Whatcom County
Washington · Upcoming sale
County snapshot
Whatcom County has grown 3.3% since 2020 and still shows positive net migration (2,252 people in 2024). Demand for housing usually means owners redeem rather than walk away — good for the interest, less good if you were hoping to take the deed.
By population, Whatcom County is the 9th largest of Washington's 39 counties. It has grown more slowly than the state average (+3.6% across Washington) — often where the less contested certificates are, and also where the risk sits. Of the 2024 change, 2,252 came from people moving in and 3 from births outnumbering deaths.
Counties of similar size in Washington with a sale on our calendar: Kitsap County, Thurston County, Franklin County. Useful if this county's sale has already closed and you want the next comparable one.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Census population estimates. Population figures are estimates, not a count.
Property & tax profile
The median homeowner in Whatcom County pays $4,087 a year in property tax — below the Washington median of $4,556 (U.S.: $3,119). That is roughly what a typical home here owes for each year it goes unpaid — the debt that the opening bid at a deed sale is usually built from, plus interest and costs. Homes with a mortgage pay a median of $4,135; homes owned outright, $3,987.
On a home with a mortgage, the lender has its own reason to pay a delinquent tax bill: the tax lien outranks the mortgage, and a tax deed can wipe out the loan. On a home owned outright, nobody but the owner — or the heirs — has that reason. In Whatcom County, 37.3% of owner-occupied homes are owned outright (Washington: 33.9%, U.S.: 39.4%). That is more than the state as a whole, so a larger share of the delinquent bills here have no lender behind them.
9.2% of all housing units in Whatcom County are vacant. The figure that matters for a buyer at the tax sale is the Census “other vacant” category — not for rent, not for sale, not a holiday home, but a catch-all that includes foreclosures, homes held up by legal proceedings or family reasons, homes needing repairs, and abandoned ones. Here it is 2.4% of all units (Washington: 2.0%, U.S.: 3.6%). Close to the state rate.
Half of the homes in Whatcom County were built in or before 1989 (Washington: in or before 1985). The typical tax bill is 5.0% of the median household income of $81,784 (Washington: 4.6%).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates (tables B25077, B25103, B25081, B25002, B25004, B25035, B19013) — see the figures on data.census.gov. Survey estimates with margins of error; anything too uncertain to state is left out.
Bidder deposit deadline Nov 25, 2026 at 1:30pm PST.
Quick answers
When is the Whatcom County tax sale?+
The Whatcom County, Washington tax sale is scheduled for December 1, 2026, hosted via Bid4Assets (online, Dec 1 9am – Dec 2 9am PST).
Is Whatcom County a good county to buy tax deed properties in?+
Whatcom County has grown 3.3% since 2020 and still shows positive net migration (2,252 people in 2024). Demand for housing usually means owners redeem rather than walk away — good for the interest, less good if you were hoping to take the deed. Population in 2024: 234,954. These are U.S. Census Bureau estimates, not a recommendation — the county's own delinquency and redemption history matters more, and only the Washington treasurer publishes that.
How much is the property tax in Whatcom County?+
The median homeowner in Whatcom County pays $4,087 a year, about 0.7% of the median home value of $585,800 (Washington: 0.8%). Homes with a mortgage pay a median of $4,135, homes owned outright $3,987. These are U.S. Census Bureau survey estimates (American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates); the exact bill for a parcel depends on its assessed value and local rates, and the county tax collector has it.
What type of sale is it?+
Whatcom County holds a tax deed sale. Washington's statewide system: tax deed. What the buyer earns: none — deed sold at auction.
What's the redemption period in Whatcom County?+
Whatcom County follows Washington's statewide redemption period: None after the sale (exception: 3 years for minors and adjudicated incompetents).
Other Washington sales near this date
Every Washington page →- Nov 9, 2026
- Nov 10, 2026Clallam CountyTax deed
Online (bidding Nov 10–12)
Official source: clallamcountywa.gov ↗checked Sep 3, 2026 - Dec 3, 2026Snohomish CountyTax deed
Online (Bid4Assets, tentative; confirmed by the Final Order of Sale in mid-November)
Official source: snohomishcountywa.gov ↗checked Sep 3, 2026 - Dec 7, 2026Spokane CountyTax deed
Online (re-offer sale Dec 16)
Other sales in December 2026
All December 2026 sales →- Dec 1, 2026
Tax commissioner (in-person, 75 Langley Dr., Lawrenceville)
Also lists an Oct 6, 2026 sale. Certified funds only; register with the office before the sale starts.
- Dec 8, 2026
County
Official source: saludacounty.sc.gov ↗checked Sep 3, 2026 - Dec 8, 2026
In-person (Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium, 10am)
Runs Dec 8–9; continues at 9am the next business day if needed. Payment by the end of the sale; $500 charge per unpaid bid.
- Dec 10, 2026
County Tax Claim Bureau (Upset Price Sale, in-person, 10am)
Registration November 16–17, 2026, limited to the first 120 bidders. The sale list becomes available November 2, 2026.
Official source: delcopa.gov ↗checked Oct 2, 2026
Our write-up of the Whatcom County sale: Dec 1, 2026.
Want the full statutory picture for Washington, not just Whatcom County? Read the Washington state page for the rate, redemption period, and every other county we've sourced.
See every other scheduled sale on the full auction calendar, every sale in December 2026, the upcoming Washington sales, or sign up for deal alerts to hear about new Washington dates as soon as we add them.
This page is general information, not financial or legal advice. Auction dates get postponed, cancelled, or rescheduled — always confirm against the official source above before showing up or bidding. Verified 2026-10-04.