Beauty and personal care · County · Washington
Hair salons in Whatcom County, WA
Competitor counts, household spending and official business counts for hair salons in Whatcom County, WA, set against other counties and the U.S.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 65 out of 100: Upper middle
Ranked #449 of 2,339 scored counties
#21 of 34 scored counties in Washington
- Listings
- 175
- 26 chain locations (15%)
- Official establishments
- 64
- +4.9% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $96.4M
- On personal care products and services · $1,025 a household
- Spending per listing
- $551K
- 28% above the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 18.6
- 21% below the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 236,392
- +3.9% since 2020
See the hair salons around any address in Whatcom County
The site report maps the hair salons 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 $1,025 per household (2% above the U.S. average), households in Whatcom County spend about $96.4M a year on personal care products and services. Spread across 175 hair salons, that is $551K per salon, 28% above the U.S. figure of $430K. The spending figure covers all personal care products and services, not only hair salons.
There are 175 hair salons on map listings in Whatcom County as of September 2026. 26 of them (15%) are chain locations, against 14% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 18.6, 21% below the U.S. rate of 23.4.
The official count of businesses with payroll classed as beauty salons in Whatcom County was 64 in 2023, up 4.9% from 2019. That is one for every 1,469 households, against one for every 1,535 across the U.S. Another 437 one-person businesses have no payroll, by official counts. Since fiscal 2022, 2 SBA-backed loans worth $239K have gone to businesses classed as beauty salons 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%). Whatcom County scores 65 (upper middle) on the Groundwork market score for hair salons, ranking #449 of 2,339 scored counties and #21 of 34 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 hair salons 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 | 18.6 | 20.7 | 23.4 |
| Spending per listing | $551K | $548K | $430K |
| Households per official establishment | 1,469 | 1,414 | 1,535 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | +4.9% | +7.4% | +6.0% |
| 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 | 65 | 69 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 61 → 64+4.9% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 187
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $6.7M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 437Businesses with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 17526 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 224The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 2
- Amount
- $239K
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as beauty salons 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 hair salons 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 cardHair salons across Washington
Every Washington market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Washington for hair salons, 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 | 28 | 10.8 | $948K | +7.8% | #12 of 2,339 |
| 2Klickitat County, WA | 88 | 10 | 10.1 | $959K | +6.6% | #20 of 2,339 |
| 3Douglas County, WA | 87 | 13 | 8.2 | $1.3M | +8.0% | #23 of 2,339 |
| 4Lincoln County, WA | 87 | 5 | 10.4 | $906K | +9.7% | #25 of 2,339 |
| 5Stevens County, WA | 84 | 29 | 15.0 | $626K | +6.6% | #46 of 2,339 |
| 6Pend Oreille County, WA | 83 | 7 | 11.8 | $792K | +7.1% | #49 of 2,339 |
| 7Franklin County, WA | 81 | 43 | 14.4 | $729K | +5.6% | #68 of 2,339 |
| 8San Juan County, WA | 80 | 12 | 13.3 | $796K | +4.2% | #73 of 2,339 |
| 9Jefferson County, WA | 79 | 19 | 11.6 | $848K | +2.7% | #87 of 2,339 |
| 10Pacific County, WA | 79 | 12 | 10.9 | $840K | +3.6% | #88 of 2,339 |
| 21Whatcom County, WA | 65 | 175 | 18.6 | $551K | +3.9% | #449 of 2,339 |
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 hair salons are in Whatcom County, WA?
As of September 2026, map listings count 175 hair salons in Whatcom County. 26 of them (15%) are chain locations. The listings count hair and beauty salons. Official counts show 64 businesses with payroll classed as beauty salons in 2023, up 4.9% from 2019. Official counts list 437 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 175 hair salons on map listings, it comes to $551K per salon. That spending covers all personal care products and services, which hair salons 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 hair salons?
Whatcom County has 18.6 hair salons per 10,000 households, 21% below the U.S. rate of 23.4. Spending per salon is $551K, 28% above the U.S. figure of $430K. At the U.S. ratio of hair salons to household spending, Whatcom County would have about 224, against 175 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 1,469 households, against one for every 1,535 across the U.S. The official count rose 4.9% from 2019 to 2023, against +6.0% 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 65 for hair salons (upper middle), #449 of 2,339 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 hair salons 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 hair salons · 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.