Health care · County · Washington
Medical and dental practices in Whatcom County, WA
Competitor counts, household spending and official business counts for medical and dental practices in Whatcom County, WA, set against other counties and the U.S.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 49 out of 100: Lower middle
Ranked #1,230 of 2,394 scored counties
#27 of 35 scored counties in Washington
- Listings
- 657
- 70 chain locations (11%)
- Official establishments
- 337
- +1.8% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $123.1M
- On medical and dental services · $1,309 a household
- Spending per listing
- $187K
- 23% above the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 69.9
- 17% below the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 236,392
- +3.9% since 2020
See the medical and dental practices around any address in Whatcom County
The site report maps the medical and dental practices 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 657 medical and dental practices in Whatcom County. Of those, 70 are chain locations, or 11%, against 11% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 69.9, 17% below the U.S. rate of 84.5.
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. Spread across 657 medical and dental practices, that is $187K per practice, 23% above the U.S. figure of $152K.
In 2023, official counts showed 337 businesses with payroll in Whatcom County classed as offices of physicians, dentists, chiropractors, optometrists and therapists, and urgent care centers, up 1.8% from 2019. That is one for every 279 households, against one for every 270 across the U.S. Official counts list 194 one-person businesses without payroll. Since fiscal 2022, 8 SBA-backed loans worth $6.1M have gone to businesses classed as offices of physicians, dentists, chiropractors, optometrists and therapists, and urgent care centers 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 medical and dental practices, Whatcom County has a Groundwork market score of 49 (lower middle): #1,230 of 2,394 scored counties and #27 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 medical and dental services by the medical and dental practices 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 | 69.9 | 79.3 | 84.5 |
| Spending per listing | $187K | $182K | $152K |
| Households per official establishment | 279 | 305 | 270 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | +1.8% | +0.2% | +1.5% |
| 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 | 49 | 75 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 331 → 337+1.8% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 3,734
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $293.8M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 194Businesses with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 65770 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 807The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 8
- Amount
- $6.1M
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as offices of physicians, dentists, chiropractors, optometrists and therapists, and urgent care centers 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 medical and dental practices 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 cardDoctors, dentists and clinics across Washington
Every Washington market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Washington for medical and dental practices, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Skamania County, WA | 88 | 14 | 27.9 | $495K | +5.2% | #10 of 2,394 |
| 2Douglas County, WA | 87 | 36 | 22.6 | $587K | +8.0% | #17 of 2,394 |
| 3Mason County, WA | 85 | 69 | 26.5 | $490K | +7.8% | #34 of 2,394 |
| 4Lincoln County, WA | 83 | 15 | 31.1 | $386K | +9.7% | #64 of 2,394 |
| 5Klickitat County, WA | 81 | 36 | 36.5 | $341K | +6.6% | #91 of 2,394 |
| 6Pacific County, WA | 80 | 33 | 30.1 | $392K | +3.6% | #102 of 2,394 |
| 7Pend Oreille County, WA | 78 | 19 | 31.9 | $374K | +7.1% | #123 of 2,394 |
| 8Franklin County, WA | 73 | 114 | 38.1 | $350K | +5.6% | #255 of 2,394 |
| 9Grant County, WA | 72 | 142 | 40.1 | $302K | +6.3% | #290 of 2,394 |
| 10Adams County, WA | 69 | 25 | 39.8 | $295K | +4.3% | #379 of 2,394 |
| 27Whatcom County, WA | 49 | 657 | 69.9 | $187K | +3.9% | #1,230 of 2,394 |
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 medical and dental practices are in Whatcom County, WA?
Whatcom County has 657 medical and dental practices on map listings as of September 2026. 70 of them (11%) are chain locations. The listings count every outpatient clinic and practice, and urgent care. Official counts show 337 businesses with payroll classed as offices of physicians, dentists, chiropractors, optometrists and therapists, and urgent care centers in 2023, up 1.8% from 2019. Official counts also show 194 one-person businesses without payroll.
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 657 medical and dental practices on map listings, it comes to $187K per practice. 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 medical and dental practices?
Whatcom County has 69.9 medical and dental practices per 10,000 households, 17% below the U.S. rate of 84.5. Spending per practice is $187K, 23% above the U.S. figure of $152K. At the national ratio of medical and dental practices to household spending, Whatcom County would have about 807, against 657 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 279 households, against one for every 270 across the U.S. The official count rose 1.8% from 2019 to 2023, against +1.5% 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 49 for medical and dental practices (lower middle), #1,230 of 2,394 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 medical and dental practices 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 medical and dental practices · 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.