Whatcom County, WA elected officials: county commissioners, sheriff, school board and cities
Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Whatcom County: 57 seats on 16 elected bodies. 1 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.
Board of County Commissioners
Whatcom County Council
Each member is elected by the voters of their district.
Who lives in each of the 6 school districts (Census figures)
School district
People
Median household income
Below the poverty line
Without health insurance
Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent
Bellingham School District
113,192
$73,779
15.9%
4.9%
64%
Blaine School District
19,084
$85,806
10.2%
4.3%
51.9%
Ferndale School District
36,893
$90,705
10.1%
7.1%
51.3%
Lynden School District
22,001
$102,083
8.9%
8.1%
53.7%
Meridian School District
12,513
$91,982
11.6%
6%
54.9%
Nooksack Valley School District
12,077
$98,172
8.5%
7.6%
41.8%
Census Bureau, 2020–2024 5-year estimates for each school district's area, matched to its board by name. They're estimates with a , larger for small districts.
The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 72 local governments in Whatcom County. This page lists the ones whose offices are elected.
Kind of government
Census count (2022)
Listed on this page
County government
1
1
Cities, towns, villages and townships
7
1
School districts (school boards)
7
7
Special districts (elected boards)
57
1
Census Bureau, 2022 Census of Governments: Government Units Listing (census.gov).
About these counts
The Census Bureau counts every independent local government once, in the county it assigns it to: the one it mostly serves or where it's based. A city or district that crosses county lines is counted in only one county, so it may be listed on this page but counted elsewhere, or the other way around. Many special districts, such as housing authorities, have appointed boards, and some places have more than one elected body, so the two columns measure different things. School systems run by a county, city or the state aren't counted as separate governments, though their boards may be listed here; in some states the Bureau counts community or state colleges as school districts. The counts are as of 2022.
Who lives in Whatcom County
230,503people
38.4median ageU.S.: 38.9
$81,784 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
12.9%below the U.S.: 12.5%
39.3%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$585,800median home valueU.S.: $332,700
4.8%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
9.9%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
6.3%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
5.8%U.S.: 8.4%
60.1%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
35.4%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%
Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 10.6% · White 75.7% · Black 0.9% · Asian 4.4% · Other or more than one race 8.4% (Hispanic or Latino people can be of any race; the other groups are non-Hispanic.)
Census Bureau, 2020–2024 5-year estimates (data.census.gov).
About these figures
The American Community Survey asks about 3.5 million households a year about who lives there, their work, income, schooling and housing. The 5-year estimates pool 2020–2024 answers so that every county and district has enough of them. They're estimates with a (larger for smaller places), and they're different from the once-a-decade census count. "Median" means half are above and half below. Household income is before taxes and includes everyone in the household. The unemployment share here is the survey's five-year average, so it differs from the monthly rate in the BLS jobs report. Race and Hispanic origin are as people describe themselves.
Health insurance means any coverage, private or public (such as Medicaid or Medicare), when people answered; the share is of everyone except people on active military duty and people living in institutions such as prisons and nursing homes. The housing shares are of renting households, and of homeowners with a mortgage, for whom the Census Bureau can compute them (households with no income, or renters who pay no cash rent, are left out). Rent here is gross rent, rent plus utilities; owner costs include the mortgage, property taxes, insurance, utilities and fees.
Jobs in Whatcom County
3.5%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 3.9%. Washington: 4.3%.
109,443people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
113,440in the September 2026, preliminary.
Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.
