WHATCOM COUNTY, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – Whatcom County’s population continued to grow last year, but at its slowest pace in years.

According to new data from the Washington State Office of Financial Management (OFM), the county’s population sat at 242,250 people as of April 1, 2026.

That was a roughly 0.7% increase from the estimate in 2025. It was the slowest rate of growth the county has seen in the past five years.

Bellingham grew by just under 700 people in what was also its slowest rate of growth in recent years.

Nooksack’s population saw the largest proportional growth in the county with a roughly 3.8% increase from 2025.

According to OFM, the slowing growth in Bellingham and Whatcom County mirrored statewide and national trends amid declining birth rates.