Twin Lakes Panorama by Andy Porter, Mt Baker Snoqualmie National Forest (31296255953) · Photo: U.S. Forest Service- Pacific Northwest Region · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
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Whatcom County, Washington
230,503 residents · Updated Nov 12, 2026
The community services in Whatcom County, from the data behind Range Lab’s tools, refreshed daily.
Twin Lakes Panorama by Andy Porter, Mt Baker Snoqualmie National Forest (31296255953) · Photo: U.S. Forest Service- Pacific Northwest Region · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Adults with frequent mental distress
17.9%
31 mental-health listings · above the Washington median of 16.8%
Adults 18–64 without health insurance
7.8%
38 medical listings · below the Washington median of 8.1%
Adults ever diagnosed with depression
29.5%
above the Washington median of 25.0%
Adults reporting food insecurity
—
Not in this CDC release · 28 food listings
Need against listed capacity
CDC PLACES prevalence applied to the county’s adult population, beside the services listed for that need in the Range Lab directory. Adults per listing is a rough reading of how thin the net is, not a wait time.
Frequent mental distress
33,600
17.9% of 187,760 adults
One dot = 1,000 adults
No health insurance
11,200
7.8% of 144,192 adults 18–64
One dot = 1,000 adults 18–64
Depression diagnosis
55,400
29.5% of 187,760 adults
One dot = 1,000 adults
Provider shortage designations and listed services
HRSA scores each Health Professional Shortage Area 0–25 (dental 0–26); a county’s score is the highest among its designated areas. Higher means a worse shortage. Listed services per 10,000 residents from the Range Lab directory.
HRSA shortage score, 2026
Grey tick = median among designated Washington counties
- Primary / medical care13 · designated
- Mental health10 · designated
- Dental7 · designated
Whatcom is designated for primary care and mental health and dental. Facility-only designations (clinics, FQHCs) are excluded.
Listed services per 10,000 residents
- Medical1.63.6
- Mental health1.31.7
- Dental0.30.3
- Addiction & recovery0.71.1
- Food1.22.5
Dental is both a designated shortage and the thinnest category listed: 0.3 per 10,000, about one listing for every 38,400 residents.
How Whatcom compares with other Washington counties
Adults with frequent mental distress against adults 18–64 without health insurance, CDC PLACES 2025. Dot size is county population; dashed lines are the state medians. Hover a dot for the county.
Whatcom sits above the state median on distress (17.9% vs. 16.8%) and below it on uninsured adults (7.8% vs. 8.1%).
Sources: CDC PLACES 2025 (model-based county estimates from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System); HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas; Census ACS 2024 5-year population; Range Lab resource directory. About the data.