Whatcom County

Whatcom County, Washington – key demographics (latest Census/ACS estimates)

Population

• Total population (2023 est.): ~235,000
• 2020 Census: 226,847

Age

• Median age: 38.2
• Under 18: 20.4%
• 18 to 64: 60.7%
• 65 and over: 18.9%

Gender

• Female: 50.1%
• Male: 49.9%

Race and ethnicity

• White, non-Hispanic: 75.7%
• Hispanic/Latino (any race): 10.7%
• Asian: 5.2%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: 4.1%
• Black/African American: 1.5%
• Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander: 0.3%
• Two or more races: 6.7%

Households and housing

• Number of households: ~90,300
• Persons per household: 2.52
• Family households: 58%
• Households with children under 18: 27%
• One-person households: ~30%
• Homeownership rate: ~62%

Summary for Whatcom County, WA (2023–2024)

• Population baseline: ≈233,000 residents.
• Estimated email users: ≈185,000 (≈90% of adults; ≈79% of total population), derived from county demographics and national email adoption rates.
• Age distribution of email users (share of all users): 15–17: 3%; 18–29: 23% (boosted by Western Washington University); 30–49: 33%; 50–64: 24%; 65+: 17%.
• Gender split among users: ≈51% female, ≈49% male (email adoption is effectively equal by gender).

Digital access and trends

• Households with a broadband subscription: ≈93%.
• Smartphone-only internet households: ≈13% (growing, especially among lower-income and student renters).
• Device access: High multi-device access in Bellingham; more single-device (phone) dependence in rural north/east tracts.
• Usage behavior: Email remains universal for government, health, and education; younger adults rely more on mobile email and notifications but maintain near-ubiquitous accounts.

Local density/connectivity facts

• The I‑5 corridor (Bellingham–Ferndale–Lynden) is the county’s densest population band and has the broadest cable/fiber availability, including gigabit options.
• Rural foothills and river valleys east of Deming/Maple Falls and northern agricultural areas have fewer wireline choices and more reliance on cellular/satellite, contributing to the remaining adoption gap.

Summary of mobile phone usage in Whatcom County, Washington (latest publicly reported data and 2024 conditions)

User estimates

• Population baseline: ~230,000–235,000 residents
• Unique mobile phone users: ~200,000–210,000 residents (about 86–90% of the population)
• Smartphone users: ~185,000–200,000 residents; at the household level, roughly 90–93% of households report having a smartphone (ACS S2801, 2018–2022)
• Households using mobile-only internet (smartphone with a cellular data plan and no fixed broadband): ~12–15% in Whatcom vs ~9–11% statewide (ACS S2801)
• Households with no internet subscription: ~7–9% in Whatcom vs ~6–7% statewide (ACS S2801)

Demographic breakdown (directional patterns with county-specific skews)

• Age
  • 18–34 (large student and young adult cohort around Western Washington University): near-saturated smartphone ownership (~95%+), and markedly higher mobile-only internet reliance (roughly one in five households in this cohort)
  • 65+: lower smartphone penetration (75–80%), higher rates of no home internet (12–15%), both worse than state averages
• Tenure and income
  • Renters and lower-income households (<$35k) show significantly higher mobile-only reliance (roughly 2x owner-occupied and higher-income households)
• Geography and communities
  • Rural east-county (e.g., along SR 542/547 toward Mount Baker) shows higher smartphone-only and no-internet rates than urban Whatcom
  • Tribal communities (Lummi Nation, Nooksack) exhibit higher mobile-only reliance and lower fixed-broadband adoption than county averages due to infrastructure and affordability constraints

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• 5G/LTE availability
  • Strongest 5G capacity along the I‑5 corridor (Bellingham–Ferndale–Lynden–Blaine) with dense mid-band deployments; performance and in-building coverage are generally comparable to state urban areas
  • Coverage gaps and weaker capacity persist east of Deming toward Glacier/Maple Falls and in the SR 20 corridor (Newhalem/Marblemount), where low-band LTE/5G dominates and mid-band capacity is sparse
• Carrier landscape
  • T‑Mobile: broad mid-band (n41) capacity in urban/suburban Whatcom; good freeway coverage
  • Verizon and AT&T: C‑Band in core urban areas, low-band for rural reach; performance varies in foothills and near the North Cascades
  • FirstNet (AT&T) public-safety coverage improved in the urban core; east county often relies on deployables during outages and storms
• Unique border/island constraints
  • Point Roberts and areas adjacent to Canada can experience RF spillover and roaming management issues; capacity/backhaul is more constrained than typical WA communities
  • Lummi Island has more limited macro coverage and relies on a small number of sectors; maritime links and island topography affect reliability
• Backhaul/fiber
  • Fiber-rich along I‑5/rail corridor (multiple carriers) enabling dense 5G; more limited east–west backhaul constrains rapid 5G capacity upgrades outside the urban core

