BRRRR ★ MARKETS
26STAR SCORE

Bellingham, WA rental market data (2026)

As of September 2026, the typical home in the Bellingham metro costs $607,630 and typical rent is $1,951/month — a price-to-rent ratio of 26 and a gross rental yield of 3.9%. Bellingham scores 26/100 on the Star Score index, ranking #174 of 174 tracked US rental markets.

The Bellingham metro posts a price-to-rent ratio of 26 on a typical home value of $607,630 and typical rent of $1,951/month — a gross rental yield of 3.9% before expenses. Factor scores below show how it stacks up on landlord law, taxes, growth and risk.

New to this? The price-to-rent ratio is the home price divided by a year of rent — lower means rents are big relative to prices, which favors landlords. Gross yield is a year of rent as a % of the price, before expenses. BRRRR = Buy, Rehab, Rent, Refinance, Repeat: buy below market, fix it, rent it, then refinance to pull your cash back out and buy the next one. Full walkthrough in the beginner's guide.

Key numbers

MetricValue
Typical home value (ZHVI)$607,630
Typical rent (ZORI)$1,951/mo
Price-to-rent ratio26
Gross rental yield3.9%
Star Score26/100 ★½☆☆☆
Rank among tracked markets#174 of 174
Your buying power in Bellingham

Why Bellingham scores 26

FactorScoreWeight
Gross yield035%
Entry price (vs $100K reference budget)015%
Landlord-friendliness4515%
Equity growth2315%
Property-tax drag (inverted)7410%
Climate & insurance risk (inverted)8010%

More context: Living in Bellingham — economy, industries & affordability

See how it stacks up in the full rankings — head-to-head pages cover the top 15 markets.

Star Opportunities in Bellingham flagged 2026-10-08

Active listings our scanner flagged for under-market signals — price cuts, long days on market, below-comp pricing. Leads to underwrite, not appraisals; verify everything locally.

1 Lake Louise Dr, Unit 42, Bellingham, WA 98229 ★ 96
$259,000 · 3bd 2ba · 1,367 sqft
est. 30.0% under market · modeled rent $1,940/mo (9.0% yield)
Motivation 100 · Stale listing220 days on marketfind listing →
910 Gladstone St, Apt 205, Bellingham, WA 98229 ★ 94
$160,000 · 1bd 1ba · 660 sqft
est. 29.6% under market · modeled rent $1,190/mo (8.9% yield)
Motivation 100 · Stale listing309 days on marketfind listing →
1957 Lake Whatcom Blvd, Apt 9B, Bellingham, WA 98229 ★ 87
$467,400 · 3bd 2ba · 2,200 sqft
est. 30.0% under market · modeled rent $2,980/mo (7.7% yield)
Motivation 76 · Condition discount (hypothesis)−5.0% price cutfind listing →
512 Darby Dr, Unit 113, Bellingham, WA 98226 ★ 86
$299,000 · 2bd 2ba · 1,330 sqft
est. 30.0% under market · modeled rent $1,880/mo (7.5% yield)
Motivation 46 · Condition discount (hypothesis)find listing →
1953 Lake Whatcom Blvd, Apt 4B, Bellingham, WA 98229 ★ 81
$525,000 · 3bd 3ba · 2,400 sqft
est. 30.0% under market · modeled rent $2,980/mo (6.8% yield)
Motivation 79 · Stale listing150 days on marketfind listing →

Run one through the BRRRR calculator. Rent figures are modeled from metro data, not appraisals.

Investor-friendly agent working Bellingham? Become this market's Featured Agent →

Assumable-mortgage pocket: 17.7% of WA's 2019-21 mortgage originations were government-backed (FHA/VA/USDA) — assumable by law, mostly at ~3% rates. VA loans can be assumed by non-veterans, including for investment purchases. The Assumability Index →

What would a rehab cost here?

National rule-of-thumb renovation costs (2026, per square foot) applied to a typical ~1,400 sq ft single-family in this market — every house differs, so treat these as planning ranges, not bids:

Scope$/sq ftTypical house
Paint & refresh (cosmetic light)$15–25$21K–35K
Cosmetic full (floors, kitchen refresh, baths)$25–45$35K–63K
Full renovation (systems + finishes)$45–75$63K–105K
Gut / structural$75–120$105K–168K

Run your own numbers for Bellingham in the BRRRR & rehab calculator. Run a rehab crew in Bellingham? Founding crews list free →

Frequently asked questions

Is Bellingham a good market for rental property in 2026?

Bellingham scores 26/100 on the Star Score index (#174 of 174 tracked markets), with a gross rental yield of 3.9% at September 2026 prices. At current prices it works better as a place to live than a place to snowball rental equity.

What is the price-to-rent ratio in Bellingham?

26 — the typical home value ($607,630) divided by a year of typical rent ($1,951/month × 12). Ratios under about 15 generally favor buying and landlording.

Is Bellingham a good BRRRR market in 2026?

With a typical home at $607,630 and rent of $1,951/month (3.9% gross yield), Bellingham can work for BRRRR in select submarkets, but higher prices or thinner yields mean deals need bigger discounts to snowball.

How much rent does the typical Bellingham home earn?

Typical asking rent in the Bellingham metro is $1,951 per month as of September 2026, per Zillow's Observed Rent Index.

Home values and rents: Zillow ZHVI / ZORI, September 2026 metro figures. Factor scores are editorial estimates on public data. Last reviewed October 2026. Not investment advice — verify locally before acting. Methodology & sources.