Groceries and convenience · County · Washington
Grocery and convenience stores in Whatcom County, WA
The grocery and 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 58 out of 100: Upper middle
Ranked #870 of 2,402 scored counties
#18 of 35 scored counties in Washington
- Listings
- 193
- 56 chain locations (29%)
- Official establishments
- 73
- +35.2% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $574.8M
- On groceries · $6,114 a household
- Spending per listing
- $3M
- 12% below the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 20.5
- 10% above the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 236,392
- +3.9% since 2020
See the grocery and convenience stores around any address in Whatcom County
The site report maps the grocery and 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
Map listings as of September 2026 show 193 grocery and convenience stores in Whatcom County. 56 of them (29%) are chain locations, against 42% across the U.S. That is 20.5 per 10,000 households, 10% above the U.S. rate of 18.7.
At $6,114 per household (3% below the U.S. average), households in Whatcom County spend about $574.8M a year on groceries. Spread across 193 grocery and convenience stores, that is $3M per store, 12% below the U.S. figure of $3.4M.
Official counts show 73 businesses with payroll classed as grocery and convenience stores in Whatcom County in 2023, up 35.2% from 2019. That is one for every 1,288 households, against one for every 1,293 across the U.S. Another 30 one-person businesses have no payroll, by official counts. Since fiscal 2022, 3 SBA-backed loans worth $1.1M have gone to businesses classed as grocery and convenience stores in Whatcom County.
Population estimates show Whatcom County grew 3.9% from 2020 to 2025, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). Whatcom County scores 58 (upper middle) on the Groundwork market score for grocery and convenience stores, ranking #870 of 2,402 scored counties and #18 of 35 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 groceries by the grocery and 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 | 20.5 | 16.9 | 18.7 |
| Spending per listing | $3M | $3.9M | $3.4M |
| Households per official establishment | 1,288 | 1,353 | 1,293 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | +35.2% | +10.2% | +7.2% |
| 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 | 58 | 67 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 54 → 73+35.2% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 2,231
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $76.2M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 30Businesses with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 19356 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 170The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 3
- Amount
- $1.1M
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as grocery and 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 grocery and 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 cardGrocery and convenience stores across Washington
Every Washington market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Washington for grocery and 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Clark County, WA | 81 | 250 | 12.8 | $5.1M | +5.3% | #158 of 2,402 |
| 2Kitsap County, WA | 79 | 138 | 12.7 | $5.2M | +2.7% | #192 of 2,402 |
| 3Thurston County, WA | 77 | 163 | 13.7 | $4.6M | +2.8% | #239 of 2,402 |
| 4Snohomish County, WA | 76 | 468 | 14.8 | $4.6M | +4.9% | #262 of 2,402 |
| 5King County, WA | 75 | 1,546 | 16.4 | $4.3M | +3.1% | #291 of 2,402 |
| 6Benton County, WA | 75 | 139 | 17.8 | $3.5M | +6.9% | #299 of 2,402 |
| 7Pierce County, WA | 73 | 448 | 12.8 | $5.1M | +2.5% | #342 of 2,402 |
| 8Spokane County, WA | 73 | 307 | 14.1 | $4.3M | +3.2% | #349 of 2,402 |
| 9Asotin County, WA | 71 | 11 | 11.6 | $5.1M | +1.0% | #404 of 2,402 |
| 10Douglas County, WA | 71 | 25 | 15.7 | $3.9M | +8.0% | #411 of 2,402 |
| 18Whatcom County, WA | 58 | 193 | 20.5 | $3M | +3.9% | #870 of 2,402 |
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 grocery and convenience stores are in Whatcom County, WA?
There are 193 grocery and convenience stores on map listings in Whatcom County as of September 2026. 56 of them (29%) are chain locations. The listings count grocery, convenience and specialty food stores. Official counts show 73 businesses with payroll classed as grocery and convenience stores in 2023, up 35.2% from 2019. Official counts list 30 one-person businesses without payroll.
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 193 grocery and convenience stores on map listings, it comes to $3M per store. 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 grocery and convenience stores?
Whatcom County has 20.5 grocery and convenience stores per 10,000 households, 10% above the U.S. rate of 18.7. Spending per store is $3M, 12% below the U.S. figure of $3.4M. At the national ratio of grocery and convenience stores to household spending, Whatcom County would have about 170, against 193 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 1,288 households, against one for every 1,293 across the U.S. The official count rose 35.2% from 2019 to 2023, against +7.2% 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 58 for grocery and convenience stores (upper middle), #870 of 2,402 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 grocery and 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 grocery and 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.