Census Tract · Ranked #4,036 of 84,120 nationally

Bellingham Eviction Risk: Elevated

Tract 53073000202 · Whatcom County, WA · pop 3,167 · 23% of tract blocks fall in Bellingham

Eviction risk in Bellingham eviction risk centers on tract 53073000202, which scores 5.7/10 (Moderate tier) and is home to 3,167 residents. That is riskier than roughly 63% of the 84,120 US census tracts we score.

45% of renter households here spend at least 30% of income on rent, a severe level, and 20% are severely burdened at 50% or more. The typical renter pays about $1,197 a month while the average household earns $69,257 a year, roughly 21% of income at the averages. About 44% of occupied units are renter-occupied.

Risk score

7.2

Elevated

Confidence 100% · 1–10 scale

Household mix · 100 hh

Burdened renters 20% Stable renters 24% Owners 56%

Tract context

Occupied units1,424

Renter share44.0%

SVI overall0.72

Poverty rate21.6%

Median income$69,257

Percentile rank

Higher percentile = riskier than more peers.

Geographic context

Risk heat across Bellingham and the region

Centroid at 48.8205, -122.5155 · click any tract to drill in

Why Bellingham scores 7.2

9 axes · 1 = landlord-friendly

Local political climate

Inherited from Bellingham

6.0

Regional political climate

2024 county presidential margin

6.2

State political climate

Washington legislature & governorship

6.0

Economic stress

21.6% poverty · this tract

5.4

Supply constraint

$1,197 rent vs county FMR

2.3

Rent control risk

Inherited from Bellingham

8.7

Eviction process difficulty

State law sets the calendar

6.0

Tenant organizing strength

Inherited from Bellingham

9.4

Housing court bias

Inherited from Bellingham

8.1

How Bellingham compares

Risk score vs. parent city, county, state.

CDC Social Vulnerability Index

SVI percentile: 72

CDC/ATSDR 2022. Higher = more vulnerable. National percentile across 84k tracts.

49%Socioeconomic
56%Household composition
37%Racial/ethnic minority
97%Housing & transportation

Comparable tracts

Census tracts with similar eviction risk

Closest by Eviction Risk Score.

Analysis

What drives eviction risk in Bellingham

The score leans hardest on tenant organizing strength at 9.4/10. That part comes from the wider legal climate rather than the tract itself. Statewide and court-level factors such as eviction-process speed and rent-control exposure are inherited from Bellingham eviction risk, while the economic and supply signals are measured at the tract level.

Set against its neighbors, this tract scores above the Whatcom County average of 5.2 and above the Washington statewide average of 5.2. Within its own county it reads on the riskier side for landlords.

The tract is predominantly White and ranks around the 72nd percentile nationally on the CDC Social Vulnerability Index, a measure of how exposed residents are to housing and economic shocks. That is a middle-of-the-pack reading for social vulnerability.

For a landlord, conditions here are middle-of-the-road. Standard screening and prompt, documented notices usually keep cases short.

Frequently asked

About tract 53073000202

What is the eviction-risk score for census tract 53073000202?

Census tract 53073000202 in Bellingham scores 7.2/10 (Elevated tier). The Eviction Risk Score blends state law, county filing rates, parent-city politics, and tract-specific rent-to-income ratios + poverty signals.

What is the average rent in tract 53073000202?

Median gross rent is $1,197/month (ACS 5-year 2023, table B25064). 45% of renter households are cost-burdened.

What is the poverty rate in tract 53073000202?

21.6% of residents in tract 53073000202 live below the federal poverty line (ACS B17001, 2023). Population: 3,167.

How socially vulnerable is tract 53073000202?

CDC Social Vulnerability Index ranks this tract in the 72th percentile nationally. Sub-themes: socioeconomic 49th, household 56th, minority 37th, housing 97th.

How does tract 53073000202 compare to Bellingham overall?

Tract 53073000202 scores 7.2/10, right in line with the parent city of Bellingham at 7.1/10. City-scale signals (state law, local rent controls, court bias) are inherited from Bellingham eviction risk; what makes this tract different are its tract-specific economic stress and supply-constraint sub-scores.

Sibling tracts

Highest-risk tracts in Bellingham

Top eight tracts in Bellingham ranked by composite eviction-risk score.