U.S. census shows Blaine and Birch Bay growth

The 2020 U.S. census was conducted two years ago, and while the pandemic delayed the process, the U.S. Census Bureau has now released in-depth demographic statistics. The estimates show the Blaine and Birch Bay area grew by 22 percent over the past decade and that together they are larger than either of the neighboring cities of Ferndale and Lynden.

The federal government uses census data to distribute funds and assistance to state and local governments as well as households and organizations. But the data is also useful for academic research, economic development and political redistricting. 

The Northern Light looked at the data to see who makes up the Blaine and Birch Bay area and how it’s grown.

Typically, about 64 percent of households respond when the census is conducted. The U.S. Census Bureau makes door-to-door efforts to collect missing data, but still all residents do not participate.

According to 2020 census data, Blaine’s population is 5,884. It grew by 1,200 people from 2010 to 2020, a 25.6 percent increase. Blaine city limits include downtown and Semiahmoo; they stretch along the U.S./Canada border from just east of Valley View Road across Drayton Harbor to Semiahmoo Park and the neighborhoods to the immediate south.

Birch Bay had 10,115 residents in 2020. Birch Bay gained about 1,700 people over the decade, which made for a 20.2 percent increase. The unincorporated area spans from Kickerville Road to the bay, Semiahmoo Drive and Point Whitehorn between Drayton Harbor Road and Cherry Point.

Together, Birch Bay and Blaine’s population are greater than either Ferndale or Lynden. Birch Bay and Blaine have nearly 16,000 people while Ferndale has 15,048 and Lynden has 15,749. 

However, according to the data, Ferndale and Lynden gained more residents over the decade. Both cities’ populations grew by nearly 32 percent, or about 5,000 people. Blaine and Birch Bay together added about 2,900 people from 2010 to 2020, giving the area only a 22.1 percent growth.

Blaine’s median income per household in 2020 was $72,772, while the mean – or average – was $83,607. In Birch Bay, the median income was $63,157 and the mean was $86,438. 

Birch Bay has a reported 4,438 households, making the average household size 2.23 people. The average family size is 2.8 people as the area has a reported 2,861 families. Blaine reported similarly in terms of averages. The data says it has 2,200 households with an average of 2.45 people living in them, while there are a total of 1,440 families with an average size of 2.96. 

Both areas are predominantly white with small Asian populations.

Blaine is 78 percent white, 1.3 percent Black, 1.4 percent American Indian/Alaska Native, 7 percent Asian, 1.5 percent Native Hawaiian/other Pacific Islander and 2 percent another race. Nine percent of the population responded that they were biracial. The largest population was white and some other race with 3.5 percent, while 1.8 percent responded as mixed white and American Indian/Alaska Native and 1.5 percent as white and Asian mixed. 

Birch Bay is 81 percent white, 1.1 percent Black, 1.5 percent American Indian /Alaska Native, 3.5 percent Asian and 3.1 percent another race. Almost 10 percent of the residents are biracial. Of those, 3.7 percent are white and some other race, 2.7 percent are white and American Indian/Alaska Native, 1.3 percent are white and Asian and 0.9 percent are part white and Black.

Blaine is younger than Birch Bay. 

The median age in Blaine is 41.3, while in Birch Bay it is 50.6. Also, 26.4 percent of Blaine’s population is 60 years and older, while 34.6 percent of Birch Bay residents fit that age category. About 10 percent – over 1,000 people – of Birch Bay’s population is 65-69 years old. Ten percent – 544 people – of Blaine’s population is 45-49 years old.

On the other end of the spectrum, 23.8 percent of Blaine residents and 18.5 percent of Birch Bay residents are under 18. Blaine has a large high school population, with 543 between the ages of 15 and 19, making up 10 percent of the total population. While Birch Bay has 330 residents in that range, it has 721 children – about 7 percent – under the age of 5. Blaine has 243 children under 5  years old, or 4.5 percent.

The current available census data also provides information on sex, commuting characteristics, marital status, school enrollment and other categories, which can be found at data.census.gov/cedsci.