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Sehome Neighborhood, Bellingham WA

Gray gabled house with a front garden in the Sehome Hill Historic District, with neighboring homes and the bay in the distance
Sehome Hill Historic District, listed 2001. Photo: Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 3.0

Last updated: October 2026

From the observation tower in the Sehome Hill Arboretum, the Sehome neighborhood of Bellingham WA drops away below you toward downtown, with Bellingham Bay past the rooftops.1 It is a great view. You earned it. Everything in Sehome is uphill from something.

Sehome is the steep, dense hillside between downtown and Western Washington University. Victorian and Craftsman houses fill the historic district below the arboretum, and the blocks closer to campus lean toward rentals. About 61% of its 2,574 homes are in multifamily buildings.2 If you live here, you will learn which staircases save you a block.

Weighing a historic home or a rental near campus? Contact our team to talk through Sehome.

On this page:

What is it like to live on Sehome Hill?

Rooftops of south downtown Bellingham with the forested Sehome Hill behind them under a cloudy sky
Sehome Hill rises about 650 feet above the bay. Photo: Josh Parrish, CC BY 2.0

Sehome Hill is a steep bedrock formation that rises 650 feet from the bay.3 That gives much of the neighborhood views north over the city, out over the water or east toward Mount Baker. It also gives you steep streets. Check driveways, steps and winter access on any house you are serious about. Ice is not a matter of opinion.

The city calls Sehome one of Bellingham's older, centrally located neighborhoods. About 90% of the land is developed, and population density is among the highest in the city.3 Tree-lined arterials and mature landscaping soften all that, and residents guard them.

Where is Sehome, and how do residents get around?

Downtown is downhill. WWU borders the neighborhood. WTA's Blue GO Line, Route 190, runs between downtown and Bill McDonald Parkway by way of WWU, every 15 minutes on weekdays.4 Plenty of residents walk down and bus back up. Nobody judges.

What does the Sehome Hill Arboretum offer residents?

View from the Sehome Hill Arboretum over treetops and the city toward snow-covered mountains at sunset
Looking out from the Sehome Hill Arboretum. Photo: Van Peltekian, CC BY 3.0

The Sehome Hill Arboretum covers about 175 acres and is owned and managed jointly by WWU and the city.3,5 Inside: about six miles of trails, a former quarry, a geologic outcrop and the observation tower. Bikes are not allowed on the trails. The main entrance is on Bill McDonald Parkway at 25th Street. You can also walk in at Jersey and East Myrtle Streets, at the north end of 25th Street, and at Allen Avenue and 32nd Street.1 Closer to home, Laurel Park and Forest and Cedar Park both have playgrounds, half-court basketball and open lawn.3,6

Where does the name Sehome come from?

In 1858 Edmund Fitzhugh, who managed the coal mine on the hill, founded the town of Sehome and named it for his father-in-law, S'yah-whom, a leader on Samish Island. Fitzhugh could not quite say the name, so it came out "Sehome."7,8 The Sehome Neighborhood Association says it is the only Bellingham neighborhood named for an ancestor of the Salish Sea's Indigenous peoples.8 Sehome was one of four towns on the bay that had merged into one city by 1903.9

The Sehome Hill Historic District was listed on the National Register on February 13, 2001.10 It covers parts of Jersey, Key, Liberty, Mason, Newell, East Myrtle, East Laurel and East Maple Streets, platted in 1889 as the Eldridge and Bartlett Addition.9 Late Victorian and Craftsman houses lead the way. The city describes the district as the older homes south of Maple Street and north of the Sehome Hill Arboretum.3

What kinds of homes are in Sehome?

More than 80% of Sehome's housing is over 20 years old, and much of it is at least 50, according to the city.3 The historic district holds many large, architecturally significant homes. Elsewhere you get a mix of single-family houses and multifamily buildings. The city's November 2025 count found 2,574 homes, about 61% of them in multifamily buildings and just 395 single-family houses.2 Inspections on the older ones often turn up dated wiring, tired foundations and sewer laterals with opinions.

If you are buying a rental, Bellingham requires each unit to be registered before it is rented, renewed every year and inspected about every three to three and a half years.11 City Council approved updates to the Rental Registration and Safety Inspection program, including a new inspector audit process and changes to compliance and appeals, that took effect September 7, 2026.12

What should buyers know before buying in Sehome?

