Bellingham residents spend 40% of income on household bills, index says. See the breakdown
This article was originally published by The Bellingham Herald
With cost of living increasingly at the forefront of Bellingham residents’ minds, there is new data from doxo, a third-party service that allows customers to pay their bills at one centralized website. The data provides some insight into just where your household expenses are costing the most.
According to doxo’s 2024 Cost of Bills Index, which is taken from the website’s payment data that includes over ten million customers across the country, the average household in Bellingham spends $2,385 a month on household bills, including rent, utilities, insurance, cable and phone service.
That figure is 12% higher than the national average of $2,126. When adjusted for local average income, household bills in Bellingham are 17% more expensive than the national average.
RENT, MORTGAGE, INSURANCE AMONG HIGHEST BILLS IN BELLINGHAM
According to the index, the average Bellingham household spends 40% of its annual income on household bills. Here’s the breakdown by category, with each number representing the average doxo calculated for an entire household.
- At an average of $1,920, mortgage payments were the highest monthly household expense in Bellingham. 35% of Bellingham households have monthly mortgage payments.
- 43% of households rent, at an average of $1,387 a month, making it the next highest household expense.
- 60% of households are paying off a car loan, with an average monthly payment of $630.
- Nearly 70% of Bellingham households pay separately for utilities. The average cost is $305.
- Just over 75% of households pay for car insurance, with an average payment of $213 each month.
- 87% pay for cell phone service, with the average cost amounting to $171 a month.
- 92% of households pay for cable, internet or both, at an average price of $131 a month.
- 72% of households pay for health insurance, at an average of $75 each month.
HOW BELLINGHAM COMPARES TO OTHER WASHINGTON CITIES
Household bills in Bellingham ranked as the 57th-most expensive in the state, just behind Friday Harbor and one spot ahead of Greenacres. The five most expensive cities were all located in the eastern part of the Seattle area, with Sammamish taking the top spot at $4,035 a month. Olympia ranked 22th at $2,967 a month. Richland, Tacoma and Pasco were separated by just $33, each having a monthly average just under $2,500 and ranking 50th, 51st and 53rd, respectively. Kennewick’s average household bills were significantly less expensive than its neighbors, ranking 69th at $2,255 a month. Whatcom County as a whole was the fifth most expensive county in the state, behind King, Snohomish, Thurston and Pierce. Washington ranked as the sixth most expensive state for household bills, with an average of $2,644.