Pets · County · Washington
Pet businesses in Whatcom County, WA
Competitor counts, household spending and official business counts for pet businesses in Whatcom County, WA, set against other counties and the U.S.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 61 out of 100: Upper middle
Ranked #616 of 2,200 scored counties
#21 of 31 scored counties in Washington
- Listings
- 112
- 12 chain locations (11%)
- Official establishments
- 72
- +18.0% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $93.8M
- On pets · $998 a household
- Spending per listing
- $838K
- 5% below the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 11.9
- 14% above the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 236,392
- +3.9% since 2020
See the pet businesses around any address in Whatcom County
The site report maps the pet businesses 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 $998 per household (10% above the U.S. average), households in Whatcom County spend about $93.8M a year on pets. That works out to $838K per business, 5% below the U.S. figure of $878K.
There are 112 pet businesses on map listings in Whatcom County as of September 2026. Chain locations make up 11% of them, against 17% across the U.S. That is 11.9 per 10,000 households, 14% above the U.S. rate of 10.4.
The official count of businesses with payroll classed as pet care, veterinarians and pet stores in Whatcom County was 72 in 2023, up 18.0% from 2019. That is one for every 1,306 households, against one for every 1,852 across the U.S. Official counts list 146 one-person businesses without payroll. Since fiscal 2022, 2 SBA-backed loans worth $846K have gone to businesses classed as pet care, veterinarians and pet stores in Whatcom County.
Between 2020 and 2025, the population of Whatcom County grew 3.9%, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). Whatcom County scores 61 (upper middle) on the Groundwork market score for pet businesses, ranking #616 of 2,200 scored counties and #21 of 31 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 pets by the pet businesses 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 | 11.9 | 10.8 | 10.4 |
| Spending per listing | $838K | $1M | $878K |
| Households per official establishment | 1,306 | 1,554 | 1,852 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | +18.0% | +10.0% | +11.4% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +3.9% | +3.6% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on pets | $998 | $1,131 | $909 |
| Median household income | $81,784 | $98,141 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 61 | 69 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 61 → 72+18.0% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 756
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $34M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 146Businesses with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 11212 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 107The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 2
- Amount
- $846K
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as pet care, veterinarians and pet 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 pet businesses 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 cardPet businesses across Washington
Every Washington market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Washington for pet businesses, 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 | 11 | 6.9 | $1.5M | +8.0% | #1 of 2,200 |
| 2Franklin County, WA | 90 | 19 | 6.4 | $1.6M | +5.6% | #5 of 2,200 |
| 3Mason County, WA | 87 | 24 | 9.2 | $1.1M | +7.8% | #16 of 2,200 |
| 4Walla Walla County, WA | 79 | 19 | 8.1 | $1.2M | −0.4% | #84 of 2,200 |
| 5Klickitat County, WA | 79 | 11 | 11.1 | $827K | +6.6% | #95 of 2,200 |
| 6Jefferson County, WA | 76 | 16 | 9.8 | $977K | +2.7% | #142 of 2,200 |
| 7Grant County, WA | 75 | 35 | 9.9 | $910K | +6.3% | #165 of 2,200 |
| 8Yakima County, WA | 74 | 59 | 6.7 | $1.3M | +1.0% | #172 of 2,200 |
| 9Clark County, WA | 74 | 213 | 10.9 | $1M | +5.3% | #177 of 2,200 |
| 10King County, WA | 73 | 912 | 9.7 | $1.4M | +3.1% | #187 of 2,200 |
| 21Whatcom County, WA | 61 | 112 | 11.9 | $838K | +3.9% | #616 of 2,200 |
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
Pets
- Pet businesses61
- Veterinarians65
- Pet grooming and boarding61
- Pet stores59
Child care
Clothing and laundry
Home services
Real estate
Funeral services
Questions
How many pet businesses are in Whatcom County, WA?
As of September 2026, map listings count 112 pet businesses in Whatcom County. 12 of them (11%) are chain locations. The listings count vets, groomers, boarding and pet stores. Official counts show 72 businesses with payroll classed as pet care, veterinarians and pet stores in 2023, up 18.0% from 2019. Official counts also show 146 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in Whatcom County, WA spend on pets?
About $93.8M a year, or $998 per household. That is 10% above the U.S. average (an index of 110, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 112 pet businesses on map listings, it comes to $838K per business. 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 pet businesses?
Whatcom County has 11.9 pet businesses per 10,000 households, 14% above the U.S. rate of 10.4. Spending per business is $838K, 5% below the U.S. figure of $878K. At the U.S. ratio of pet businesses to household spending, Whatcom County would have about 107, against 112 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 1,306 households, against one for every 1,852 across the U.S. The official count rose 18.0% from 2019 to 2023, against +11.4% 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 61 for pet businesses (upper middle), #616 of 2,200 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 pet businesses 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 pet businesses · 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.