

    up to $1,961 a month

  • Tight

    $1,961 to $2,521 a month

  • Hard

    more than $2,521 a month

    Your payment · 63%

Compared with the typical household income in Blaine ($84,030 a year). Reference: HUD calls paying more than 30% of income for housing a cost burden.

Show the result as
per month$4,444
Principal & interest$3,656
Property tax$316
Home insurance$229
FHA mortgage insurance (MIP)$243

You need at least $19,236 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

Blaine and Whatcom County

Blaine 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).

Blaine's own numbers

Typical home value
$549,600
Typical monthly rent
$1,450
Typical yearly household income
$84,030
Households that own their home
71%
Effective property tax rate
0.69%

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 Blaine

A typical home in Blaine is worth $549,600: 6% below the county and 3% below Washington. With the typical household income in Blaine ($84,030 a year), a typical home costs 6.5 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.

  • Blaine 6.5 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

Blaine 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
  • Blaine $549,600
  • Whatcom $585,800
  • Washington $564,600
  • United States $332,700
Typical monthly rent
  • Blaine $1,450
  • Whatcom $1,555
  • Washington $1,760
  • United States $1,413
Typical yearly household income
  • Blaine $84,030
  • Whatcom $81,784
  • Washington $98,141
  • United States $80,734
See the full table
Blaine next to Whatcom County and Washington
Measure Blaine Whatcom County Washington U.S.
Typical home value $549,600 $585,800 $564,600 $332,700
Typical monthly rent $1,450 $1,555 $1,760 $1,413
Typical yearly household income $84,030 $81,784 $98,141 $80,734
Households that own their home 71% 64% 64% 65%
Typical yearly property tax $3,790 $4,087 $4,556 $3,119
Effective property tax rate 0.69% 0.7% 0.81% 0.94%
Renters with high rent for their income 40% 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 Blaine

For a typical $549,600 home in Blaine, at Freddie Mac's average rate (7.18% as of November 5, 2026) over 30 years. The monthly payment adds principal and interest, Blaine's typical property tax, an example home insurance and mortgage insurance when it applies.

  • FHA, 3.5% down $4,444a month

    Least cash to close
    Down payment
    $19,236
    Cash to close
    $35,724
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    FHA MIP · $243

  • Conventional, 5% down $4,343a month

    Down payment
    $27,480
    Cash to close
    $43,968
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    PMI · $261

  • Conventional, 20% down, no PMI $3,524a month

    Down payment
    $109,920
    Cash to close
    $126,408
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

  • ITIN, 15% down (example) $4,032a month

    Down payment
    $82,440
    Cash to close
    $98,928
    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 Blaine and for Whatcom County.

Property tax

Effective rate in Blaine

0.69%of the home’s value each year

$3,790 a year for the typical owner in Blaine.

  • Blaine 0.69%
  • 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 Blaine

Typical rent in Blaine is $1,450 a month: 7% below the county. In Blaine, 40% 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 Blaine

HUD also publishes a fair market rent for each ZIP code (Small Area FMR, fiscal year 2027). Blaine 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 Blaine 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?

Low-income apartments

Low-income apartments in Blaine

HUD lists 4 buildings with rents for lower incomes in Blaine. These are the largest.

  • Northwest Corner Affordable Housing 767 F St, Blaine 98230 121 low-income homes · 1 bd: 30 · 2 bd: 60 · 3 bd: 31 · In service since 2014 · For older adults, people with disabilities, families
  • The Birches-Baycrest 1111 Mary Ave, Blaine 98230 63 low-income homes · Run by HA Of Whatcom County · Average payment: $789 a month · Average wait: 61 months (360) 676-6887
  • Boundary Village 730 A St, Blaine 98230 24 low-income homes · For families (360) 332-5646
  • Seabreeze Townhouses 763 F St, Blaine 98230 11 low-income homes · 2 bd: 8 · 3 bd: 3 · In service since 1993 · For people with disabilities, families

See all 55 buildings in Whatcom County Source: HUD, Retrieved November 6, 2026

Free help

Help to buy or rent in Blaine

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 grandmother smiles, seated at home.

HUD counseling is free or low-cost

Assistance programs in Blaine

No down payment, repair or rent-help program on our list is for Blaine or Whatcom County. The ones below are statewide in Washington: they work in Blaine 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 Blaine

The HUD-approved agencies closest to the center of Blaine, 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 · 20 miles away

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

  • Opal Community Land Trust

    286 Enchanted Forest Rd, Eastsound · 21 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 · 83 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 Blaine

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 Blaine

HUD’s record names them for Blaine 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 Blaine, 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 Blaine.

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

Questions

Housing questions about Blaine

Short answers with the numbers for Blaine 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 Blaine?

The typical home value in Blaine is $549,600, 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 Blaine?

Typical rent in Blaine is $1,450 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 Blaine?

Blaine 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 Blaine?

The typical homeowner in Blaine pays $3,790 a year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is 0.69% of the home’s value; in Whatcom County, the rate is 0.7%.

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

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).