PlainZIP

Seattle, WA · standard

ZIP Code 98121

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

12,628
10,981/sq mi
$152,019
Median income
$848,400
Median home value
78.9%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

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

Top 4%
household income, US ZIPs
Top 4%
home value, US ZIPs
10,981
people per sq mi
23%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 98121 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 98121 is a mid-sized community (a standard USPS delivery area) in Seattle, King County, Washington, home to 12,628 residents across 1.1 square miles, a density of 10,981 people per square mile, in the Los Angeles time zone.

ZIP 98121 skews affluent, with a median household income of $152,019 (67% above the Washington average), while per-capita income is $125,577. Local economic indicators show a 8.7% poverty rate alongside 4.1% unemployment. The typical home here is valued at $848,400 (66% above the state average); renters pay a median of $2,337 monthly, and 22.6% of units are owner-occupied.

This is a highly-educated ZIP: 78.9% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 33.2, and the average commute is 20 minutes. A geography-based comparison follows: 10 ZIP codes within about 10 miles of 98121, 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 98121

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Seattle, WA

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 98121.

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 98121, 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

12,628

Population

1.1

Area (sq mi)

10,981

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 98121?

33.2

Median Age

54.4%

Male

45.6%

Female

42.8%

Foreign-Born

White 46.0%
African American 4.0%
Asian 36.8%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.1%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.1%
Two or More Ethnicities 9.7%
Hispanic or Latino 6.6%

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?

$152,019

Median Household Income

+67% vs state

$125,577

Per Capita Income

8.7%

Poverty Rate

4.1%

Unemployment Rate

20.3 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 98121 ranks nationally

Seattle, WA household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$152,019 Top 4% higher than 96% 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%). Below this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 686 US ZIPs (2%). This entry sits in this band. $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 83.8%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 78.9%

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

What does housing look like?

16,684

Total Housing Units

14,288

Occupied Units

2,396

Vacant Units

1.44

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 22.6%
Renter 77.4%

$848,400

Median Home Value

+66% vs state

$2,337

Median Rent

2005

Median Year Built

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

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 1,199 business establishments in ZIP 98121, employing approximately 34,570 people with a combined annual payroll of $4,089,018,000.

1,199

Businesses

34,570

Employees

$4.1B

Annual Payroll

17

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Professional, scientific, and technical services 291 24.3%
Accommodation and food services 170 14.2%
Other services (except public administration) 120 10.0%
Real estate and rental and leasing 109 9.1%
Information 95 7.9%
Health care and social assistance 82 6.8%
Retail trade 64 5.3%
Finance and insurance 53 4.4%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 41 3.4%
Wholesale trade 34 2.8%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation 31 2.6%
Construction 28 2.3%
Manufacturing 23 1.9%
Educational services 22 1.8%
Management of companies and enterprises 16 1.3%
Transportation and warehousing 14 1.2%
Utilities 3 0.3%

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 98121 vs 98101 →

ZIP 98121 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 98121 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 98121 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 98121 ranks #2 of 9 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
98101 Seattle, WA 10,238 0.6 mi
98109 Seattle, WA 20,715 1.1 mi
98154 Seattle, WA 0 0.9 mi
98174 Seattle, WA 0 0.9 mi
98164 Seattle, WA 141 0.9 mi
98104 Seattle, WA 13,095 1.3 mi
98102 Seattle, WA 20,756 1.8 mi
98134 Seattle, WA 644 2.6 mi
98119 Seattle, WA 21,039 2.0 mi
98122 Seattle, WA 31,454 2.6 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 98121 in? ▼
ZIP code 98121 (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 98121? ▼
ZIP code 98121 in Seattle, WA has a population of 12,628 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 98121? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 98121 is $152,019, which is 99% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 98121? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 98121 is $848,400, which is 205% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 98121? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 98121 is White at 46.0%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 6.6% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 98121? ▼
ZIP code 98121 has 1,199 business establishments employing approximately 34,570 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 98121? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 98121 are: Professional, scientific, and technical services (291), Accommodation and food services (170), Other services (except public administration) (120). There are 17 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 98121? ▼
In ZIP code 98121, 83.8% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 78.9% 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 98121? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 98121 is 20.3 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 98121? ▼
In ZIP code 98121, approximately 22.6% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 77.4% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 98121? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 98121 is 8.7% 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.