Census tract · Whatcom County
Census Tract 12.03, Whatcom County, Washington
Census Tract 12.03, GEOID 53073001203, in Whatcom County, Washington, entirely within Bellingham. 3,296 residents in the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (±428); the 2020 Census counted 3,030.
Residents, 2020-2024
3,296
±428 (90% margin)
2020 Census count: 3,030
Median household income
$60,257
±$7,359 (90% margin)
Whatcom County: $81,784
Median home value
$634,700
±$127,642 (90% margin)
Whatcom County: $585,800
Median gross rent
$1,723
±$80 (90% margin)
Whatcom County: $1,555
Where is Census Tract 12.03?
Census Tract 12.03 is one of 54 census tracts in Whatcom County, Washington. It covers 0.31 square miles of land, 9,681 residents per square mile in 2020. Its GEOID, 53073001203, names it uniquely (how tract numbers and GEOIDs work).
| Place | Share of the tract |
|---|---|
| Bellingham | 100% |
4 census tracts border Census Tract 12.03: Tract 10 ($41,136), Tract 11.01 ($100,903), Tract 12.02 ($97,692) and Tract 12.04 ($43,922). The figure in brackets is each tract's median household income.
Whether a tract counts as low- or moderate-income for bank lending (the Community Reinvestment Act) is set by the FFIEC against its metro area's family income: look it up in the FFIEC census geocoder.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 block assignment files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Census Tract 12.03?
The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts Census Tract 12.03's population at 3,296 (±428) in 1,566 households; the 2020 Census counted 3,030 residents and 1,521 housing units.
| Measure | Tract 12.03 | Bellingham |
|---|---|---|
| Total population | 3,296 ±428 | 93,438 |
| Households | 1,566 ±256 | 41,500 |
| Average household size | 2.10 ±0.21 | 2.15 |
| Housing units | 1,683 ±252 | 43,792 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Census Tract 12.03?
The median resident of Census Tract 12.03 is 24.0 years old. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 79.2%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 9.9%. 2.9% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Tract 12.03 | Bellingham |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 24.0 ±1.4 | 34.1 |
| Under 18 years | 1.9% ±1.3 pts | 13.8% |
| 65 years and over | 4.7% ±1.4 pts | 16.5% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 9.9% ±4.3 pts | 10.2% |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 79.2% ±5.2 pts | 76.2% |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.6% ±1.0 pts | 1.3% |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 2.6% ±1.5 pts | 5.2% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 1.0% ±1.2 pts | 0.5% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.6% ±0.7 pts | 0.1% |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 5.9% ±3.4 pts | 6.2% |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.4% ±0.6 pts | 0.3% |
| Born outside the United States | 2.9% ±1.9 pts | 8.5% |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 10.8% ±3.9 pts | 11.9% |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 2.2% ±1.4 pts | 4.9% |
| With a disability | 10.4% ±3.4 pts | 14.1% |
| No health insurance coverage | 4.2% ±3.7 pts | 5.3% |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 100.0% ±2.8 pts | 95.2% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 55.3% ±10.2 pts | 48.5% |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 18.6% ±6.7 pts | 19.8% |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 52.4% ±9.3 pts | 76.6% |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Census Tract 12.03 earn?
Half of the 1,566 households in Census Tract 12.03 earn less than $60,257 a year (±$7,359), against $81,784 across Whatcom County: 47th highest of the county's 54 tracts with a reliable estimate. 36.1% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Tract 12.03 | Bellingham |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $60,257 ±$7,359 | $66,755 |
| Mean household income | $80,200 ±$11,747 | $94,859 |
| Per capita income | $37,488 ±$6,651 | $42,947 |
| People below the poverty line | 36.1% ±7.8 pts | 18.6% |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 40.3% ±30.0 pts | 18.8% |
| Households receiving SNAP | 3.8% ±2.6 pts | 12.2% |
| Households with a computer | 98.9% ±1.7 pts | 98.0% |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 95.2% ±3.2 pts | 93.8% |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Census Tract 12.03?
Owners occupy 17.3% of Census Tract 12.03's occupied homes and renters 82.7%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $634,700 by its owner (±$127,642). The median renter pays $1,723 a month including utilities, and 52.6% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Tract 12.03 | Bellingham |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $634,700 ±$127,642 | $627,500 |
| Median gross rent | $1,723 ±$80 | $1,577 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 52.6% ±10.8 pts | 54.0% |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $2,000 ±$977 | $2,331 |
| Owner-occupied homes | 17.3% ±4.9 pts | 44.6% |
| Renter-occupied homes | 82.7% ±4.9 pts | 55.4% |
| Housing units | 1,683 ±252 | 43,792 |
| Single-family detached homes | 26.7% ±6.6 pts | 43.4% |
| Mobile homes | 3.0% ±4.6 pts | 2.4% |
| Built 2020 or later | 1.1% ±1.0 pts | 2.1% |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 11.8% ±9.1 pts | 12.6% |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 13.3% ±6.0 pts | 17.0% |
| Households with no vehicle | 2.2% ±2.3 pts | 9.5% |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How do people in Census Tract 12.03 get to work?
65.6% of Census Tract 12.03's workers drive alone and 15.7% work from home. The average trip to work takes 18.9 minutes.
| Measure | Tract 12.03 | Bellingham |
|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 85.3% ±4.3 pts | 66.2% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.8% ±4.0 pts | 5.6% |
| Drove alone to work | 65.6% ±7.6 pts | 63.7% |
| Carpooled | 6.2% ±6.1 pts | 6.8% |
| Public transportation | 5.5% ±4.8 pts | 3.3% |
| Walked | 4.2% ±2.4 pts | 6.9% |
| Worked from home | 15.7% ±4.3 pts | 14.7% |
| Mean travel time to work | 18.9 min ±3.7 | 18.1 min |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
How does Census Tract 12.03 compare with the other tracts in Whatcom County?
Among Whatcom County's tracts with a reliable estimate, Census Tract 12.03 ranks as shown below (1 = highest).
| Measure | In Whatcom County | In Bellingham |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 37th of 54 | 18th of 23 |
| Residents per square mile | 1st of 54 | 1st of 23 |
| Median household income | 47th of 54 | 17th of 23 |
| Per capita income | 40th of 54 | 16th of 23 |
| Median home value | 17th of 54 | 11th of 23 |
| Median gross rent | 16th of 48 | 7th of 23 |
| Poverty rate | 2nd of 39 | 2nd of 18 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 8th of 54 | 6th of 23 |
| Median age | 53rd of 54 | 22nd of 23 |
| Owner-occupied share | 52nd of 54 | 21st of 23 |
The tracts next to it on Whatcom County's income ladder
| Tract | Rank | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 101.02 | 44th | $62,643±$12,202 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 3.01 | 45th | $61,526±$7,393 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 1.02 | 46th | $60,973±$6,880 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 12.03 | 47th | $60,257±$7,359 |
| Tract 2.03 | 48th | $58,864±$25,577 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 101.01 | 49th | $57,057±$12,527 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 3.02 | 50th | $55,297±$17,322 · within the margin of this tract |
"Within the margin": the two incomes differ by less than their combined 90% margins, so the survey cannot say which is higher and the ranks between them are not firm.
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Census Tract 12.03?
1 of the 18 figures for Census Tract 12.03 on this page carries a coefficient of variation over 40% and is marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
A census tract's figures rest on a few hundred sampled households over five years, so its margins are wider than a city's. Two tracts differ only when the gap between them is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins). How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · Check it at data.census.gov
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections