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City · 6,084 residents · Whatcom County, Washington

Sudden Valley , Washington

In Sudden Valley, a typical home is worth $489,200 and typical rent is $1,816 a month. Compared with all of Whatcom County, typical household income is 23% higher, typical rent is 17% higher, and the share of households that own their home is 29 points higher.

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  • Typical home value

    $489,200

    16% below the county

    13% below Washington

    • Sudden Valley
    • Whatcom
    • Washington

  • Typical rent

    $1,816a month

    17% above the county

    3% above Washington

    • Sudden Valley
    • Whatcom
    • Washington

  • Typical household income

    $100,930a year

    23% above the county

    3% above Washington

    • Sudden Valley
    • Whatcom
    • Washington

  • Households that own their home

    93%

    29 points above the county

    29 points above Washington

    • Sudden Valley
    • Whatcom
    • Washington

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

Sudden Valley 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 Sudden Valley apart

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

  1. 93% of households in Sudden Valley own their home, against 64% in Whatcom County.

  2. Nearby, in Ferndale, the typical rent is $1,477: 19% less than in Sudden Valley ($1,816).

  3. The typical household income in Sudden Valley is $100,930, 23% more than in Whatcom County as a whole ($81,784).

  4. The typical rent in Sudden Valley is $1,816 a month, 17% more than in Whatcom County as a whole ($1,555).

  5. The typical home in Sudden Valley is worth $489,200, 16% less than in Whatcom County as a whole ($585,800).

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

The homes here

Housing in Sudden Valley

What homes there are in Sudden Valley, 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 Sudden Valley: 90% of homes, more than in Whatcom County (63%).

Year built

In Sudden Valley, half of the homes were built before 1991; in Whatcom County, before 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

$2,269 a month

Whatcom County: $2,307 a month

Without a mortgage

$841 a month

Whatcom County: $735 a month

Owners with a mortgage

78%

Whatcom County: 63%

In Sudden Valley, 78% of owners have a mortgage; their typical cost is $2,269 a month, about the same as in Whatcom County.

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 Sudden Valley 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

MeasureSudden ValleyWhatcom 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 2.202.402.502.53
Drive alone 69%69%63%69%
Carpool 9%8%9%9%
Public transit Unreliable estimate2%3%3%
Walk or bike Unreliable estimate6%4%3%
Work from home 18%15%20%15%
Other means Unreliable estimate1%1%2%
Typical commute 20 to 29 minutes10 to 19 minutes20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes

Households in Sudden Valley are smaller: 2.20 people on average; in Whatcom County, 2.40.

In Sudden Valley, 18% of workers work from home, more than 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 Sudden Valley?

A typical home costs more than the typical income allows

We start with a typical home in Sudden Valley, worth $489,200, an FHA loan with 3.5% down and the latest average rate (7.18%). That payment would take 47% of the typical household income in Sudden Valley, which is $100,930 a year. For that payment to be 28% of income, a household would need to earn about $170,394 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 Sudden Valley. 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 $17,122 (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

$3,976

at 7.18% · 30 years

Loan amount
$480,339
Total interest
$691,096
Paid off in
November 2056

Includes $8,261 FHA upfront mortgage insurance premium.

Does it fit the income?

  • Comfortable

    up to $2,355 a month

  • Tight

    $2,355 to $3,028 a month

  • Hard

    more than $3,028 a month

    Your payment · 47%

Compared with the typical household income in Sudden Valley ($100,930 a year). Reference: HUD calls paying more than 30% of income for housing a cost burden.

Show the result as
per month$3,976
Principal & interest$3,254
Property tax$302
Home insurance$204
FHA mortgage insurance (MIP)$216

You need at least $17,122 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

Sudden Valley and Whatcom County

Sudden Valley 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).

