My opinions of some cities and towns in Whatcom County, Washington (Bellingham, Ferndale, Blaine, Custer, etc.) (Seattle: crime, job market)

[Timberwolf5578]

I have been browsing these forums for a while, and have noticed a lot of people asking about cities and towns in Whatcom County, WA. And on these forums, I have read what I believe to be a lot of misinformation about the area, maybe in hopes to keep people from moving here.....not sure though.

Anyways, my wife and I have been living in Whatcom County for about 4 years now, and these are my opinions of some of the cities and towns in the area.

Bellingham - Very scenic and beautiful area. Has a good economy. From what I have seen and heard, the job market is fairly good (depending on your profession). It doesn't have an extremely expensive cost of living, but it's not cheap either. Crime is very low. Downtown Bellingham is kind of run down, but Fairhaven (another downtown-type area in southern Bellingham) is very nice. But it rains alot in Bellingham and can get quite cold in the winter, so the weather is not for everyone.

Ferndale - Much smaller population than Bellingham, but close to Bellingham. Not sure about the job market, but it's close to Bellingham, so commuting is not a big deal. Also very scenic and beautiful. Crime is very low. Same weather as Bellingham.

Blaine - Much smaller than either Ferndale or Bellingham. Also very scenic and beautiful. Housing is less expensive than either Ferndale or Bellingham. But job market is very small because the city is very small. But commuting to Bellingham for work is not that bad, approx 25 - 35 minutes depending on where you work in Bellingham. Crime is very low. Same weather as Bellingham, maybe a little bit colder.

Custer - Very small town situated kind of inbetween Ferndale and Blaine. Housing cost is probably similar to Blaine. Also very scenic and beautiful. Probably extremely small job market because of the very small population. But commute to Bellingham is only approx 20 - 30 minutes depending on where you work in Bellingham. Crime is very low. Same weather as Bellingham, maybe a little bit colder.

Lynden - Small town that is very well kept. I have heard it is quite religious and has some strict rules (such as not mowing your lawn on Sunday) but this is all hearsay, so I am not sure if it is true. It's a Dutch town, so it's unique in that way, but kind of touristy as well. Job market is probably small. It's distance from the main freeway (I-5) makes it not the best for commuting, but it's not that far from certain parts of northern Bellingham (approx 20 - 30 min), so if you can find work in Bellingham or a nearby area, the commute shouldn't be that bad. It is also very scenic and beautiful. Housing and cost of living is probably equally as expensive as Bellingham overall. Crime is very low. Probably a little colder and rainier than Bellingham.

Deming - A small town east of Bellingham, closer to the mountains. Also very scenic and beautiful. Probably extremely small job market because of the very small population. Commute to certain parts of Bellingham is probably ok (approx 30 min) but other than that, commuting to work can be very long (depending where you work). It's really out there in the boonies. Has a very small population. The main highway going to Deming (Mount Baker Highway) has a lot of tourist and skier traffic going to Mount Baker. Housing is probably slightly less expensive than the above mentioned cities/towns because of the commuting distance. Crime is very low. More rain and cold than Bellingham.

The Blaine/Custer area has very nice new shopping plaza called Birch Bay Square, so that might help the population and economy of those towns. Blaine has Birch Bay itself which is beautiful and quite touristy, and Custer is right nearby it.

Birch Bay, Semiahmoo, and Blaine Marine Park (all in Blaine, and close to Custer) have the best beach (bay) walking areas in Whatcom County. Ferndale has the best views of Mount Baker. Bellingham and Deming are the most hilly. All the cities and towns in Whatcom County are equally scenic in their own way.

Also since Whatcom County is right near the Canadian border, Canadian tourists probably help it's economy quite a bit. Also, Vancouver, Canada (and it's surrounding areas) are great places to visit, eat, shop, and very scenic also.

But if anyone here is thinking about moving to western Washington, they should first visit here during winter and see what the weather is like, because it is very rainy in this region for 7 months of the year, but that's what keeps everything so green. And the cold weather here is a wet cold so it really feels colder than it is. I personally don't mind cold weather at all.

In my opinion, Whatcom County is an AWESOME place to live!!

Anyways, I hope this has been informative

[poogie777]

Kudos! On your report of Whatcom County, Timberwolf5578. Just to emphasize a bit, my husband and I moved up here from the midwest 6 years ago. Ya it is a bit wet up here, but I have always said the same as you commented, "... but that's what keeps everything so green."
That's one thing that really drew me to Bellingham. I came from the northeastern part of Colorado. It was always miserably dry and hot in the summer and bone freezing cold in the winter. After living there for 17 long years, the weather up here is marvelous!
It is a case of "feeling colder than it is" up here. My husband has always noted that. I remember our first winter up here. It took me awhile to adjust to the temp, but my husband never did wear a coat at all that first winter. It's all around perfect for him.
For me, my motto has always been, anything below 70 is freezing. But I have adjusted my temp a bit. Last winter I think I only wore my heavy coat 3 times.
Whatcom County is an awesome place to live, work, and play!

