Housing data for Sudden Valley, WA
Sudden Valley, WA has an estimated 6,084 residents and 2,985 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is an unincorporated community in Whatcom County.
7.2% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $1,816 a month.
Its population shrank measurably since 2015–2019 (−24.6%).
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 6,084 (±620)
- Housing units
- 2,985 (±371)
- Households that rent
- 7.2%
- Median gross rent
- $1,816
- Residents since 2015–2019
- −24.6%
What stands out in Sudden Valley
Households that rent: 7.2% (±3.8 points) in Sudden Valley, lower than in Whatcom County (36.3%).
Homes in buildings of 5 or more units: 2.7% (±2.9 points) in Sudden Valley, lower than in Whatcom County (20.1%).
Average commute: 31.2 minutes (±4.4) in Sudden Valley, higher than in Whatcom County (21.6 minutes).
Households that moved in since 2020: 18.4% (±5.5 points) in Sudden Valley, lower than in Whatcom County (27.7%).
- Types of homes in Sudden Valley
- Commute and cars in Sudden Valley
- How long people stay in Sudden Valley
Housing in Sudden Valley at a glance
- Median rent: $1,816 median gross rent a month
- Rent burden: 43.5% of renters pay 30% or more of income (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Renters and owners: 7.2% of households rent (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Income and affordability: $100,930 median household income
- Home values: $489,200 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $2,269 median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Property taxes: $3,619 median real estate taxes a year
- Types of homes: 2.7% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 74.7% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms
- Age of homes: 36.4% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 0.0% rental vacancy rate (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Heating fuel: 34.9% heat with electricity
- Commute and cars: 31.2 minutes average trip to work
- Growth: −24.6% residents since 2015–2019
- How long people stay: 18.4% moved in since 2020
- Crowding and facilities: 0.8% of homes have more than 1 person per room
Sudden Valley against Whatcom County, its state and the nation
| Sudden Valley | Whatcom County | Washington | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 6,084 (±620) | 230,503 (exact) | 7,816,116 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 2,985 (±371) | 103,520 (±83) | 3,306,620 (±517) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 7.2% (±3.8 points) | 36.3% (±1.2 points) | 36.2% (±0.3 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $1,816 (±$290) | $1,555 (±$39) | $1,760 (±$7) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $100,930 (±$7,372) | $81,784 (±$2,688) | $98,141 (±$414) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $489,200 (±$48,256) | $585,800 (±$9,479) | $564,600 (±$1,940) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $3,619 (±$213) | $4,087 (±$85) | $4,556 (±$16) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 36.4% (±7.3 points) | 39.7% (±1.4 points) | 43.4% (±0.3 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 31.2 minutes (±4.4) | 21.6 minutes (±0.6) | 26.6 minutes (±0.1) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 98.8% (±1.2 points) | 93.7% (±0.7 points) | 93.6% (±0.1 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 48.6 years (±3.8) | 38.4 years (±0.3) | 38.3 years (±0.1) | 38.9 years |
Sudden Valley covers 4.3 square miles of land, about 1,422 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How Sudden Valley has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 8,072 (±742) | 6,084 (±620) | −24.6% | Measurable decrease |
| Housing units | 3,278 (±238) | 2,985 (±371) | −8.9% | Not a measurable change |
| Median gross rent | $1,800 (±$134) | $1,816 (±$290) | +0.9% | Down after inflation |
| Median home value | $314,300 (±$32,425) | $489,200 (±$48,256) | +55.6% | Up after inflation |
| Median household income | $86,064 (±$6,675) | $100,930 (±$7,372) | +17.3% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $1,816 (±$86) | $2,269 (±$122) | +24.9% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median real estate taxes | $2,771 (±$213) | $3,619 (±$213) | +30.6% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Households that rent | 14.0% (±6.1 points) | 7.2% (±3.8 points) | −6.8 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% (±7.9 points) | 0.0% (±18.1 points) | 0.0 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.
Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.
The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.
Crime reported to police in Whatcom County
Sudden Valley has no police department of its own in the FBI’s figures, so this is the figure for Whatcom County as a whole.
