NAICS 62

Healthcare and Social Assistance in Bellingham, WA

Metro Market Score 50.5 (Challenging), ranked #138 of 248 metros. 628 establishments, 13,337 jobs.

Metro Market Score 50.5

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Challenging

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national healthcare and social assistance average.

At #138 of 248 metros, Bellingham's healthcare and social assistance sector scores 50.5 on the market index. Concentration (37.9), wage levels (69.3), and growth (58.1) all track close to the median. Local factors like lease costs and client access will matter more than macro signals.

Industry Concentration

37.9

LQ: 1.00

Rank #94 of 248 metros

Wage Competitiveness

69.3

$66,137 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 58.1

Employment growth index

Rank #105 of 248 metros

Wage Pressure

55.7

YoY wage change index

628 Healthcare and Social Assistance Firms in Bellingham

628

Establishments

+4.8% YoY

13,337

Total Employment

+3.9% YoY

$66,137

Average Annual Wage

+6.2% YoY

1.00

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Washington

#3 of 11

healthcare and social assistance metros in state

Washington state rank

#45 of 51

for healthcare and social assistance entry risk

vs State Median

-2.4

better than median (52.9)

Bellingham vs Washington Statewide

How this metro's healthcare and social assistance market compares to Washington overall. The state ranks #45/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Bellingham	WA Statewide
Overall Score	50.5 Challenging	52.3 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#138 of 248 metros	#45 of 51 states

Metro and state scores use different methodologies (metro has 4 QCEW-based metrics; state adds BDS survival and momentum data). Direct score comparisons are approximate.

Other Industries in Bellingham

Administrative and Support Services 43.8 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 47.1 Information 55.4 Retail Trade 58.5 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 60.1 Finance and Insurance 61.5 Other Services 70.1 Accommodation and Food Services 74.1 Construction 77.4

Healthcare and Social Assistance in Other Washington Metros

Kennewick-Richland 36.5 #52/248 Mount Vernon-Anacortes 36.8 #55/248 Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard 51.2 #142/248 Walla Walla 52.5 #154/248 Wenatchee-East Wenatchee 52.9 #157/248 Yakima 53.7 #160/248 Longview-Kelso 56.3 #186/248 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater 56.4 #188/248 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue 56.6 #189/248 Spokane-Spokane Valley 68.7 #234/248

Healthcare and Social Assistance Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Bellingham's 50.5 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Bend, OR 50.5 #137/248 Lancaster, PA 50.7 #139/248 Kingston, NY 50.7 #140/248 Santa Fe, NM 50.8 #141/248 Watertown-Fort Drum, NY 50.3 #136/248 Farmington, NM 50.3 #135/248 North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL 50.2 #134/248 Altoona, PA 49.9 #133/248 Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA 51.2 #142/248 Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL 49.9 #132/248

Healthcare and Social Assistance in States Bordering Washington

State-level entry risk for healthcare and social assistance in adjacent states. Use this to weigh cross-border options.

Idaho 29.8 #7/51 Oregon 55.6 #50/51

Browse Healthcare and Social Assistance in Other States

State-level entry risk reports for healthcare and social assistance across all 51 markets, sorted by rank.

About Metro Market Score: A weighted composite of industry concentration (25%), wage competitiveness (25%), wage pressure (20%), and employment growth trend (30%). Lower scores indicate more favorable conditions. For Bellingham's healthcare and social assistance sector, the wage competitiveness component (69.3) has the strongest pull on the composite. Metro scores use QCEW data only (no BDS survival data at metro level). Read full methodology →

Data Sources

Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW), Bureau of Labor Statistics. MSA-level establishment counts, employment, wages, and location quotients for the Bellingham, WA MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment