Salary comparison
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors: Bellingham vs Portland
Bellingham, WA pays about 2.9% more for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors on paper — $77,620 vs $75,420. But once you factor in what it costs to live there, Bellingham comes out ahead by $2,200 a year in real buying power.
Bellingham, WA
$77,620
$59,670
$96,130
$37.32
100
$77,620/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
Portland, OR
$75,420
$59,630
$91,050
$36.26
100
$75,420/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
What the numbers mean in practice
The headline gap is $2,200 a year (2.9%) in favor of Bellingham. That is the raw salary difference before any living costs.
Bellingham runs a cost index of 100 against the national baseline of 100; Portland sits at 100. After adjusting the median for those costs, Bellingham is the better deal by $2,200 a year — that is what each paycheck actually buys locally.
If you are weighing a move from Portland to Bellingham for this role, the raise needs to beat 2.9% to come out ahead after living costs. Anything below that and you are earning more on paper but keeping less.
Common questions
Where do substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors earn more, Bellingham or Portland?
Bellingham pays $77,620 on median — about 2.9% more than Portland ($75,420). Based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Which city is the better deal after living costs?
Bellingham. Once you divide each median by the local cost index, Bellingham gives you roughly$77,620 of real buying power versus $75,420 in the other city.