Every month, last two years
Month
Rate
Unemployed
Employed
Labor force
September 2026 (preliminary)
3.5%
3,997
109,443
113,440
August 2026
4.5%
5,098
109,443
114,541
July 2026
3.6%
4,118
109,231
113,349
June 2026
4.1%
4,615
109,280
113,895
May 2026
4.5%
5,231
110,783
116,014
April 2026
4.8%
5,528
109,587
115,115
March 2026
4.8%
5,462
109,510
114,972
February 2026
5.1%
5,879
108,471
114,350
January 2026
5.0%
5,669
108,111
113,780
December 2025
5.1%
5,914
109,811
115,725
November 2025
4.7%
5,489
110,580
116,069
October 2025
not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 2025
3.9%
4,434
109,842
114,276
August 2025
4.5%
5,149
108,492
113,641
July 2025
4.4%
5,007
108,517
113,524
June 2025
3.6%
4,095
110,220
114,315
May 2025
4.0%
4,543
108,906
113,449
April 2025
3.7%
4,240
109,549
113,789
March 2025
4.3%
4,816
108,411
113,227
February 2025
5.2%
5,875
107,455
113,330
January 2025
4.6%
5,180
107,638
112,818
December 2024
4.3%
4,904
108,362
113,266
November 2024
4.2%
4,794
108,742
113,536
October 2024
4.0%
4,508
108,626
113,134
Yearly averages
Year
Rate
Unemployed
Employed
Labor force
2025 (11 months)
4.4%
4,977
109,038
114,015
2024
4.4%
5,014
108,812
113,826
2023
4.0%
4,587
110,065
114,652
2022
4.1%
4,682
110,158
114,840
2021
5.4%
6,171
107,782
113,953
2020
9.0%
10,454
106,114
116,568
2019
5.0%
5,964
112,420
118,384
2018
4.8%
5,421
107,748
113,169
2017
4.9%
5,462
106,002
111,464
2016
5.7%
6,249
103,631
109,880
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, : BLS publishes county figures only that way, so they rise and fall with the seasons; compare a month with the same month a year earlier rather than with the month before. Washington's figure above is on the same basis; seasonally adjusted, as in BLS's monthly state release, it was 4.8% in September 2026. The latest month is preliminary and is revised the next month, and BLS revises earlier years each spring. People are counted where they live. October 2025 wasn't collected during the 2025 federal government shutdown, so 2025's yearly average covers 11 months.
Crime reported in Whatcom County
180.2 per 100,0002025. Washington: 283.9.
1,708.6 per 100,0002025. Washington: 1,974.8.
4murders2025, 426 violent crimes in all.
Earlier years
Year
Violent
Rate
Property
Rate
2025
426
180.2
4,039
1,708.6
2024
522
220.4
4,736
1,999.5
2023
533
229.6
5,226
2,250.7
2022
595
257.4
7,921
3,426.7
2021
597
256.8
6,490
2,791.9
2020
436
188.1
5,721
2,468.2
2019
459
201.2
4,225
1,852.3
2017
453
205.8
6,048
2,747.8
2016
425
197.4
6,611
3,070.2
By police agency (7)
Agency
Year
Violent
Property
People served
Bellingham Police Department
2025
252
3,153
96,902
Whatcom County Sheriff's Office
2025
108
427
92,182
Ferndale Police Department
2025
25
178
17,121
Lynden Police Department
2025
19
190
17,037
Blaine Police Department
2025
17
75
6,494
Everson Police Department
2025
3
13
4,949
Sumas Police Department
2025
2
3
1,703
Crimes to the county's city and county police agencies (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, Return A), per 100,000 people they serve. Years with incomplete reporting are left out. Crime in Washington · the U.S.
Police staffing
1.23 per 1,000 residents2025, 7 agencies serving 236,388 people.
290sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
183civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (7), 2025
Agency
Officers
Civilians
People served
Whatcom County Sheriff's Office
95
113
92,182
Bellingham Police Department
125
60
96,902
Ferndale Police Department
25
5
17,121
Lynden Police Department
18
2
17,037
Blaine Police Department
14
1
6,494
Everson Police Department
7
1
4,949
Sumas Police Department
6
1
1,703
Earlier years
Year
Officers
Per 1,000
Civilians
Agencies
2025
290
1.23
183
7
2024
287
1.21
189
7
2023
283
1.22
166
7
2022
261
1.13
168
7
2021
262
1.13
170
7
2020
267
1.15
173
7
2019
267
1.17
169
7
2018
257
1.14
175
7
2017
259
1.18
171
7
2016
256
1.19
173
7
Full-time employees of the county's city police departments and sheriff's office, as each reported them to the FBI (Uniform Crime Reporting, Law Enforcement Employees), per 1,000 people in the areas those agencies serve (the FBI's population figures). A year is shown only when every one of these agencies sent a count; a count under half or over double the agency's own counts in nearby years is treated as not sent. Towns policed under contract by another agency are counted through that agency. State police, campus and other agencies aren't included. Sheriffs' offices often also run the county jail and courthouse security, so their staff counts include those jobs.
Quick answers
Who is the Whatcom County County Assessor?
Rebecca Xczar is the County Assessor of Whatcom County, Washington.
Who is the Whatcom County County Auditor?
Stacy Henthorn is the County Auditor of Whatcom County, Washington.
Who is the Whatcom County County Executive?
Satpal Sidhu is the County Executive of Whatcom County, Washington.
Who is the Whatcom County Prosecuting Attorney?
Eric Richey (Democratic) is the Prosecuting Attorney of Whatcom County, Washington. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Whatcom County Sheriff?
Donnell "Tank" Tanksley is the Sheriff of Whatcom County, Washington.
Who is the Whatcom County County Treasurer?
Steven N. Oliver is the County Treasurer of Whatcom County, Washington.
Who are the Whatcom County commissioners?
Kaylee Galloway (County Council, District 1); Elizabeth Boyle (County Council, District 2); Jessica Rienstra (County Council, District 3); Mark Stremler (County Council, District 4); Ben Elenbaas (County Council, District 5); Barry Buchanan (County Council, At-Large Position A); Jon Scanlon (County Council, At-Large Position B).
Who is on the Whatcom County School Board?
Camille Diaz Hackler (Director Position 1); Katie Rose (Director Position 2); Scott Ritchey (Director Position 3); Jenn Mason (Director Position 4); Douglas W. Benjamin (Director Position 5); Erika Creydt (Director District 1); Ben Lazarus (Director District 2); Bob Feaster (Director District 3); Ryan Swinburnson (Director District 4); Chelsey Belarmino (Director District 5); Kevin Erickson (Director District 1); Antonio Machado Catano (Director District 2); Nancy Button (Director District 3); Brian Lynch (Director District 4); Peggy Uppiano (Director District 5); Khush Brar (Director Position 1); Danny Martinez (Director Position 2); Jim Verburg (Director Position 3); Tonya Hickman (Director Position 4); Nick Sawka (Director Position 5); Jana (Bjornstad) Haugen (Director District 1); Jarrod Karuza (Director District 2); Jasmine Fast (Director District 3); Marty Gray (Director District 4); Michelle Simmons (Director District 5); Danielle Gray (Director District 1); Edward Fox (Director District 2); Jason Bloodgood (Director District 3); Brenna Reaugh (Director District 4); Russ Pfeiffer-Hoyt (Director District 5); Halli Kimball (Director Position 1 (at large)); Britt Lentz (Director Position 2 (at large)); Shelley Harder (Director District 3).
What is the population of Whatcom County?
About 230,503 people, with a median age of 38.4; the median household income is $81,784 and 12.9% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Whatcom County?
3.5% in September 2026 (preliminary): 3,997 people unemployed in a labor force of 113,440, against 3.9% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Whatcom County?
72 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 7 municipal, 7 school district and 57 special district governments.
What cities and towns are in Whatcom County?
1: Bellingham. Each has its own page with its mayor and council.
Officeholders as of November 6, 2026, from the Washington Secretary of State's certified results of each seat's last general election (2021–2025); officials appointed since then may differ; each name links to its source. Officials change between elections (appointments, resignations), and the body's own website is the authority. Party is shown only for offices elected on a partisan ballot.
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