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 classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 1.1 square miles in Seattle, King County, Washington. The area is home to 12,628 residents, producing a population density of 10,981 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 98121 against Washington and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 98121 sits at $152,019 (67% above the Washington average), while per-capita income is $125,577. The poverty rate stands at 8.7% and the unemployment rate at 4.1%. On housing, the median home value is $848,400 (66% above the state average) with median rent at $2,337 per month, and 22.6% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 98121 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 78.9% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 33.2, and the average commute is 20 minutes. We also surface 10 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing King County, so you can benchmark 98121 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 98121
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 98121.
- Professional, scientific, and technical services
Professional, scientific, and technical services
291 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
170 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
120 establishments
- Real estate and rental and leasing 109
Real estate and rental and leasing
109 establishments
- Information 95
Information
95 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 98121, Seattle, 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
12,628
Population
1.1
Area (sq mi)
10,981
People / sq mi
Los Angeles
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 98121?
33.2
Median Age
54.4%
Male
45.6%
Female
42.8%
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?
$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
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
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?
16,684
Total Housing Units
14,288
Occupied Units
2,396
Vacant Units
1.44
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$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.
- 98122
Seattle (98122)
31,454 residents
- 98119
Seattle (98119)
21,039 residents
- 98102
Seattle (98102)
20,756 residents
- 98109
Seattle (98109)
20,715 residents
- 98104
Seattle (98104)
13,095 residents
- 98121
Seattle (98121)
12,628 residents
- 98101 10,238
Seattle (98101)
10,238 residents
- 98134 644
Seattle (98134)
644 residents
- 98164 141
Seattle (98164)
141 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 98121 ranks #6 by population — useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 98121 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 98164
Seattle (98164)
$250,001 median income
- 98121
Seattle (98121)
$152,019 median income
- 98109
Seattle (98109)
$133,663 median income
- 98101
Seattle (98101)
$128,882 median income
- 98119
Seattle (98119)
$123,551 median income
- 98102
Seattle (98102)
$114,925 median income
- 98122
Seattle (98122)
$106,886 median income
- 98134 $68,214
Seattle (98134)
$68,214 median income
- 98104 $61,460
Seattle (98104)
$61,460 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.
| 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
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 98121 in? ▼
What is the population of ZIP code 98121? ▼
What is the median household income in ZIP 98121? ▼
What is the average home value in ZIP 98121? ▼
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 98121? ▼
How many businesses are in ZIP code 98121? ▼
What are the main industries in ZIP code 98121? ▼
What is the education level in ZIP code 98121? ▼
What is the average commute time in ZIP 98121? ▼
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 98121? ▼
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 98121? ▼
ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for Seattle, 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.