Is Blaine, WA a Good Place to Live?
Blaine is a small town of 5,865 in Washington, with a median household income of $78,633 and a 9.7% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 104 (US average = 100), which is 4% above the national average.
Strengths: Blaine stands out for lower-than-average crime, solid school ratings (B-), short average commutes.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include high home prices, an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Blaine is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Blaine city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 104.1Blaine's overall cost of living index is 104.1, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Blaine costs roughly 4% more than the average American city.
| Metric | Blaine, WA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $450,500 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,285 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 65.5% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $78,633 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Safer than AverageBlaine's violent crime rate is 173.3 per 100,000 residents — 54% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Blaine is served primarily by Blaine School District. The student-to-teacher ratio is 19.1:1 (slightly above the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Blaine, WA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Blaine School District | — |
| Elementary Schools | 4 | — |
| Middle Schools | 1 | — |
| High Schools | 2 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 19.1:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 32.1% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 94.5% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Blaine sees average highs of 44.7°F in January and 72.8°F in July, with 41.8 inches of annual precipitation and 9.3 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Blaine, WA |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 44.7°F |
| Average High — July | 72.8°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 41.8" |
| Annual Snowfall | 9.3" |
Demographics
| Metric | Blaine, WA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 5,865 | — |
| Median Age | 38.1 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 9.7% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 21.4 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 74.7% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 2.6% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 9.2% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 5.4% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 24.5% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 19.5% | 16.8% |