Health care · County · Washington
Dentists and orthodontists in Whatcom County, WA
Competitor counts, household spending and official business counts for dentists and orthodontists in Whatcom County, WA, set against other counties and the U.S.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 51 out of 100: Upper middle
Ranked #899 of 1,886 scored counties
#18 of 32 scored counties in Washington
- Listings
- 101
- 14 chain locations (14%)
- Official establishments
- 99
- −2.9% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $123.1M
- On medical and dental services · $1,309 a household
- Spending per listing
- $1.2M
- 24% above the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 10.7
- 18% below the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 236,392
- +3.9% since 2020
See the dentists and orthodontists around any address in Whatcom County
The site report maps the dentists and orthodontists 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
Households in Whatcom County spend about $123.1M a year on medical and dental services, or $1,309 per household, 2% above the U.S. average. That is about $1.2M of household spending for each practice on map listings, 24% above the U.S. figure of $984K. The spending figure covers all medical and dental services, not only dentists and orthodontists.
Whatcom County has 101 dentists and orthodontists on map listings as of September 2026. Of those, 14 are chain locations, or 14%, against 12% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 10.7, 18% below the U.S. rate of 13.1.
In 2023, official counts showed 99 businesses with payroll in Whatcom County classed as offices of dentists, down 2.9% from 2019. That is one for every 950 households, against one for every 952 across the U.S. Since fiscal 2022, 7 SBA-backed loans worth $4.7M have gone to businesses classed as offices of dentists in Whatcom County.
Population estimates show Whatcom County grew 3.9% from 2020 to 2025, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). The Groundwork market score for dentists and orthodontists in Whatcom County is 51 (upper middle), #899 of 1,886 scored counties and #18 of 32 scored counties in Washington.
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 medical and dental services by the dentists and orthodontists 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 | 10.7 | 14.9 | 13.1 |
| Spending per listing | $1.2M | $971K | $984K |
| Households per official establishment | 950 | 844 | 952 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | −2.9% | −0.5% | −0.5% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +3.9% | +3.6% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on medical and dental services | $1,309 | $1,446 | $1,288 |
| Median household income | $81,784 | $98,141 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 51 | 47 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 102 → 99−2.9% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 889
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $51.7M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- Not publishedNot published for this business type
- Map listings, September 2026
- 10114 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 125The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 7
- Amount
- $4.7M
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as offices of dentists 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 dentists and orthodontists 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 cardDentists and orthodontists across Washington
Every Washington market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Washington for dentists and orthodontists, 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 | 81 | 17 | 6.5 | $2M | +7.8% | #61 of 1,886 |
| 2Klickitat County, WA | 79 | 6 | 6.1 | $2M | +6.6% | #85 of 1,886 |
| 3Pacific County, WA | 78 | 7 | 6.4 | $1.8M | +3.6% | #103 of 1,886 |
| 4Stevens County, WA | 74 | 16 | 8.3 | $1.5M | +6.6% | #185 of 1,886 |
| 5Grant County, WA | 72 | 26 | 7.3 | $1.7M | +6.3% | #219 of 1,886 |
| 6Douglas County, WA | 71 | 13 | 8.2 | $1.6M | +8.0% | #246 of 1,886 |
| 7Jefferson County, WA | 70 | 10 | 6.1 | $2.1M | +2.7% | #258 of 1,886 |
| 8Franklin County, WA | 70 | 23 | 7.7 | $1.7M | +5.6% | #267 of 1,886 |
| 9San Juan County, WA | 69 | 6 | 6.7 | $2M | +4.2% | #280 of 1,886 |
| 10Island County, WA | 62 | 27 | 7.5 | $1.8M | −1.5% | #498 of 1,886 |
| 18Whatcom County, WA | 51 | 101 | 10.7 | $1.2M | +3.9% | #899 of 1,886 |
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
Fitness and classes
Health care
- Doctors, dentists and clinics49
- Dentists and orthodontists51
- Primary care and pediatrics75
- Urgent care and walk-in clinics
- Chiropractors48
- Physical therapy40
- Optometrists and eye care52
Child care
Clothing and laundry
Home services
Real estate
Funeral services
Questions
How many dentists and orthodontists are in Whatcom County, WA?
Map listings as of September 2026 show 101 dentists and orthodontists in Whatcom County. 14 of them (14%) are chain locations. The listings count dental practices, orthodontists included. Official counts show 99 businesses with payroll classed as offices of dentists in 2023, down 2.9% from 2019.
How much do households in Whatcom County, WA spend on medical and dental services?
About $123.1M a year, or $1,309 per household. That is 2% above the U.S. average (an index of 102, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 101 dentists and orthodontists on map listings, it comes to $1.2M per practice. That spending covers all medical and dental services, which dentists and orthodontists share with other businesses in the trade. 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 dentists and orthodontists?
Whatcom County has 10.7 dentists and orthodontists per 10,000 households, 18% below the U.S. rate of 13.1. Spending per practice is $1.2M, 24% above the U.S. figure of $984K. At the U.S. ratio of dentists and orthodontists to household spending, Whatcom County would have about 125, against 101 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 950 households, against one for every 952 across the U.S. The official count fell 2.9% from 2019 to 2023, against −0.5% 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 51 for dentists and orthodontists (upper middle), #899 of 1,886 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 dentists and orthodontists 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 dentists and orthodontists · 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.