PlainZIP

Seattle, WA · standard

ZIP Code 98101

King County, Washington - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.

10,238
7,613/sq mi
$128,882
Median income
$784,200
Median home value
74.3%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Seattle pairs a top-decile household income with top-decile home values, in a suburban-density, renter-heavy area.

Top 7%
household income, US ZIPs
Top 5%
home value, US ZIPs
7,613
people per sq mi
14%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 98101 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 98101 is a mid-sized community (a standard USPS delivery area) in Seattle, King County, Washington, home to 10,238 residents across 1.3 square miles, a density of 7,613 people per square mile, in the Los Angeles time zone.

ZIP 98101 skews affluent, with a median household income of $128,882 (42% above the Washington average), while per-capita income is $121,888. Local economic indicators show a 10.8% poverty rate alongside 3.7% unemployment. Median home value sits at $784,200 (53% above the state average), median rent at $2,483 a month, and owner-occupancy at 13.5%.

This is a highly-educated ZIP: 74.3% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 33.8, and the average commute is 22 minutes. A geography-based comparison follows: 10 ZIP codes within about 10 miles of 98101, plus 6 more within King County, give a clearer read than the national average alone.

Every figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (including median rent) and the FHFA House Price Index, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with Census →

Top industries in ZIP 98101

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Seattle, WA

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 98101.

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 · ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) As of 2023

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 98101, Seattle, WA · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.

Quick Facts

10,238

Population

1.3

Area (sq mi)

7,613

People / sq mi

Los Angeles

Time Zone

standard

ZIP Type

Neighborhood Scorecard
Get an A-F grade across income, safety, housing, rent, education, commute, and childcare for this ZIP code.
View Scorecard →

Who lives in ZIP 98101?

33.8

Median Age

57.4%

Male

42.6%

Female

39.1%

Foreign-Born

White 49.8%
African American 6.2%
Asian 35.1%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.6%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 7.1%
Hispanic or Latino 5.4%

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?

$128,882

Median Household Income

+42% vs state

$121,888

Per Capita Income

10.8%

Poverty Rate

3.7%

Unemployment Rate

21.6 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 98101 ranks nationally

Seattle, WA household income vs. every US ZIP code

Median household income, the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked

$128,882 Top 7% higher than 93% of 30,318 US ZIPs

$0–$20,000: 118 US ZIPs (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 1,573 US ZIPs (5%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 7,092 US ZIPs (23%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). Below this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). Below this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 2,855 US ZIPs (9%). Below this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 1,362 US ZIPs (4%). This entry sits in this band. $140,000–$160,000: 686 US ZIPs (2%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 364 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 186 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 324 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. This ZIP $0 $200K+ every reporting US ZIP, bucketed by value

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?

High School Graduate or Higher 80.4%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 74.3%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What does housing look like?

13,585

Total Housing Units

11,722

Occupied Units

1,863

Vacant Units

1.42

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 13.5%
Renter 86.5%

$784,200

Median Home Value

+53% vs state

$2,483

Median Rent

2000

Median Year Built

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 2,609 business establishments in ZIP 98101, employing approximately 96,469 people with a combined annual payroll of $13,471,022,000.

2,609

Businesses

96,469

Employees

$13.5B

Annual Payroll

16

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Professional, scientific, and technical services 654 25.1%
Finance and insurance 315 12.1%
Accommodation and food services 313 12.0%
Real estate and rental and leasing 233 8.9%
Retail trade 229 8.8%
Health care and social assistance 201 7.7%
Other services (except public administration) 199 7.6%
Information 127 4.9%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 112 4.3%
Wholesale trade 53 2.0%
Management of companies and enterprises 44 1.7%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation 33 1.3%
Construction 27 1.0%
Manufacturing 27 1.0%
Transportation and warehousing 24 0.9%
Educational services 16 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 98101 vs 98154 →

ZIP 98101 vs its nearest neighbors, by population

Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

residents

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 98101 ranks #6 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023

ZIP 98101 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income

Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

median income

What this shows By household income, ZIP 98101 ranks #4 of 8 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023
ZIP Code City Population Distance
98154 Seattle, WA 0 0.3 mi
98174 Seattle, WA 0 0.5 mi
98164 Seattle, WA 141 0.4 mi
98104 Seattle, WA 13,095 0.7 mi
98121 Seattle, WA 12,628 0.6 mi
98109 Seattle, WA 20,715 1.5 mi
98134 Seattle, WA 644 2.3 mi
98102 Seattle, WA 20,756 1.8 mi
98122 Seattle, WA 31,454 2.0 mi
98195 Seattle, WA 0 2.9 mi

More ZIP Codes in King County

98052 standard
Redmond, WA
Pop: 58,442
98023 standard
Federal Way, WA
Pop: 47,510
98115 standard
Seattle, WA
Pop: 46,206
98103 standard
Seattle, WA
Pop: 45,911
98133 standard
Seattle, WA
Pop: 44,555
98003 standard
Federal Way, WA
Pop: 44,151

Related Areas

King County Seattle, WA Washington

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 98101 in? ▼
ZIP code 98101 (Seattle) is located in King County, Washington. King County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/king-wa.
What is the population of ZIP code 98101? ▼
ZIP code 98101 in Seattle, WA has a population of 10,238 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 98101? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 98101 is $128,882, which is 69% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 98101? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 98101 is $784,200, which is 182% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 98101? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 98101 is White at 49.8%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 5.4% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 98101? ▼
ZIP code 98101 has 2,609 business establishments employing approximately 96,469 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 98101? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 98101 are: Professional, scientific, and technical services (654), Finance and insurance (315), Accommodation and food services (313). There are 16 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 98101? ▼
In ZIP code 98101, 80.4% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 74.3% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What is the average commute time in ZIP 98101? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 98101 is 21.6 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend less time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 98101? ▼
In ZIP code 98101, approximately 13.5% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 86.5% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 98101? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 98101 is 10.8% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.

Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.