Whatcom County, WA Distress Report: Foreclosure, Tax Liens & ZIPs (2026)
Whatcom County, WA distress report, 2026: 18 ZIPs scored in Whatcom, WA, Whatcom, WA average 35/100; the top Whatcom, WA ZIP is 98220 at 35/100; Whatcom, WA market phase contraction, Whatcom, WA prices -0.3% year over year.
- Whatcom, WA ranks #1,100 nationally (opportunity index); Whatcom, WA #12 in Washington; Whatcom, WA index 30.8.
- Whatcom, WA ninety-day mortgage delinquency 0.8% in December 2025; Whatcom, WA twelve-month change +0.5%.
- Whatcom, WA ZIP phases: 16 contraction, 2 peak.
- Whatcom, WA residential listings tracked: 64 across 16 ZIPs; Whatcom, WA candidate listings 23.
- Whatcom, WA HUD assisted properties: 8 with 1,099 units.
- Whatcom, WA lenders on watch: 8; largest Whatcom, WA footprint Peoples Bank (9 branches).
- Whatcom, WA most distressed ZIP: 98220 at 35/100.
Whatcom, WA figures: DLRadar distress index; Whatcom, WA inputs: CFPB, FHFA, HUD, FDIC; Whatcom, WA rebuilt as sources refresh.
| Rank | Whatcom, WA ZIP | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 98220 | 35/100 |
| 2 | 98225 | 35/100 |
| 3 | 98226 | 35/100 |
| 4 | 98229 | 35/100 |
| 5 | 98230 | 35/100 |
| 6 | 98240 | 35/100 |
| 7 | 98244 | 35/100 |
| 8 | 98247 | 35/100 |
| 9 | 98248 | 35/100 |
| 10 | 98262 | 35/100 |
| 11 | 98264 | 35/100 |
| 12 | 98266 | 35/100 |
Most distressed Whatcom, WA ZIPs (0-100, 2026)
Mortgage delinquency in Whatcom, WA
0.8% of Whatcom, WA mortgages were ninety-plus days late (Whatcom, WA, December 2025); Whatcom, WA thirty-to-eighty-nine days late: 0.6%; Whatcom, WA twelve-month change +0.5%; Whatcom, WA peak since 2008: 2.7% (February 2012); Washington overall 0.6%. Whatcom, WA ninety-day series: Dec 24 0.3, Jan 25 0.7, Feb 25 0.6 (Whatcom, WA), Mar 25 0.7, Apr 25 0.7, May 25 0.7 (Whatcom, WA), Jun 25 0.6, Jul 25 0.5, Aug 25 0.6 (Whatcom, WA), Sep 25 0.7, Oct 25 0.7, Nov 25 0.7 (Whatcom, WA), Dec 25 0.8.
Opportunity index: Whatcom, WA
Whatcom, WA index 30.8, Whatcom, WA phase early_signal; Whatcom, WA primary driver construction, Whatcom, WA second driver bank institutional. Whatcom, WA components: property stress 26.0, foreclosure pressure 26.3, listing discounts 25.3, bank stress 60.0, insurance 0.0; Whatcom, WA pulse 35.7; Whatcom, WA capital opportunity 23.4; Whatcom, WA seven-day change -0.1%.
ZIP market phases inside Whatcom, WA
18 Whatcom, WA ZIPs carry a price-cycle phase; Whatcom, WA ZIPs by phase (Whatcom, WA), deepest drawdown first: contraction, -0.3% YoY, 1.0% off peak (Whatcom, WA): 98220, 98225, 98226, 98230, Whatcom, WA 98240, 98244, 98247, 98248, Whatcom, WA 98262, 98264, 98266, 98276, Whatcom, WA 98281, 98295; contraction, -0.2% YoY, 1.0% off peak (Whatcom, WA): 98283; contraction, -0.2% YoY, 0.9% off peak (Whatcom, WA): 98229.
Residential listings by Whatcom, WA ZIP
Whatcom, WA ZIPs with the most tracked Whatcom, WA residential listings: 98230 12 listings, 2 candidates, bank pressure 65; 98229 11 listings, 4 candidates, bank pressure 64; 98226 8 listings, 5 candidates, bank pressure 65; 98248 8 listings, 2 candidates, bank pressure 65 (Whatcom, WA); 98266 8 listings, 4 candidates, bank pressure 65; 98264 6 listings, 0 candidates, bank pressure 65; 98247 5 listings, 2 candidates, bank pressure 65; 98225 3 listings, 1 candidates, bank pressure 65. Whatcom, WA totals: 64 listings; Whatcom, WA candidates 23; active ZIPs 10.
HUD assisted housing in Whatcom, WA
8 assisted properties with 1,099 units sit in Whatcom, WA; largest Whatcom, WA properties: Belleau Woods Apartments (Bellingham) 339 units; Village At Baker Creek I & Ii (Bellingham) 256 units; Regency Park (Bellingham) 228 units in Whatcom, WA; Varsity Village (Bellingham) 101 units, 68 assisted; The Meadows At June Road (Bellingham) 92 units; Ferndale Villa (Ferndale) 38 units, 38 assisted.
Lenders with branches in Whatcom, WA
Whatcom, WA lenders by branch count: Peoples Bank (Whatcom, WA): stress 60, 9 branches low in Whatcom, WA; Wafd Bank (Whatcom, WA): stress 67, 5 branches low in Whatcom, WA; Banner Bank (Whatcom, WA): stress 58, 5 branches low in Whatcom, WA; First Fed Bank (Whatcom, WA): stress 92, 3 branches low in Whatcom, WA; Bank Of The Pacific (Whatcom, WA): stress 65, 3 branches low in Whatcom, WA; Heritage Bank (Whatcom, WA): stress 58, 2 branches low in Whatcom, WA; Washington Trust Bank (Whatcom, WA): stress 68, 1 branch low in Whatcom, WA; Mountain Pacific Bank (Whatcom, WA): stress 56, 1 branch low in Whatcom, WA.
Vacancy and permits, Whatcom, WA
9,499 of 103,520 Whatcom, WA housing units are vacant; Whatcom, WA permits, twelve months: 464 multifamily units in Whatcom, WA, 633 one-to-four unit units.
Work Whatcom, WA at the parcel level
Every Whatcom, WA parcel carries owner and address; every Whatcom, WA parcel carries APN; Whatcom, WA distress scores sit on the Whatcom, WA live board.
Whatcom, WA figures refresh with each source.
Whatcom, WA questions
Most distressed ZIP code in Whatcom County, WA?
ZIP 98220 leads Whatcom, WA at 35/100; next in Whatcom, WA: 98225 at 35/100; the Whatcom, WA average is 35/100.
Where does Whatcom County, WA rank for investment opportunity?
Whatcom, WA is #1,100 among all ranked counties, #12 in Washington; the Whatcom, WA driver is construction; Whatcom, WA moved down 148 places.
How many mortgages are delinquent in Whatcom County, WA?
0.8% of Whatcom, WA mortgages were ninety-plus days late in December 2025; the Whatcom, WA peak since 2008 was 2.7%.
Which banks lend in Whatcom County, WA?
8 watched lenders hold Whatcom, WA branches; the largest Whatcom, WA footprints are Peoples Bank (9), Wafd Bank (5), Banner Bank (5).
More on Whatcom, WA
Whatcom County, WA distress report: public-record figures for Whatcom, WA; not legal advice for Whatcom, WA; not tax or investment advice; verify every Whatcom, WA record before acting.