Trade-offs and who it suits

Sehome is steep and dense. The hill rises 650 feet from the bay, and the city counts its population density among the highest in Bellingham. Most homes are multifamily units, and only about 15% are single-family houses. With WWU on the edge, some blocks are mostly rentals, and every rental unit must be registered and inspected.

Who it suits: WWU faculty and staff, buyers who want a historic home near downtown, and investors comfortable with the city's rental rules.

Market snapshot and homes for sale

Housing and population (City of Bellingham housing and population model, as of November 2025):2

  • Estimated population: 4,894
  • Total housing units: 2,574 on about 307 acres
  • Single-family homes (including ADUs): 395 (15%)
  • Middle housing (duplexes, triplexes, townhomes and similar): 573 (22%)
  • Multifamily units: 1,581 (61%)
  • Manufactured homes: 25

Bellingham's planners derive these figures from county assessor data and state household numbers. Treat Sehome's 4,894 residents and 2,574 homes as good approximations, not exact counts.

Prices (Bellingham-wide, not Sehome; houses and condos combined):13,14

  • Bellingham median sale price, July through September 2026: about $675,000
  • Sehome median price: not published (too few sales, and the sources we checked were more than 10% apart)

Sehome only gets a handful of sales a month, split between condos near campus and older houses in the historic district, so its median jumps around. The sources we checked were more than 10% apart, so we don't publish a Sehome median. For a citywide benchmark, Bellingham's median sale price was about $675,000 for July through September 2026, counting houses and condos together.13 About 61% of Sehome's homes are multifamily units,2 and condo sales usually come in well below that citywide figure. Ask us for recent sales on the blocks you're considering.

To turn a Sehome list price into a monthly payment, try our mortgage calculator.

Schools

Sehome splits at the elementary level. On the district's attendance-area maps, about 56% of the neighborhood's land is in the Happy Valley Elementary zone (1041 24th Street) and about 44% is in the Lowell Elementary zone (914 15th Street, just over the line in South Hill). All of Sehome maps to Fairhaven Middle School (110 Park Ridge Road) and Sehome High School (2700 Bill McDonald Parkway).15,16 In our address tests, 1218 High Street and 910 Billy Frank Jr. Street came up Lowell, and 202 North 34th Street came up Happy Valley.

The district is also weighing closures. On September 29, 2026, the superintendent recommended closing Columbia and Carl Cozier elementary schools after this school year, with new boundaries starting August 2027 if the school board agrees.17 Public hearings are set for November 2 and 3, and the board is expected to vote at its November 12 meeting.18 Happy Valley and Lowell are not among the schools the plan names, but nothing is final until the board votes.19 With two elementary zones inside one neighborhood, run the exact house through the district's boundary lookup.

Frequently asked questions about Sehome

Is Sehome mostly student housing?

Partly. The blocks nearest WWU have many rentals, and about 61% of Sehome's homes were multifamily units as of November 2025. The Sehome Hill Historic District, south of Maple Street and north of the arboretum, holds many of the older homes.

How steep is Sehome?

Very steep in places, since Sehome Hill is a bedrock formation that rises 650 feet from Bellingham Bay. That gives many homes views of downtown, the bay or Mount Baker. Check driveways, steps and winter access on any house you are serious about.

Do I need a permit to rent out a Sehome house?

You need to register it. Bellingham requires every rental unit to be registered before it is rented, renewed each year and inspected about every three to three and a half years. Updates to the program took effect September 7, 2026, so check the current rules before you buy.

Which schools serve Sehome?

It depends on the street. About 56% of Sehome is in the Happy Valley Elementary area and 44% in Lowell Elementary's, and the whole neighborhood is zoned for Fairhaven Middle and Sehome High, which sits at 2700 Bill McDonald Parkway. A closure plan for two other elementary schools goes to a board vote expected November 12, 2026, so run each address through the district's lookup anyway.

How do you get into the Sehome Hill Arboretum?

The main entrance is on Bill McDonald Parkway at 25th Street. There is also walk-in access at Jersey and East Myrtle Streets, at the north end of 25th Street, and at Allen Avenue and 32nd Street. Inside are about six miles of trails and an observation tower.

How much do homes cost in Sehome?

Sehome doesn't get enough sales for one neighborhood median to mean much. Condos near WWU and older houses in the historic district sell for very different prices, and the sources we checked disagreed by more than 10%. For a citywide benchmark, Bellingham's median sale price was about $675,000 for July through September 2026, counting houses and condos together, according to Redfin. Realtor.com put the October 2026 median at $662,500. Sehome's condos usually sell below that. Ask us for recent sales on the streets you're looking at.

