Census tract · Whatcom County

Census Tract 104.06, Whatcom County, Washington

Census Tract 104.06, GEOID 53073010406, in Whatcom County, Washington, mostly within Birch Bay (88% of its census blocks). 2,090 residents in the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (±391); the 2020 Census counted 1,977.

Residents, 2020-2024

2,090

±391 (90% margin)
2020 Census count: 1,977

Median household income

$79,728

±$15,384 (90% margin)
Whatcom County: $81,784

Median home value

$428,300

±$25,239 (90% margin)
Whatcom County: $585,800

Median gross rent

$1,565

±$422 (90% margin)
Whatcom County: $1,555

Where is Census Tract 104.06?

Census Tract 104.06 is one of 54 census tracts in Whatcom County, Washington. It covers 2.73 square miles of land, 725 residents per square mile in 2020. Its GEOID, 53073010406, names it uniquely (how tract numbers and GEOIDs work).

Places Census Tract 104.06 lies in (share of its 2020 census blocks)
PlaceShare of the tract
Birch Bay88%
Blaine3%
Census Tract 104.06 (marked with a dot) in Whatcom County, Washington. Boundaries: Census Bureau 2024.
104.05104.09104.10104.11 104.06 2 mi
Census Tract 104.06 (shaded) and the tracts that border it, numbered. Boundaries: Census Bureau 2024 cartographic boundary file, 1:500,000.

4 census tracts border Census Tract 104.06: Tract 104.05 ($94,167), Tract 104.09 ($83,293), Tract 104.10 ($66,719) and Tract 104.11 ($85,118). 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 104.06?

The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts Census Tract 104.06's population at 2,090 (±391) in 873 households; the 2020 Census counted 1,977 residents and 1,267 housing units.

Counts, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure Tract 104.06Birch BayWhatcom CountyWashington
Total population 2,090 ±391 10,837 230,503 7,816,116
Households 873 ±115 4,661 94,021 3,064,820
Average household size 2.39 ±0.29 2.32 2.40 2.50
Housing units 1,181 ±172 5,974 103,520 3,306,620

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 104.06?

The median resident of Census Tract 104.06 is 44.5 years old; 22.1% are under 18 and 15.7% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 74.8%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 17.3%.

Age, origin, education, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Race groups are non-Hispanic; Hispanic includes any race.
Measure Tract 104.06Birch BayWhatcom CountyWashington
Median age 44.5 ±3.3 44.6 38.4 38.3
Under 18 years 22.1% ±5.4 pts 20.1% 18.5% 21.4%
65 years and over 15.7% ±4.4 pts 24.2% 18.9% 16.6%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 5.5% ±5.1 pts 8.1% 10.6% 14.4%
White alone, not Hispanic 74.8% ±12.4 pts 77.4% 75.7% 63.1%
Black or African American alone, not Hispanic 1.2% ±1.1 pts 2.2% 0.9% 3.8%
Asian alone, not Hispanic 0.9% ±1.2 pts 2.1% 4.4% 9.7%
American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic 0.4% ±0.6 pts 1.0% 1.6% 0.8%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic 0.0% ±1.9 pts 0.0% 0.2% 0.7%
Two or more races, not Hispanic 17.3% ±12.4 pts 9.0% 6.2% 6.8%
Some other race alone, not Hispanic 0.0% ±1.9 pts 0.2% 0.4% 0.6%
Born outside the United States 2.9% ±2.2 pts 9.9% 9.9% 15.4%
Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) 6.0% ±4.2 pts 8.8% 12.5% 21.4%
Civilian veterans (age 18+) 16.6% ±8.2 pts 10.9% 6.3% 7.8%
With a disability 12.6% ±5.5 pts 15.4% 14.3% 13.6%
No health insurance coverage 4.7% ±3.0 pts 4.8% 5.8% 6.3%
High school graduate or higher (age 25+) 97.3% ±2.0 pts 92.5% 93.8% 92.3%
Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) 26.3% ±8.0 pts 32.0% 39.3% 39.6%
Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) 12.5% ±5.3 pts 12.0% 14.9% 15.6%
Lived in the same house a year earlier 88.7% ±8.1 pts 90.5% 84.9% 85.5%

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 104.06 earn?

Half of the 873 households in Census Tract 104.06 earn less than $79,728 a year (±$15,384), against $81,784 across Whatcom County: 34th highest of the county's 54 tracts with a reliable estimate.

