2 census tracts · pop 7,659 · pop-weighted Eviction Risk Score 8.7/10
· range 8.7–8.7
Happy Valley spans 2 census tracts of Bellingham, WA and houses 7,659 people. It carries an Eviction Risk Score of 8.7/10, in the High tier. 40% are severely burdened, paying half their income or more in rent. That cohort has no absorption capacity for an unexpected bill, and it is where non-payment filings originate.
Cost burden runs 63% against 37.2% citywide, putting Happy Valley 25.6% over its own city. The strongest single driver of the headline number is tenant-organizing strength at 9.4/10. Set annual rent against average household income of $44,290 and the ratio lands at 39%, above the conventional 30% ceiling.
The poverty rate is 36%. Judgments in high-poverty tracts are collectible far less often than the filing statistics suggest. On the high side is economic stress at 9/10.
This is a renter market: 74% of occupied units are tenant-occupied. Sitting well above the midpoint is rent-regulation exposure at 8.7/10. Average gross rent is $1,426, 10% below the Bellingham average of $1,577.
That places it #1 of 13 neighborhoods in Bellingham. The 2 tracts here are tightly clustered, 0 points apart at the extremes.
The area figure travels well to individual addresses here, though the per-tract table below still carries the detail. Scores move when the ACS release, the court-record feed, or the statute ledger behind them moves.
Risk score
8.7
High
2 tracts · population-weighted
Happy Valley vs BellinghamHow this neighborhood stacks against the citywide average
Single-parent HH, disability, language barriers, age 17- / 65+
Racial/ethnic minority39%ile
Hispanic + non-white share of population
Housing & transport90%ile
Multi-unit structures, mobile homes, crowding, no vehicle
Frequently asked
About Happy Valley
Q1
What is the eviction-risk score for Happy Valley?
Happy Valley scores 8.7/10 (High tier) across 2 census tracts. The pop-weighted Eviction Risk Score blends state law, county filing rates, parent-city politics, and tract-specific rent-to-income and poverty signals.
Q2
How does Happy Valley compare to Bellingham overall?
Happy Valley scores 1.4 points higher than Bellingham overall (7.3/10). Renters spend 63% of income on rent vs 37% citywide. Average rent: $1,426 vs $1,577.
Q3
What is the average rent in Happy Valley?
Average gross rent in Happy Valley is $1,426/month (pop-weighted across 2 census tracts, ACS 5-year 2023). 63% of renter households are cost-burdened.
Q4
What percentage of Happy Valley residents are renters?
74% of Happy Valley households are renter-occupied (vs 55% in Bellingham). The neighborhood has 7,659 residents.
Q5
Is Happy Valley a high social-vulnerability area?
Happy Valley sits in the 54th percentile nationally on the CDC Social Vulnerability Index (moderately vulnerable). The index combines poverty, unemployment, household composition, racial/ethnic minority share, and housing/transportation factors across all US census tracts.
Q6
Which tracts in Happy Valley have the highest eviction risk?
The highest-risk constituent tract in Happy Valley is census tract 53073001204 (score 8.7/10). Across the 2 tracts in this neighborhood the score ranges from 8.7 to 8.7, a spread of 0 points.
Q7
How safe is Happy Valley for landlords?
Happy Valley carries a high-tier eviction-risk profile for landlords (8.7/10). Pop-weighted across 2 constituent tracts, the score blends parent-city rent-control posture, county eviction-process timelines, and tract-specific rent-to-income / poverty signals. Compared to Bellingham as a whole (7.3/10), this neighborhood is higher-risk.
Q8
What is the demographic breakdown of Happy Valley?
Happy Valley has 7,709 residents. Top groups: White (non-Hispanic) (77.5%), Hispanic / Latino (8%), Other / Multiracial (7.3%). Source: ACS 5-year 2023, table B03002.
