Seattle, WA · standard
ZIP Code 98126
King County, Washington — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 20,698
- 2,610/sq mi
- $116,466
- Median income
- $783,700
- Median home value
- 61.1%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
Seattle pairs an upper-quartile household income with top-decile home values, in a suburban-density, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 11%
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 5%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 2,610
- people per sq mi
- 61%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 98126 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 98126 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 7.9 square miles in Seattle, King County, Washington. The area is home to 20,698 residents, producing a population density of 2,610 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 98126 against Washington and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 98126 sits at $116,466 (28% above the Washington average), while per-capita income is $69,327. The poverty rate stands at 9.3% and the unemployment rate at 6.0%. On housing, the median home value is $783,700 (53% above the state average) with median rent at $1,802 per month, and 60.6% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 98126 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 61.1% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 37.6, and the average commute is 28 minutes. We also surface 10 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing King County, so you can benchmark 98126 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 98126
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 98126.
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
74 establishments
- Professional, scientific, and technical services
Professional, scientific, and technical services
72 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
59 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
44 establishments
- Real estate and rental and leasing
Real estate and rental and leasing
40 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 98126, 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
20,698
Population
7.9
Area (sq mi)
2,610
People / sq mi
Los Angeles
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 98126?
37.6
Median Age
48.2%
Male
51.8%
Female
15.1%
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?
$116,466
Median Household Income
+28% vs state
$69,327
Per Capita Income
9.3%
Poverty Rate
6.0%
Unemployment Rate
28.2 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 98126 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$116,466 Top 11% higher than 89% 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?
11,029
Total Housing Units
10,248
Occupied Units
781
Vacant Units
2.22
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$783,700
Median Home Value
+53% vs state
$1,802
Median Rent
1965
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
+3.4%
YoY Change (2024)
357
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+257%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 98126 have increased 3.4% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +257% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +3.7% | 281 |
| 2021 | +7.9% | 304 |
| 2022 | +10.7% | 336 |
| 2023 | +2.7% | 346 |
| 2024 | +3.4% | 357 |
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 448 business establishments in ZIP 98126, employing approximately 4,021 people with a combined annual payroll of $192,844,000.
448
Businesses
4,021
Employees
$192.8M
Annual Payroll
17
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 74 | 16.5% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 72 | 16.1% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 59 | 13.2% |
| Retail trade | 44 | 9.8% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 40 | 8.9% |
| Construction | 33 | 7.4% |
| Accommodation and food services | 30 | 6.7% |
| Educational services | 15 | 3.4% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 15 | 3.4% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 14 | 3.1% |
| Information | 12 | 2.7% |
| Finance and insurance | 12 | 2.7% |
| Wholesale trade | 9 | 2.0% |
| Manufacturing | 7 | 1.6% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 4 | 0.9% |
| Management of companies and enterprises | 4 | 0.9% |
| Industries not classified | 4 | 0.9% |
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 98126 vs 98106 →
ZIP 98126 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 98146
Seattle (98146)
25,922 residents
- 98106
Seattle (98106)
22,873 residents
- 98108
Seattle (98108)
22,374 residents
- 98116
Seattle (98116)
22,241 residents
- 98119
Seattle (98119)
21,039 residents
- 98126
Seattle (98126)
20,698 residents
- 98136
Seattle (98136)
14,770 residents
- 98121
Seattle (98121)
12,628 residents
- 98134 644
Seattle (98134)
644 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 98126 ranks #6 by population — useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 98126 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 98121
Seattle (98121)
$152,019 median income
- 98136
Seattle (98136)
$149,269 median income
- 98116
Seattle (98116)
$126,151 median income
- 98106
Seattle (98106)
$124,212 median income
- 98119
Seattle (98119)
$123,551 median income
- 98126
Seattle (98126)
$116,466 median income
- 98146
Seattle (98146)
$102,520 median income
- 98108
Seattle (98108)
$95,780 median income
- 98134
Seattle (98134)
$68,214 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 98126 ranks #6 of 9 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
| ZIP Code | City | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 98106 | Seattle, WA | 22,873 | 1.0 mi |
| 98136 | Seattle, WA | 14,770 | 1.0 mi |
| 98116 | Seattle, WA | 22,241 | 2.1 mi |
| 98146 | Seattle, WA | 25,922 | 3.4 mi |
| 98134 | Seattle, WA | 644 | 2.7 mi |
| 98108 | Seattle, WA | 22,374 | 2.9 mi |
| 98121 | Seattle, WA | 12,628 | 4.9 mi |
| 98174 | Seattle, WA | 0 | 4.3 mi |
| 98119 | Seattle, WA | 21,039 | 6.4 mi |
| 98154 | Seattle, WA | 0 | 4.5 mi |
More ZIP Codes in King County
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Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 98126 in? ▼
What is the population of ZIP code 98126? ▼
What is the median household income in ZIP 98126? ▼
What is the average home value in ZIP 98126? ▼
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 98126? ▼
How many businesses are in ZIP code 98126? ▼
What are the main industries in ZIP code 98126? ▼
How have home values changed in ZIP code 98126? ▼
What is the education level in ZIP code 98126? ▼
What is the average commute time in ZIP 98126? ▼
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 98126? ▼
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 98126? ▼
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Official Data Resources for Seattle, WA
Verify and explore additional data for this area using these official government sources.
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