In Whatcom County, these industries pay wages well above the national average

In the last 10 years, Whatcom County’s hourly wage has usually been 5% to 8% below the national average, with the gap being even larger compared to the Seattle area.

More dense urban areas such as Seattle tend to have wages rise higher because there is a large base of higher wages already in place, said James McCafferty, co-director at the Center for Economic and Business Research at Western Washington University. Having that base of higher-income workers makes it easier for places like coffee shops to raise wages and prices.