Which neighborhoods are near Sehome?

Southwest toward the bay, South Hill has water views and Boulevard Park. York touches Sehome's northeast side. Happy Valley sits to the south. You can also see every neighborhood we cover.

Want to talk about Sehome? Reach our team at Bellingham Real Estate Agents.

Sources

  1. Arboretum: 175.5 acres, six miles of trails, former quarry, geologic outcrop, observation tower with views of the city and bay, no bikes on trails, main entrance and pedestrian entrances. City of Bellingham: Sehome Hill Arboretum. Checked Oct 17, 2026.
  2. Population, housing units, acres and housing mix (Nov 2025 model; single-family includes ADUs). City of Bellingham: neighborhood housing estimates. Checked Oct 17, 2026.
  3. Sehome Hill rises 650 feet from the bay; views; 90% developed; density among the highest in the city; over 80% of housing more than 20 years old; historic district south of Maple and north of the arboretum; arboretum jointly owned and managed by WWU and the city; Laurel and Forest & Cedar parks have playgrounds, half-court basketball and lawns. City of Bellingham: Sehome neighborhood. Checked Oct 17, 2026.
  4. Blue GO Line (Route 190) between downtown and Bill McDonald Parkway via WWU; GO Lines run every 15 minutes on weekdays. WTA: GO Lines. Checked Oct 17, 2026.
  5. Second source for the arboretum's 175.5 acres. WWU: Sehome Hill Arboretum. Checked Oct 17, 2026.
  6. Forest & Cedar Park is at Forest and Cedar Streets in Sehome, with a playground and basketball court. City of Bellingham: Forest & Cedar Park. Checked Oct 17, 2026.
  7. Name origin: Edmund Fitzhugh, coal mine manager, established Sehome in 1858 and named it for his father-in-law S'yah-whom. Cascadia Daily News: the name Sehome. Checked Oct 17, 2026.
  8. Second source for the name (Fitzhugh, father-in-law, Samish Island leadership); association's statement that Sehome is the only Bellingham neighborhood named for an Indigenous ancestor. Sehome Neighborhood Association: history. Checked Oct 17, 2026.
  9. District platted in 1889 as the Eldridge and Bartlett Addition; Sehome one of four bay towns, merged by 1903. National Register nomination form (PDF). Checked Oct 17, 2026.
  10. Sehome Hill Historic District: National Register listing Feb 13, 2001; streets covered; Late Victorian and Craftsman styles. National Park Service: NRIS 01000063. Checked Oct 17, 2026.
  11. Rental units must be registered before renting, renewed yearly and inspected about every 3 to 3.5 years. City of Bellingham: Rental Registration and Safety Inspection Program. Checked Oct 17, 2026.
  12. Rental program updates (inspector audits, compliance and appeals changes) approved Aug 24, 2026, effective Sept 7, 2026. City of Bellingham: Inside Bellingham, Aug 27, 2026. Checked Oct 17, 2026.
  13. Bellingham-wide median sale price $674,959 for the three months ending September 2026 (July through September), all home types, 291 homes sold. Redfin: Bellingham housing market. Checked Oct 17, 2026.
  14. Second source for the Bellingham-wide median: median sold price $662,500 (key indicators as of October 2026). Realtor.com: Bellingham housing market. Checked Oct 17, 2026.
  15. School addresses; boundary lookup; note that proposed boundary changes are not yet on the district's maps. Bellingham Public Schools: schools and boundaries and district boundary lookup. Checked Oct 17, 2026.
  16. Attendance-area shares by land area (Happy Valley 56%, Lowell 44%, Fairhaven and Sehome 100%) and sample-address results, from the school attendance layers (elementary last edited Sept 2022, middle and high June 2021). City of Bellingham GIS: report layers 11 to 13. Checked Oct 17, 2026.
  17. Superintendent's Sept 29, 2026 recommendation to close Columbia and Carl Cozier after this school year, pending school board approval; new boundaries from August 2027. Bellingham Public Schools: facilities update. Checked Oct 17, 2026.
  18. Public hearings Nov 2 and 3, 2026; board vote expected at its Nov 12, 2026 meeting. Cascadia Daily News, Oct 15, 2026. Checked Oct 17, 2026.
  19. Schools affected by the plan (Columbia, Carl Cozier, Alderwood, Sunnyland, Wade King; small Birchwood change). Bellingham Public Schools: Facilities Plan. Checked Oct 17, 2026.