In 2025, the police departments that report for Whatcom County recorded 185 violent and 1,739 property crimes per 100,000 residents.
A county-wide figure describes the whole county, not this place; crime varies from one community to the next.
Places near Sudden Valley
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geneva | 3.1 mi | $1,795 | $801,100 | 7.7% |
| Bellingham | 6.1 mi | $1,577 | $627,500 | 55.4% |
| Marietta-Alderwood | 11 mi | $1,496 | $547,100 | 42.4% |
| Everson | 13 mi | $1,294 | $450,300 | 37.3% |
| Nooksack | 14 mi | $1,721 | $524,300 | 14.4% |
| Ferndale | 14 mi | $1,477 | $549,300 | 32.4% |
| Sedro-Woolley | 15 mi | $1,525 | $441,700 | 38.9% |
| Lynden | 16 mi | $1,707 | $596,600 | 33.8% |
Places in Washington most like Sudden Valley
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Napavine | $1,649 | $419,100 | $104,148 | 10.1% |
| Wauna | $1,602 | $503,300 | $103,250 | 13.7% |
| Big Lake | $1,980 | $666,400 | $109,286 | 7.8% |
| Nooksack | $1,721 | $524,300 | $97,159 | 14.4% |
| Manchester | $1,740 | $478,200 | $126,371 | 13.9% |
| Key Center | $1,705 | $613,200 | $105,781 | 12.3% |
Matched on rent, home value, income, the share who rent, the age of the homes, the share in apartment buildings and the commute, each measured against the spread across Washington.
HUD Fair Market Rent for Sudden Valley, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $1,489 | $1,529 | $1,872 | $2,545 | $3,129 |
HUD income limits for Sudden Valley, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $25,050 | $41,700 | $66,750 |
| 2 people | $28,600 | $47,700 | $76,300 |
| 3 people | $32,200 | $53,650 | $85,850 |
| 4 people | $35,750 | $59,600 | $95,350 |
| 5 people | $38,680 | $64,400 | $103,000 |
| 6 people | $44,360 | $69,150 | $110,650 |
| 7 people | $50,040 | $73,950 | $118,250 |
| 8 people | $55,720 | $78,700 | $125,850 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Bellingham, WA MSA, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $123,300.
A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.
Sudden Valley is a census-designated place: an unincorporated community the Census Bureau draws for statistics, with no municipal government of its own.
Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.
Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.
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Questions about Sudden Valley
What is the average rent in Sudden Valley, WA?
The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in Sudden Valley is $1,816 (±$290) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey), so half of renting households pay less and half pay more.
What is the median household income in Sudden Valley?
The median household income in Sudden Valley is $100,930 (±$7,372) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in Sudden Valley, WA?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $489,200 (±$48,256) for owner-occupied homes in Sudden Valley (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average mortgage payment in Sudden Valley?
The Census Bureau publishes total owner costs rather than the mortgage alone: the median for owners with a mortgage in Sudden Valley, WA is $2,269 (±$122) a month, including taxes, insurance and utilities.
How much are property taxes in Sudden Valley?
The median real estate tax paid by homeowners in Sudden Valley, WA is $3,619 (±$213) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How many homes are in Sudden Valley?
Sudden Valley, WA has an estimated 2,985 (±371) housing units, occupied and vacant (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Is Sudden Valley growing?
In Sudden Valley, the number of residents went from 8,072 in 2015–2019 to 6,084 in 2020–2024 (−24.6%), a measurable decrease.
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Sudden Valley CDP, Washington
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Sudden Valley CDP, Washington
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Sudden Valley CDP, Washington
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Sudden Valley CDP, Washington
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Sudden Valley CDP, Washington
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Sudden Valley CDP, Washington
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Sudden Valley CDP, Washington
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: Bellingham, WA MSA
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: Bellingham, WA MSA
- Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, all items, US Bureau of Labor Statistics: annual averages 2019 and 2024
- US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files
To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Sudden Valley CDP, Washington (place:68200, in state:53).
Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).
The 2015–2019 figures are B01003_001E, B01003_001M, B25064_001E, B25064_001M from the 2019 release.
The API needs a free key.
DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, DP04_0089E, DP04_0089M
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.
Figures last updated on .