Kent, WA · standard
ZIP Code 98031
King County, Washington — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 36,581
- 1,882/sq mi
- $105,965
- Median income
- $611,600
- Median home value
- 32.1%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
Kent pairs an upper-quartile household income with top-decile home values, in a low-density, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 15%
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 9%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 1,882
- people per sq mi
- 67%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 98031 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 98031 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 19.4 square miles in Kent, King County, Washington. The area is home to 36,581 residents, producing a population density of 1,882 people per square mile, and falls within the Los Angeles time zone. These USPS and Census boundary values drive every downstream statistic on this page, including the benchmarks that compare 98031 against Washington and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 98031 sits at $105,965 (17% above the Washington average), while per-capita income is $46,315. The poverty rate stands at 10.4% and the unemployment rate at 6.5%. On housing, the median home value is $611,600 (20% above the state average) with median rent at $1,991 per month, and 67.2% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 98031 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 32.1% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 38.1, and the average commute is 31 minutes. We also surface 10 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing King County, so you can benchmark 98031 against its immediate geography rather than a national average alone. Every figure is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, HUD Fair Market Rents, and FHFA Home Price Index data, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with HUD →
Top industries in ZIP 98031
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 98031.
- Construction
Construction
131 establishments
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
92 establishments
- Transportation and warehousing
Transportation and warehousing
67 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
63 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
62 establishments
What this shows Establishment counts come from the Census ZIP Code Business Patterns program, which counts physical business locations rather than employees or revenue.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + HUD FMR + FHFA HPI ACS demographics, ZBP business establishments, HUD Fair Market Rents, FHFA HPI for ZIP 98031, Kent, WA · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; HUD FMR + FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.
Quick Facts
36,581
Population
19.4
Area (sq mi)
1,882
People / sq mi
Los Angeles
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 98031?
38.1
Median Age
50.1%
Male
49.9%
Female
32.9%
Foreign-Born
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How much do residents earn?
$105,965
Median Household Income
+17% vs state
$46,315
Per Capita Income
10.4%
Poverty Rate
6.5%
Unemployment Rate
30.5 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 98031 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$105,965 Top 15% higher than 85% of 30,318 US ZIPs
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US ZIPs. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau — ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2019–2023
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What is the education profile here?
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What does housing look like?
14,599
Total Housing Units
14,011
Occupied Units
588
Vacant Units
2.83
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$611,600
Median Home Value
+20% vs state
$1,991
Median Rent
1984
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How have home values changed over time?
FHFA House Price Index, annual appreciation data based on repeat sales and appraisals
+7.1%
YoY Change (2024)
330
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+230%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 98031 have increased 7.1% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +230% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +5.8% | 225 |
| 2021 | +17.2% | 264 |
| 2022 | +19.1% | 315 |
| 2023 | -2.1% | 308 |
| 2024 | +7.1% | 330 |
Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index, All-Transactions, Five-Digit ZIP Codes (Developmental Index). Index base = 100 in year 2000. Data through 2024. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 727 business establishments in ZIP 98031, employing approximately 8,748 people with a combined annual payroll of $515,679,000.
727
Businesses
8,748
Employees
$515.7M
Annual Payroll
15
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | 131 | 18.0% |
| Health care and social assistance | 92 | 12.7% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 67 | 9.2% |
| Retail trade | 63 | 8.7% |
| Accommodation and food services | 62 | 8.5% |
| Wholesale trade | 57 | 7.8% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 57 | 7.8% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 48 | 6.6% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 45 | 6.2% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 43 | 5.9% |
| Manufacturing | 25 | 3.4% |
| Finance and insurance | 15 | 2.1% |
| Information | 8 | 1.1% |
| Educational services | 8 | 1.1% |
| Industries not classified | 4 | 0.6% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.
Nearby ZIP Codes
Want a side-by-side? Compare 98031 vs 98030 →
ZIP 98031 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 98042
Kent (98042)
43,673 residents
- 98058
Renton (98058)
41,938 residents
- 98031
Kent (98031)
36,581 residents
- 98198
Seattle (98198)
34,584 residents
- 98032
Kent (98032)
33,853 residents
- 98030
Kent (98030)
33,769 residents
- 98056
Renton (98056)
32,489 residents
- 98002
Auburn (98002)
31,647 residents
- 98188
Seattle (98188)
23,111 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 98031 ranks #3 by population — useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 98031 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 98042
Kent (98042)
$127,552 median income
- 98058
Renton (98058)
$115,201 median income
- 98056
Renton (98056)
$113,688 median income
- 98031
Kent (98031)
$105,965 median income
- 98055
Renton (98055)
$97,224 median income
- 98030
Kent (98030)
$91,761 median income
- 98198
Seattle (98198)
$86,239 median income
- 98032
Kent (98032)
$82,636 median income
- 98002
Auburn (98002)
$78,684 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 98031 ranks #4 of 9 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
| ZIP Code | City | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 98030 | Kent, WA | 33,769 | 2.5 mi |
| 98055 | Renton, WA | 21,904 | 2.9 mi |
| 98032 | Kent, WA | 33,853 | 3.1 mi |
| 98057 | Renton, WA | 10,613 | 4.7 mi |
| 98058 | Renton, WA | 41,938 | 4.2 mi |
| 98056 | Renton, WA | 32,489 | 7.5 mi |
| 98042 | Kent, WA | 43,673 | 4.5 mi |
| 98002 | Auburn, WA | 31,647 | 6.7 mi |
| 98188 | Seattle, WA | 23,111 | 4.7 mi |
| 98198 | Seattle, WA | 34,584 | 5.5 mi |
More ZIP Codes in King County
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Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 98031 in? ▼
What is the population of ZIP code 98031? ▼
What is the median household income in ZIP 98031? ▼
What is the average home value in ZIP 98031? ▼
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 98031? ▼
How many businesses are in ZIP code 98031? ▼
What are the main industries in ZIP code 98031? ▼
How have home values changed in ZIP code 98031? ▼
What is the education level in ZIP code 98031? ▼
What is the average commute time in ZIP 98031? ▼
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 98031? ▼
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 98031? ▼
ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for Kent, WA
Verify and explore additional data for this area using these official government sources.
Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.