[Comedy]

Here's my take, I grew up in Longmont, CO, where there is actually 256 days of sun and not 300. I was there for 18 years and then moved to Phoenix because I didn't much care for the snow. Now that was 300 days of sun. When I first moved there I could take my eyes off the sky because I kept looking for clouds...IT WAS GREAT! 5 years of no clouds and I began to wonder..."Where's the clouds?" We tried moving to Bellingham, and should be there by Summer of '09, but weather is weather, your going to have to sacrifice one thing for the other.

Now, what I want to know is what's going on with the Mercury in the water?

[nullgeo]

Some of what is written in the O.P. is correct ... some not quite ... spirit of the post is good but the analysis will not last much more than a wink I have lived here nearly 10 years and have been in and about and otherwise connected to Whatcom County for 39 years.

Bellingham, for instance, is Not low on crime ... it is moderate, and stats show a steady trend up. Still a nice place but not Low on crime.

In general, most of the places mentioned, if not all — the whole county in fact — is changing so fast due to rabid development that little of the observations made can hold true for any significant period of time. And when the 2010 Olympics are finished up in Vancouver, the rapid change will become exponential.

If a person likes urbanization and gentrification and modernization — then they will enjoy the 'vibrant' new community that will completely overwhelm the historical NW rural character of every inch of Whatcom County west of Mt. Baker.

[Baldy]

Nullgeo, the crime is low compared to the rest of the west coast and BC, which is really, really bad.

[nullgeo]

Originally Posted by Baldy

Nullgeo, the crime is low compared to the rest of the west coast and BC, which is really, really bad.

I never said crime was high in Bellingham ... it is, however, statistically moderate, not low ... and it is statistically on the rise. I don't make up the stats. Anyone can look up and confirm.

Bellingham is more quiet and safe than much of the west coat and B.C.? Yes ... compared to the big cities of the west coast ... if you compare similar sized towns to Bellingham, there is nothing notably safer or lower in crime about Bellingham. I am not trashing Bellingham or calling it dangerous. I was only moderating what I considered an inaccurate sttement about it by the O.P.

I live here. Been connected for 39 years. Also lived in San Francisco and Seattle. I grew up in Detroit, Philadelphia, and Wash. D.C. I know the difference between big city crime and Bellingham. B'ham is a nice small town. But it does have real crime. And its crime is growing with increased urbanization. People reading these Forums for research purposes deserve fair and honest information. This is a real nice area in most respects — but it is not Shangri-La up here.

[CrouchTigerHiddenDog]

Deming
Custer
Maple Falls

All those areas have been rumored to have Russian mafia and drug dealers (who really knows, but grapevine of locals say so).

Just be aware before purchase.

[Geechie North]

Just curious, what type of jobs that have been created in Bellingham since GP shutdown?

[NWLambear]

My husband and I made it to retirement....came from California in 2003...we bought this property because of all the trees..so we have a nice buffer from ajacent properties. But, we see the land being gobbled up at an alarming rate. Some day all the open fields...the farms...the silos... and wooded areas will be gone...sadly to say. We'll just sit tight on our little piece of land in the County of Whatcom (not city limits) while around us there are big changes and probably not for the best. We don't mind the weather...our family all over the U.S. check specifically for our weather...not weather in Seattle. Our weather here in Ferndale is more akin to what Vancouver, BC has. We have only had one snow storm since we've lived here...ironically, we were visiting family in Florida when it happened. Ice took down our gutters! My husband loves that there are lots of trails....and we try to find places to go in our RV short distances. There are so many wonderful places to visit in WA!

[West coast at heart]

You know. It seems to me that growth is everywhere. The population keeps growing at exponential rate. I live in Northern IN and the corn fields just keep getting swallowed up. I worked in construction for ten years and I did a lot of travelling. It is amazing just how fast land is being developed.

My wife and i are moving to the PNW next summer. For her, it is going home, for me it is "something different". I have been searching for a viable town and a house. I still have not found the right place. Bellingham was one of our choices. I keep reading conflicting opinions about the cities we are interested in. This forum has reemphasized the very important advice that keeps popping up..."go look for yourself".

The beauty of this forum is that everyone has an opinion and is allowed to give it. Just as no two people are alike, so goes their opinions. We all have our own way of looking at the world. We all have our own idea of what we call beauty. I enjoy seeing these towns through the eyes of all of you. However, it also points out that I really need to spend time in each place so I can form my own opinion as well.

That said, I want to thank all of you for your wonderful insights on the beauty of the PNW!!!!

Peace and respect,
wc@h