Auto · County · Washington
Gas stations in Whatcom County, WA
The gas stations in Whatcom County, WA, the household spending behind them and how the market ranks against other counties.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 62 out of 100: Upper middle
Ranked #670 of 2,358 scored counties
#23 of 34 scored counties in Washington
- Listings
- 124
- 101 chain locations (81%)
- Official establishments
- 83
- −1.2% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $265.3M
- On gasoline and other fuels · $2,822 a household
- Spending per listing
- $2.1M
- 10% below the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 13.2
- 21% above the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 236,392
- +3.9% since 2020
See the gas stations around any address in Whatcom County
The site report maps the gas stations 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
At $2,822 per household (9% above the U.S. average), households in Whatcom County spend about $265.3M a year on gasoline and other fuels. That works out to $2.1M per station, 10% below the U.S. figure of $2.4M.
Whatcom County has 124 gas stations on map listings as of September 2026. Chain locations make up 81% of them, against 84% across the U.S. That is 13.2 per 10,000 households, 21% above the U.S. rate of 10.9.
Official counts show 83 businesses with payroll classed as gasoline stations in Whatcom County in 2023, down 1.2% from 2019. That is one for every 1,133 households, against one for every 1,184 across the U.S. Since fiscal 2022, 10 SBA-backed loans worth $27.1M have gone to businesses classed as gasoline stations in Whatcom County.
Population estimates show Whatcom County grew 3.9% from 2020 to 2025, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). For gas stations, Whatcom County has a Groundwork market score of 62 (upper middle): #670 of 2,358 scored counties and #23 of 34 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 gasoline and other fuels by the gas stations 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 | 13.2 | 9.5 | 10.9 |
| Spending per listing | $2.1M | $2.9M | $2.4M |
| Households per official establishment | 1,133 | 1,697 | 1,184 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | −1.2% | −3.9% | −3.1% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +3.9% | +3.6% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on gasoline and other fuels | $2,822 | $2,729 | $2,595 |
| Median household income | $81,784 | $98,141 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 62 | 74 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 84 → 83−1.2% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 558
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $16.5M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 0Businesses with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 124101 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 111The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 10
- Amount
- $27.1M
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as gasoline stations 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 gas stations 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 cardGas stations across Washington
Every Washington market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Washington for gas stations, 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 | 93 | 9 | 5.7 | $5.7M | +8.0% | #9 of 2,358 |
| 2Clark County, WA | 82 | 154 | 7.9 | $3.7M | +5.3% | #112 of 2,358 |
| 3Snohomish County, WA | 81 | 270 | 8.5 | $3.4M | +4.9% | #132 of 2,358 |
| 4Mason County, WA | 81 | 34 | 13.1 | $2.5M | +7.8% | #141 of 2,358 |
| 5Stevens County, WA | 80 | 27 | 13.9 | $2.4M | +6.6% | #158 of 2,358 |
| 6Benton County, WA | 78 | 75 | 9.6 | $3M | +6.9% | #195 of 2,358 |
| 7Pierce County, WA | 76 | 320 | 9.1 | $3.2M | +2.5% | #234 of 2,358 |
| 8Kitsap County, WA | 76 | 107 | 9.9 | $3M | +2.7% | #236 of 2,358 |
| 9Island County, WA | 74 | 21 | 5.8 | $5.1M | −1.5% | #278 of 2,358 |
| 10Skagit County, WA | 74 | 60 | 11.5 | $2.7M | +2.4% | #299 of 2,358 |
| 23Whatcom County, WA | 62 | 124 | 13.2 | $2.1M | +3.9% | #670 of 2,358 |
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
Child care
Clothing and laundry
Home services
Real estate
Funeral services
Questions
How many gas stations are in Whatcom County, WA?
Map listings as of September 2026 show 124 gas stations in Whatcom County. 101 of them (81%) are chain locations. The listings count gas stations. Official counts show 83 businesses with payroll classed as gasoline stations in 2023, down 1.2% from 2019.
How much do households in Whatcom County, WA spend on gasoline and other fuels?
About $265.3M a year, or $2,822 per household. That is 9% above the U.S. average (an index of 109, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 124 gas stations on map listings, it comes to $2.1M per station. 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 gas stations?
Whatcom County has 13.2 gas stations per 10,000 households, 21% above the U.S. rate of 10.9. Spending per station is $2.1M, 10% below the U.S. figure of $2.4M. At the U.S. ratio of gas stations to household spending, Whatcom County would have about 111, against 124 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 1,133 households, against one for every 1,184 across the U.S. The official count fell 1.2% from 2019 to 2023, against −3.1% 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 62 for gas stations (upper middle), #670 of 2,358 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 gas stations 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 gas stations · 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.