Warm-summer Mediterranean
Birch Bay, Washington
Whatcom County, Washington · Population 11k · 7 ft elevation
Living in Birch Bay
Birch Bay has a warm-summer mediterranean climate: pleasantly warm summers (July highs around 73°F) and mild winters (January lows around 34°F).
Precipitation is wet at about 42″ a year, and it sees only a dusting of snow (9″ a season).
Skies are gray (44% of possible sunshine). Muggy weather is occasional (5 days a year).
Air quality is good: a median AQI of 31, with about 1 unhealthy-air day in the latest year.
There is plenty to explore outdoors around Birch Bay: about 15% of the land within 30 miles is public (parks, national forest and the like), and the terrain rises and falls about 1,700 ft around town.
Birch Bay at a glance
- Population
- 11k
- Elevation
- 7 ft
- Average daily high
- 58°F10th percentile
- Average daily low
- 44°F41th percentile
- Annual precipitation
- 42″44th percentile
- Annual snowfall
- 9″44th percentile
- Sunshine hours per year
- 2,086 hrs0th percentile
- Median AQI
- 317th percentile
- Median home value
- $439k76th percentile
- Median rent
- $1,201/mo51th percentile
- Median household income
- $77k52th percentile
- Property tax rate
- 0.65%21th percentile
- Top state income-tax rate
- 0.0%
- Sales tax (state + local)
- 9.4%
- Unemployment rate
- 4.8%
- Homes with broadband
- 85%20th percentile
- Walkability index
- 5.26th percentile
- Average commute
- 27 min
- Math proficiency (8th grade)
- 42%42th percentile
- Reading proficiency (8th grade)
- 57%
- Overall natural-hazard risk
- 9151th percentile
- Outdoor access
- 8079th percentile
- Public land within 10 miles
- 3%
- Public land within 30 miles
- 15%
- Mountain relief within 30 miles
- 1,739 ft
Climate by month
| Month | High | Low | Precipitation | Snow | Sunshine |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 45°F | 34°F | 6.2″ | 3.7″ | 74 hrs |
| Feb | 48°F | 35°F | 3.4″ | 0.8″ | 115 hrs |
| Mar | 52°F | 38°F | 4.2″ | 1.0″ | 127 hrs |
| Apr | 58°F | 42°F | 3.0″ | — | 174 hrs |
| May | 64°F | 48°F | 2.6″ | — | 243 hrs |
| Jun | 69°F | 52°F | 1.9″ | — | 242 hrs |
| Jul | 73°F | 55°F | 1.1″ | — | 322 hrs |
| Aug | 73°F | 55°F | 1.1″ | — | 296 hrs |
| Sep | 67°F | 51°F | 2.2″ | — | 215 hrs |
| Oct | 58°F | 44°F | 4.4″ | 0.1″ | 138 hrs |
| Nov | 50°F | 38°F | 6.1″ | 0.4″ | 77 hrs |
| Dec | 44°F | 34°F | 5.6″ | 3.3″ | 64 hrs |
Near Birch Bay
- Blaine, WA · 6k
- Ferndale, WA · 15k
- Marietta-Alderwood, WA · 3.6k
- Lynden, WA · 16k
- Bellingham, WA · 92k
- Everson, WA · 3k
- Sudden Valley, WA · 7k
- Peaceful Valley, WA · 2.7k
Largest places in Washington
- Seattle, WA · 741k
- Spokane, WA · 229k
- Tacoma, WA · 220k
- Vancouver, WA · 193k
- Bellevue, WA · 151k
- Kent, WA · 135k
- Everett, WA · 111k
- Spokane Valley, WA · 105k
Sources: NOAA climate normals, NASA POWER, EPA air quality, U.S. Census Bureau, FEMA, FBI, EPA walkability and EDFacts. Methodology