ZIP 99003 vs ZIP 99009

This side-by-side compares ZIP 99003 (Chattaroy, WA) and ZIP 99009 (Elk, WA) using the same Census ACS 5-Year table fields for both — no averages swapped in, no national proxies. ZIP 99003 has a population of 4,848 at 27 people per square mile, while ZIP 99009 has 3,947 at 19 per square mile. That difference in population size and density alone reshapes how every other metric should be interpreted — a higher-income ZIP with 1,200 residents behaves very differently from one with 45,000.

On income and education, ZIP 99003 reports a median household income of $77,129 against $81,809 in ZIP 99009, with per-capita income of $42,583 vs $33,298. The share of adults holding a bachelor's degree or higher is 21.2% in 99003 and 16.4% in 99009. Poverty rate reads 9.0% vs 15.5%, and unemployment 1.8% vs 5.3% — these four fields alone drive most of the difference in the scorecard grades you will see for each ZIP.

Housing separates these two ZIPs further: median home value sits at $428,200 in 99003 versus $427,200 in 99009, with median rent of $907 and $1,075 per month respectively. Homeownership rate is 89.5% vs 87.0%. When reading the comparison table below, focus on paired metrics rather than single winners — a ZIP with lower home values and lower income is not strictly "worse" if rent-to-income ratios and commute times land in the same zone. Every value is pulled from the exact same ACS table so the two columns are genuinely comparable.