Population 3,652 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Silver Beach
Household size in Silver Beach
| Period | Silver Beach | Bellingham | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.64 | 2.32 | 2.56 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.74 | 2.45 | 2.62 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.54 | 2.37 | 2.62 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.39 | 2.35 | 2.61 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.26 | +0.02 | +0.05 | −0.03 |
Silver Beach is a place of small households, averaging 2.39 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Bellingham as a whole looks much the same. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.64, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Silver Beach
| Period | Silver Beach | Bellingham | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 43.1 | 36.4 | 38.0 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 42.1 | 36.3 | 38.7 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 41.0 | 36.5 | 39.3 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 44.5 | 38.6 | 39.6 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.4 | +2.2 | +1.6 | +2.3 |
Silver Beach skews older: half of its residents are older than 44.5, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families. Only one other Bellingham neighborhood is older.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Silver Beach
| Period | Silver Beach | Bellingham | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.9% | 8.9% | 10.9% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 5.5% | 8.9% | 10.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 8.2% | 7.9% | 10.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.0% | 7.6% | 10.1% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.2 pts | −1.3 pts | −0.8 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Silver Beach: 6.0% of households, against 11.6% nationally.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Silver Beach
Renters in Silver Beach
| Period | Silver Beach | Bellingham | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.4% | 47.6% | 35.2% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 16.2% | 47.1% | 37.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 18.9% | 48.4% | 37.0% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 18.9% | 47.8% | 36.2% | 34.8% |
| Change | +2.5 pts | +0.2 pts | +1.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
Silver Beach is largely a place of homeowners: only 18.9% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. More than four in ten owners (44.9%) have paid off their mortgages, above the national share of 39.8%. Silver Beach has the lowest share of renters of any Bellingham neighborhood.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Silver Beach
| Period | Silver Beach | Bellingham | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.7% | 8.2% | 9.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 8.4% | 8.5% | 9.2% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.3% | 7.9% | 8.2% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 4.7% | 6.9% | 7.6% | 9.6% |
| Change | −1.0 pts | −1.3 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Empty homes are scarce in Silver Beach: just 4.7% sit vacant, compared with 9.6% nationally, a sign of a tight housing market. Few Bellingham neighborhoods have a lower vacancy rate: only two of 13.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Silver Beach
| Period | Silver Beach | Bellingham | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1985 | 1977 | 1977 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1986 | 1977 | 1979 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1986 | 1979 | 1980 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1981 | 1983 | 1984 | 1980 |
| Change | −4 | +6 | +6 | +6 |
The typical home in Silver Beach was built around 1981, about the same vintage as the country's housing overall (1980).
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Silver Beach
| Period | Silver Beach | Bellingham | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $908 | $852 | $1,018 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,075 | $986 | $1,127 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,693 | $1,212 | $1,390 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,699 | $1,680 | $1,875 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$791 | +$828 | +$858 | +$606 |
The median renter in Silver Beach pays $1,699 a month for rent and utilities, above the national median of $1,571. The picture is much the same across Bellingham. Rent takes 28.0% of the typical renter's income, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Silver Beach
Bachelor's degrees in Silver Beach
| Period | Silver Beach | Bellingham | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 43.2% | 36.1% | 31.0% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 37.8% | 38.0% | 32.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 49.0% | 42.7% | 35.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 59.0% | 46.4% | 38.8% | 35.6% |
| Change | +15.8 pts | +10.3 pts | +7.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
Silver Beach is highly educated: about six in ten adults 25 and older (59.0%) hold at least a bachelor's degree, far above the national share of 35.6%. Only one other Bellingham neighborhood has a higher share of college graduates.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Silver Beach
| Period | Silver Beach | Bellingham | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 93.7% | 91.9% | 89.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 93.4% | 92.5% | 90.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 97.3% | 94.5% | 91.0% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 98.4% | 95.1% | 91.9% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.7 pts | +3.2 pts | +2.4 pts | +4.3 pts |
Finishing high school is nearly universal in Silver Beach: 98.4% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. Only one other Bellingham neighborhood has a higher share of high school graduates.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Silver Beach
| Period | Silver Beach | Bellingham | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.1% | 9.1% | 7.6% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.2% | 9.2% | 8.9% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.8% | 5.9% | 5.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.4% | 5.2% | 5.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | −1.7 pts | −3.9 pts | −2.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Silver Beach runs below the national rate: 4.4% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Silver Beach compared with nearby neighborhoods
| Neighborhood | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Silver Beach | 2.39 | 44.5 | 6.0% | 18.9% | 4.7% | 1981 | $1,699 | 59.0% | 98.4% | 4.4% |
| Mount Baker | 2.09 | 42.8 | 5.6% | 46.3% | 8.2% | 1996 | $1,997 | 40.1% | 94.2% | 2.3% |
| Puget | 2.40 | 29.7 | 4.6% | 53.6% | 5.8% | 1991 | $1,704 | 49.5% | 94.8% | 3.2% |
| York | 2.31 | 28.3 | 4.2% | 83.2% | 7.3% | 1953 | $1,506 | 49.5% | 92.8% | 16.7% |
| Lettered Streets | 2.12 | 39.3 | 11.1% | 53.2% | 2.8% | 1959 | $1,392 | 48.7% | 94.3% | 7.1% |
| Sehome | 2.49 | 23.5 | 6.5% | 79.2% | 16.9% | 1968 | $1,541 | 46.8% | 94.5% | 10.2% |
| Samish Hill | 2.69 | 33.6 | 5.2% | 41.3% | 2.9% | 1996 | $1,785 | 56.0% | 97.7% | 8.3% |
| Columbia | 2.32 | 41.5 | 10.2% | 35.2% | 5.9% | 1940 | $1,684 | 55.8% | 96.4% | 6.0% |
| Western Washington University | 4.65 | 19.7 | 6.5% | 84.2% | 16.9% | 1968 | $1,618 | 46.4% | 100.0% | 17.9% |
| Birchwood | 2.10 | 42.9 | 9.6% | 53.5% | 7.5% | 1976 | $1,552 | 33.9% | 97.4% | 1.3% |
| Happy Valley | 1.98 | 28.1 | 4.9% | 72.9% | 5.5% | 1989 | $1,592 | 53.1% | 97.5% | 6.2% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Airmont, Mobile, AL · Young-Lilly, Springfield, MO · Wyatt Street, Largo, FL · Woodbury-Glendale, Glendale, CA · Woodburn, Morgantown, WV · Wilson-Riverside, San Bernardino, CA · Whitman, Spokane, WA · Westhill, Mobile, AL · Westchester, Charlotte, NC · Bonham, San Angelo, TX
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Silver Beach. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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