Beauty and personal care · County · Washington
Barbershops in Whatcom County, WA
How Whatcom County, WA compares with other counties and the U.S. for barbershops: competitors, household spending, official counts and growth.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 71 out of 100: Upper middle
Ranked #201 of 1,356 scored counties
#14 of 25 scored counties in Washington
- Listings
- 35
- 3 chain locations (9%)
- Official establishments
- 6
- Businesses with payroll, 2023
- Household spending a year
- $96.4M
- On personal care products and services · $1,025 a household
- Spending per listing
- $2.8M
- 46% above the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 3.7
- 30% below the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 236,392
- +3.9% since 2020
See the barbershops around any address in Whatcom County
The site report maps the barbershops on map listings near the address, by name and distance, and sizes the households and spending around it. Or open the report at the center of Whatcom County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardSurvey estimates 2020–2024 · population estimates 2025 · official business counts 2023 · map listings September 2026 · Data credits · How we measure
What this means
As of September 2026, map listings count 35 barbershops in Whatcom County. 3 of them (9%) are chain locations, against 12% across the U.S. That comes to 3.7 for every 10,000 households, 30% below the U.S. rate of 5.3.
Households in Whatcom County spend about $96.4M a year on personal care products and services, or $1,025 per household, 2% above the U.S. average. That is about $2.8M of household spending for each shop on map listings, 46% above the U.S. figure of $1.9M. That spending covers all personal care products and services, which barbershops share with other businesses in the trade.
In 2023, official counts showed 6 businesses with payroll in Whatcom County classed as barber shops. That is one for every 15,670 households, against one for every 16,589 across the U.S. Official counts list 32 one-person businesses without payroll.
Population estimates put the population change in Whatcom County from 2020 to 2025 at +3.9%, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). Whatcom County scores 71 (upper middle) on the Groundwork market score for barbershops, ranking #201 of 1,356 scored counties and #14 of 25 scored counties in Washington. That puts it in the top quarter of counties.
How Whatcom County compares
The same measures for Washington and the whole U.S. Spending per listing divides a year of household spending on all personal care products and services by the barbershops counted, so it measures the demand for each competitor, not any business’s revenue. Households per establishment does the same with the official count.
| Measure | Whatcom County | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 3.7 | 4.0 | 5.3 |
| Spending per listing | $2.8M | $2.9M | $1.9M |
| Households per official establishment | 15,670 | 15,963 | 16,589 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | n/a | +44.4% | +28.5% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +3.9% | +3.6% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on personal care products and services | $1,025 | $1,137 | $1,005 |
| Median household income | $81,784 | $98,141 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 71 | 65 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 6
- Employees, 2023
- 34
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $1.1M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 32Businesses with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 353 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 51The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 0
- Amount
- $0
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as barber shops in Whatcom County, through June 2026, placed by the borrower’s ZIP code. Official establishments are businesses with payroll; the official counts leave out places with fewer than 3.
Population and households in Whatcom County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 236,392+3.9% since 2020
- Households
- 94,021
- Median age
- 39.9
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 64%
- Vehicles per household
- 2.0
- Land area
- 2,108 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 109
- Median household income
- $81,784+29.9% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $109,611
- Median home value
- $585,800
- Jobs located here
- 90,570
- Daytime population
- 221,278Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Whatcom County?
These figures cover the whole county. A site report draws rings around one address and counts what’s inside them: households, spending, jobs, and the barbershops on map listings by name and distance.
Or open the report at the center of Whatcom County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardBarbershops across Washington
Every Washington market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Washington for barbershops, numbered among those based in Washington, with Whatcom County marked.
Top counties in Washington
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Mason County, WA | 90 | 5 | 1.9 | $5.3M | +7.8% | #11 of 1,356 |
| 2Lewis County, WA | 81 | 9 | 2.7 | $3.5M | +6.7% | #61 of 1,356 |
| 3Douglas County, WA | 81 | 6 | 3.8 | $2.8M | +8.0% | #65 of 1,356 |
| 4Thurston County, WA | 78 | 51 | 4.3 | $2.5M | +2.8% | #97 of 1,356 |
| 5Cowlitz County, WA | 77 | 12 | 2.7 | $3.5M | +3.5% | #103 of 1,356 |
| 6Benton County, WA | 77 | 37 | 4.7 | $2.2M | +6.9% | #118 of 1,356 |
| 7Skagit County, WA | 76 | 18 | 3.4 | $3.1M | +2.4% | #121 of 1,356 |
| 8Kittitas County, WA | 75 | 7 | 3.5 | $2.8M | +4.2% | #139 of 1,356 |
| 9Snohomish County, WA | 73 | 121 | 3.8 | $3.2M | +4.9% | #163 of 1,356 |
| 10Kitsap County, WA | 73 | 46 | 4.2 | $2.7M | +2.7% | #169 of 1,356 |
| 14Whatcom County, WA | 71 | 35 | 3.7 | $2.8M | +3.9% | #201 of 1,356 |
Other business types in Whatcom County
Each with its Groundwork market score here, out of 100, where it has one.
Food and drink
Groceries and convenience
Auto
Beauty and personal care
- Salons, barbers and spas55
- Hair salons65
- Barbershops71
- Nail salons60
- Spas and skin care48
Fitness and classes
Health care
Child care
Clothing and laundry
Home services
Real estate
Funeral services
Questions
How many barbershops are in Whatcom County, WA?
Whatcom County has 35 barbershops on map listings as of September 2026. 3 of them (9%) are chain locations. The listings count barbershops. Official counts show 6 businesses with payroll classed as barber shops in 2023. Official counts also show 32 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in Whatcom County, WA spend on personal care products and services?
About $96.4M a year, or $1,025 per household. That is 2% above the U.S. average (an index of 102, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 35 barbershops on map listings, it comes to $2.8M per shop. The spending figure covers all personal care products and services, not only barbershops. It is estimated from the incomes of the 94,021 households in Whatcom County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Whatcom County, WA compare with the U.S. for barbershops?
Whatcom County has 3.7 barbershops per 10,000 households, 30% below the U.S. rate of 5.3. Spending per shop is $2.8M, 46% above the U.S. figure of $1.9M. At the national ratio of barbershops to household spending, Whatcom County would have about 51, against 35 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 15,670 households, against one for every 16,589 across the U.S.
How fast is Whatcom County, WA growing?
Population estimates put Whatcom County at 236,392 people in 2025, up 3.9% since 2020, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 94,021 households. Median household income in Whatcom County is $81,784, in line with the U.S. median of $80,734. Against the 2015–2019 survey, the median rose 29.9%, before inflation.
What is the Groundwork market score?
The Groundwork market score runs from 0 to 100 and compares a market with others of its kind for one business type: states with states, metro areas with metro areas, small-town markets and counties with their own. It weighs household spending per competitor (35%), households per business with payroll (25%), population growth (20%) and spending power (20%), each ranked against those peers. A higher score means that, taken together, the market has more household spending and more households for each business already there, faster population growth and more spending per household than similar markets. It describes a market, not any one site or deal. Whatcom County scores 71 for barbershops (upper middle), #201 of 1,356 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Whatcom County. It maps the barbershops on map listings near the site and sizes the households and spending within the distance you choose. New accounts get 10 actions over 3 days, no card.
How the score works · Top markets for barbershops · All 56 business types in Whatcom County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Whatcom County?
A site report maps the competitors on map listings near an address and sizes the households and spending around it.
The button opens the report at the center of Whatcom County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are estimates for research only. Not investment or real estate advice.