Sudden Valley's own numbers

Typical home value
$489,200
Typical monthly rent
$1,816
Typical yearly household income
$100,930
Households that own their home
93%
Effective property tax rate
0.74%

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 Sudden Valley

A typical home in Sudden Valley is worth $489,200: 16% below the county and 13% below Washington. With the typical household income in Sudden Valley ($100,930 a year), a typical home costs 4.8 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.

  • Sudden Valley 4.8 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

Sudden Valley 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
  • Sudden Valley $489,200
  • Whatcom $585,800
  • Washington $564,600
  • United States $332,700
Typical monthly rent
  • Sudden Valley $1,816
  • Whatcom $1,555
  • Washington $1,760
  • United States $1,413
Typical yearly household income
  • Sudden Valley $100,930
  • Whatcom $81,784
  • Washington $98,141
  • United States $80,734
See the full table
Sudden Valley next to Whatcom County and Washington
Measure Sudden Valley Whatcom County Washington U.S.
Typical home value $489,200 $585,800 $564,600 $332,700
Typical monthly rent $1,816 $1,555 $1,760 $1,413
Typical yearly household income $100,930 $81,784 $98,141 $80,734
Households that own their home 93% 64% 64% 65%
Typical yearly property tax $3,619 $4,087 $4,556 $3,119
Effective property tax rate 0.74% 0.7% 0.81% 0.94%
Renters with high rent for their income 44% 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 Sudden Valley

For a typical $489,200 home in Sudden Valley, at Freddie Mac's average rate (7.18% as of November 5, 2026) over 30 years. The monthly payment adds principal and interest, Sudden Valley's typical property tax, an example home insurance and mortgage insurance when it applies.

  • FHA, 3.5% down $3,976a month

    Least cash to close
    Down payment
    $17,122
    Cash to close
    $31,798
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    FHA MIP · $216

  • Conventional, 5% down $3,886a month

    Down payment
    $24,460
    Cash to close
    $39,136
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    PMI · $232

  • Conventional, 20% down, no PMI $3,157a month

    Down payment
    $97,840
    Cash to close
    $112,516
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

  • ITIN, 15% down (example) $3,609a month

    Down payment
    $73,380
    Cash to close
    $88,056
    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 Sudden Valley and for Whatcom County.

Property tax

Effective rate in Sudden Valley

0.74%of the home’s value each year

$3,619 a year for the typical owner in Sudden Valley.

  • Sudden Valley 0.74%
  • 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 Sudden Valley

Typical rent in Sudden Valley is $1,816 a month: 17% above the county. In Sudden Valley, 44% 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 Sudden Valley

HUD also publishes a fair market rent for each ZIP code (Small Area FMR, fiscal year 2027). Sudden Valley is in ZIP code 98229.

For 2 bedrooms it is $1,960: $88 more than the fair market rent for Whatcom County ($1,872).

  • 98229 $1,960$2,660

1 of these ZIP codes crosses the city line: HUD sets the rent by ZIP code, not by city. A ZIP code counts for Sudden Valley 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 Sudden Valley

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 young woman and a young man point to a line in their notes beside a laptop in a library.

HUD counseling is free or low-cost

Assistance programs in Sudden Valley

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

The HUD-approved agencies closest to the center of Sudden Valley, 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 · 7 miles away

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

  • Opal Community Land Trust

    286 Enchanted Forest Rd, Eastsound · 26 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 · 63 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 Sudden Valley

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 Sudden Valley

HUD’s record names them for Sudden Valley 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 Sudden Valley, 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 Sudden Valley.

All guides
A mother holds hands with her two daughters on the beach at sunset.

Questions

Housing questions about Sudden Valley

Short answers with the numbers for Sudden Valley 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 Sudden Valley?

The typical home value in Sudden Valley is $489,200, 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 Sudden Valley?

Typical rent in Sudden Valley is $1,816 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 Sudden Valley?

Sudden Valley 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 Sudden Valley?

The typical homeowner in Sudden Valley pays $3,619 a year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is 0.74% of the home’s value; in Whatcom County, the rate is 0.7%.

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

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).