Groceries and convenience · County · Washington
Convenience stores in Whatcom County, WA
The convenience stores in Whatcom County, WA, the household spending behind them and how the market ranks against other counties.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 69 out of 100: Upper middle
Ranked #465 of 2,261 scored counties
#20 of 33 scored counties in Washington
- Listings
- 69
- 34 chain locations (49%)
- Official establishments
- 28
- +40.0% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $574.8M
- On groceries · $6,114 a household
- Spending per listing
- $8.3M
- 6% above the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 7.3
- 9% below the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 236,392
- +3.9% since 2020
See the convenience stores around any address in Whatcom County
The site report maps the convenience stores 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 69 convenience stores in Whatcom County. Of those, 34 are chain locations, or 49%, against 60% across the U.S. That is 7.3 per 10,000 households, 9% below the U.S. rate of 8.0.
Household spending on groceries in Whatcom County comes to about $574.8M a year: $6,114 per household, 3% below the U.S. average. That works out to $8.3M per store, 6% above the U.S. figure of $7.9M. That spending covers all groceries, which convenience stores share with other businesses in the trade.
Official counts show 28 businesses with payroll classed as convenience stores in Whatcom County in 2023, up 40.0% from 2019. That is one for every 3,358 households, against one for every 3,493 across the U.S. Since fiscal 2022, 1 SBA-backed loan worth $892K has gone to businesses classed as convenience stores in Whatcom County.
Population estimates put the population change in Whatcom County from 2020 to 2025 at +3.9%, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). For convenience stores, Whatcom County has a Groundwork market score of 69 (upper middle): #465 of 2,261 scored counties and #20 of 33 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 groceries by the convenience stores 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 | 7.3 | 5.9 | 8.0 |
| Spending per listing | $8.3M | $11.1M | $7.9M |
| Households per official establishment | 3,358 | 4,520 | 3,493 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | +40.0% | +24.6% | +22.0% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +3.9% | +3.6% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on groceries | $6,114 | $6,520 | $6,319 |
| Median household income | $81,784 | $98,141 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 69 | 73 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 20 → 28+40.0% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 211
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $5.6M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- Not publishedNot published for this business type
- Map listings, September 2026
- 6934 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 73The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 1
- Amount
- $892K
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as convenience stores 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 convenience stores 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 cardConvenience stores across Washington
Every Washington market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Washington for convenience stores, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Douglas County, WA | 89 | 7 | 4.4 | $14.1M | +8.0% | #42 of 2,261 |
| 2King County, WA | 87 | 445 | 4.7 | $14.9M | +3.1% | #66 of 2,261 |
| 3Kitsap County, WA | 85 | 52 | 4.8 | $13.8M | +2.7% | #87 of 2,261 |
| 4San Juan County, WA | 84 | 5 | 5.5 | $11.2M | +4.2% | #101 of 2,261 |
| 5Thurston County, WA | 82 | 64 | 5.4 | $11.8M | +2.8% | #128 of 2,261 |
| 6Snohomish County, WA | 82 | 194 | 6.1 | $11.1M | +4.9% | #129 of 2,261 |
| 7Benton County, WA | 81 | 59 | 7.6 | $8.3M | +6.9% | #154 of 2,261 |
| 8Clark County, WA | 80 | 105 | 5.4 | $12.1M | +5.3% | #165 of 2,261 |
| 9Pierce County, WA | 79 | 186 | 5.3 | $12.3M | +2.5% | #185 of 2,261 |
| 10Island County, WA | 78 | 8 | 2.2 | $28.3M | −1.5% | #208 of 2,261 |
| 20Whatcom County, WA | 69 | 69 | 7.3 | $8.3M | +3.9% | #465 of 2,261 |
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
- Grocery and convenience stores58
- Grocery stores55
- Convenience stores69
Auto
Beauty and personal care
Fitness and classes
Health care
Child care
Clothing and laundry
Home services
Real estate
Funeral services
Questions
How many convenience stores are in Whatcom County, WA?
Whatcom County has 69 convenience stores on map listings as of September 2026. 34 of them (49%) are chain locations. The listings count convenience stores without fuel. Official counts show 28 businesses with payroll classed as convenience stores in 2023, up 40.0% from 2019.
How much do households in Whatcom County, WA spend on groceries?
About $574.8M a year, or $6,114 per household. That is 3% below the U.S. average (an index of 97, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 69 convenience stores on map listings, it comes to $8.3M per store. The spending figure covers all groceries, not only convenience stores. 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 convenience stores?
Whatcom County has 7.3 convenience stores per 10,000 households, 9% below the U.S. rate of 8.0. Spending per store is $8.3M, 6% above the U.S. figure of $7.9M. At the national ratio of convenience stores to household spending, Whatcom County would have about 73, against 69 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 3,358 households, against one for every 3,493 across the U.S. The official count rose 40.0% from 2019 to 2023, against +22.0% for 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 69 for convenience stores (upper middle), #465 of 2,261 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 convenience stores 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 convenience stores · 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.