SEATTLE, Wash. — After an extensive study into eviction rates, income and rent burden, UW researchers put together an interactive map of their data, and the numbers aren’t good for Whatcom County.
The study covered Whatcom, King, Pierce and Snohomish Counties.
While Bellingham may seem the likely candidate for the highest eviction rate, that distinction actually goes to Birch Bay with a rate of just over 2%.
Sudden Valley residents are paying the highest rent but also have the highest median income.
That trend doesn’t continue for other Whatcom municipalities, as Bellingham and especially the Marietta-Alderwood area deal with a higher rent burden than most other local towns.
When it comes to the number of people living below the poverty line, only Acme, Peaceful Valley and Glacier have more people in that bracket than Bellingham.