How Whatcom County differs from statewide trends

• Higher mobile-only internet reliance than the Washington average, driven by the student/renter mix and rural households
• More pronounced urban–rural performance gap, with persistent dead zones and capacity constraints in the foothills and along mountain corridors
• Cross‑border radio and roaming dynamics (Blaine, Sumas, Point Roberts) not typical for most WA counties, occasionally affecting user experience and network tuning
• Strong seasonal demand swings (university calendar, agriculture, recreation) create sharper peaks in mobile traffic and localized congestion than the state norm

Key takeaways

• Expect near‑universal smartphone reach and strong 5G capacity in the I‑5 corridor, but plan for coverage gaps and lower throughput in east-county and island/border locales
• Digital inclusion efforts should prioritize seniors, tribal residents, and low-income renters, who are disproportionately mobile-only or unconnected
• Network investments with the highest local impact include: mid-band 5G infill north of Lynden and east of Deming, added backhaul on east–west routes, and small cells around WWU/downtown Bellingham to manage student-driven peaks

Primary data references: U.S. Census Bureau ACS S2801 (Computer and Internet Use, 2018–2022, county and state); FCC mobile coverage filings (2023–2024); publicly reported carrier 5G deployment patterns and local conditions observed in 2024.

Social media usage in Whatcom County, WA (2024 snapshot)

How many people use social media

• Total population: ~230,700 (ACS 2022)
• Adults (18+): ~182,000
• Adults using any social media: ~132,000 (≈72% of adults; modeled from Pew Research Center 2024)

Most-used platforms (share of adults; modeled Whatcom adult users)

• YouTube: 83% ≈ 151,000
• Facebook: 68% ≈ 124,000
• Instagram: 50% ≈ 91,000
• Pinterest: 35% ≈ 64,000
• TikTok: 33% ≈ 60,000
• LinkedIn: 30% ≈ 55,000
• WhatsApp: 29% ≈ 53,000
• Snapchat: 27% ≈ 49,000
• X (Twitter): 22% ≈ 40,000
• Reddit: 22% ≈ 40,000
• Nextdoor: 17% ≈ 31,000 Note: Percentages are Pew Research Center 2024 U.S. adult usage rates applied to the county’s adult population; individuals use multiple platforms.

Age breakdown of adult social media users (estimated)

• 18–29: ~37,500 (28%)
• 30–49: ~47,300 (36%)
• 50–64: ~31,000 (23%)
• 65+: ~16,500 (13%)

Gender breakdown

• Female: ~50.2% of county population; ≈ 66,000 of adult social users
• Male: ~49.8%; ≈ 65,000
• Platform skews: Pinterest heavily female; Reddit and X male-skewing; Facebook and Instagram near parity; Snapchat and TikTok lean slightly female; LinkedIn near parity

Behavioral trends observed in the county

• Community and commerce: Facebook Groups and Marketplace are primary hubs for local news, events, buy/sell/trade, and mutual aid; Nextdoor is widely used for neighborhood safety, lost-and-found, and service recommendations.
• Short-form discovery: TikTok and Instagram Reels drive discovery for local food, hikes, and events; the Western Washington University student population amplifies under-30 usage of TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat.
• Visual and local branding: Instagram is key for small businesses, tourism, and outdoor-oriented storytelling; UGC around trails, waterfront, and mountain activities performs strongly.
• Video utility: YouTube dominates for tutorials, product research, and long-form local storytelling; effective for how-to and gear content relevant to outdoor recreation.
• Information and discourse: Facebook remains the default feed for local news and city/county updates; Reddit (e.g., r/Bellingham) captures hyperlocal discussion; X is used for real-time updates by agencies and local journalists.
• Private sharing: Facebook Messenger is ubiquitous; WhatsApp is meaningful among international students, cross-border families, and immigrant communities.

Method notes and sources

• Population and age shares: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2022 (Whatcom County).
• Adoption rates: Pew Research Center, “Social Media Use in 2024.” Local counts are modeled by applying Pew’s U.S. adult platform usage percentages and “any social media” rate (≈72%) to Whatcom’s adult population structure.