Income and poverty in 2024 dollars, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure Tract 104.06Birch BayWhatcom CountyWashington
Median household income $79,728 ±$15,384 $86,854 $81,784 $98,141
Mean household income $96,652 ±$22,918 $103,325 $109,592 $134,588
Per capita income $46,609 ±$10,437 $46,034 $45,361 $53,744
People below the poverty line 9.3% ±6.4 pts 9.4% 12.9% 9.9%
Children under 18 below the poverty line 15.8% ±16.7 pts 8.1% 13.6% 11.6%
Households receiving SNAP 6.0% ±4.6 pts 13.1% 11.7% 11.5%
Households with a computer 98.3% ±1.6 pts 95.3% 97.6% 97.1%
Households with a broadband subscription 95.2% ±3.6 pts 88.9% 93.7% 93.6%

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 104.06?

Owners occupy 84.5% of Census Tract 104.06's occupied homes and renters 15.5%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $428,300 by its owner (±$25,239). The median renter pays $1,565 a month including utilities.

Housing, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure Tract 104.06Birch BayWhatcom CountyWashington
Median home value (owner-occupied) $428,300 ±$25,239 $477,200 $585,800 $564,600
Median gross rent $1,565 ±$422 $1,222 $1,555 $1,760
Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent 22.3% ±27.2 pts 46.7% 49.6% 40.1%
Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage $1,884 ±$117 $2,064 $2,307 $2,445
Owner-occupied homes 84.5% ±9.6 pts 82.1% 63.7% 63.8%
Renter-occupied homes 15.5% ±9.6 pts 17.9% 36.3% 36.2%
Housing units 1,181 ±172 5,974 103,520 3,306,620
Single-family detached homes 81.9% ±7.4 pts 73.0% 62.8% 61.9%
Mobile homes 13.6% ±6.2 pts 14.6% 6.3% 5.5%
Built 2020 or later 1.9% ±2.6 pts 2.7% 2.4% 2.3%
Built 2010 to 2019 7.2% ±4.0 pts 9.5% 12.2% 12.1%
Built 1939 or earlier 11.8% ±7.6 pts 3.7% 11.5% 9.6%
Households with no vehicle 6.5% ±7.9 pts 4.5% 6.4% 7.1%

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 104.06 get to work?

80.1% of Census Tract 104.06's workers drive alone and 18.1% work from home. The average trip to work takes 21.0 minutes.

Work and commuting, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure Tract 104.06Birch BayWhatcom CountyWashington
In the labor force (age 16+) 61.9% ±8.3 pts 54.6% 63.1% 64.5%
Unemployment rate 1.1% ±1.4 pts 3.7% 4.8% 5.1%
Drove alone to work 80.1% ±11.1 pts 77.7% 69.2% 63.4%
Carpooled 1.7% ±2.0 pts 6.2% 7.5% 8.5%
Public transportation 0.0% ±3.7 pts 0.2% 1.8% 3.4%
Walked 0.0% ±3.7 pts 0.6% 3.9% 3.0%
Worked from home 18.1% ±11.1 pts 15.3% 14.8% 19.8%
Mean travel time to work 21.0 min ±3.3 26.4 min 21.6 min 26.6 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 104.06 compare with the other tracts in Whatcom County?

Among Whatcom County's tracts with a reliable estimate, Census Tract 104.06 ranks as shown below (1 = highest).

Census Tract 104.06's rank among the tracts of Whatcom County and of Birch Bay
MeasureIn Whatcom CountyIn Birch Bay
Population51st of 544th of 4
Residents per square mile30th of 542nd of 4
Median household income34th of 544th of 4
Per capita income24th of 543rd of 4
Median home value48th of 544th of 4
Median gross rent26th of 483rd of 3
Bachelor's degree or higher45th of 544th of 4
Median age16th of 543rd of 4
Owner-occupied share18th of 543rd of 4

The tracts next to it on Whatcom County's income ladder

Median household income, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
TractRankMedian household incomeResidents
Tract 104.0931st$83,293±$11,265 · within the margin of this tract3,849
Tract 10932nd$83,000±$23,450 · within the margin of this tract957
Tract 102.0133rd$80,357±$28,786 · within the margin of this tract3,400
Tract 104.0634th$79,728±$15,3842,090
Tract 11035th$78,125±$13,206 · within the margin of this tract1,288
Tract 105.0636th$73,849±$11,191 · within the margin of this tract3,473
Tract 5.0137th$71,467±$24,059 · within the margin of this tract5,521

"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 104.06?

4 of the 18 figures for Census Tract 104.06 on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are 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