Seattle, WA · standard
ZIP Code 98144
King County, Washington — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 26,881
- 3,054/sq mi
- $96,969
- Median income
- $901,700
- Median home value
- 61.4%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
Seattle pairs an upper-quartile household income with top-decile home values, in a suburban-density, mixed-tenure area.
- Top 21%
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 3%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 3,054
- people per sq mi
- 46%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 98144 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 98144 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 8.8 square miles in Seattle, King County, Washington. The area is home to 26,881 residents, producing a population density of 3,054 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 98144 against Washington and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 98144 sits at $96,969 (7% above the Washington average), while per-capita income is $77,755. The poverty rate stands at 11.3% and the unemployment rate at 3.7%. On housing, the median home value is $901,700 (76% above the state average) with median rent at $1,812 per month, and 45.5% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 98144 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 61.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 38.4, and the average commute is 27 minutes. We also surface 10 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing King County, so you can benchmark 98144 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 98144
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 98144.
- Professional, scientific, and technical services
Professional, scientific, and technical services
121 establishments
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
104 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
91 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
83 establishments
- Real estate and rental and leasing
Real estate and rental and leasing
76 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 98144, 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
26,881
Population
8.8
Area (sq mi)
3,054
People / sq mi
Los Angeles
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 98144?
38.4
Median Age
51.8%
Male
48.2%
Female
21.1%
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?
$96,969
Median Household Income
+7% vs state
$77,755
Per Capita Income
11.3%
Poverty Rate
3.7%
Unemployment Rate
27.1 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 98144 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$96,969 Top 21% higher than 79% 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?
16,873
Total Housing Units
16,019
Occupied Units
854
Vacant Units
2.07
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$901,700
Median Home Value
+76% vs state
$1,812
Median Rent
1975
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
+3.5%
YoY Change (2024)
338
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+238%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 98144 have increased 3.5% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +238% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +3.0% | 290 |
| 2021 | +6.7% | 310 |
| 2022 | +11.8% | 347 |
| 2023 | -5.9% | 326 |
| 2024 | +3.5% | 338 |
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 787 business establishments in ZIP 98144, employing approximately 11,888 people with a combined annual payroll of $765,049,000.
787
Businesses
11,888
Employees
$765.0M
Annual Payroll
16
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 121 | 15.4% |
| Health care and social assistance | 104 | 13.2% |
| Accommodation and food services | 91 | 11.6% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 83 | 10.6% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 76 | 9.7% |
| Construction | 68 | 8.6% |
| Retail trade | 58 | 7.4% |
| Educational services | 33 | 4.2% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 26 | 3.3% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 26 | 3.3% |
| Information | 22 | 2.8% |
| Finance and insurance | 22 | 2.8% |
| Manufacturing | 20 | 2.5% |
| Wholesale trade | 19 | 2.4% |
| Management of companies and enterprises | 11 | 1.4% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 7 | 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 98144 vs 98122 →
ZIP 98144 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 98118
Seattle (98118)
42,731 residents
- 98122
Seattle (98122)
31,454 residents
- 98144
Seattle (98144)
26,881 residents
- 98108
Seattle (98108)
22,374 residents
- 98112
Seattle (98112)
21,077 residents
- 98104 13,095
Seattle (98104)
13,095 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 98144 ranks #3 by population — useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 98144 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
- 98112
Seattle (98112)
$171,572 median income
- 98101
Seattle (98101)
$128,882 median income
- 98118
Seattle (98118)
$113,762 median income
- 98122
Seattle (98122)
$106,886 median income
- 98144 $96,969
Seattle (98144)
$96,969 median income
- 98108 $95,780
Seattle (98108)
$95,780 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 98144 ranks #6 of 9 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
| ZIP Code | City | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 98122 | Seattle, WA | 31,454 | 1.8 mi |
| 98112 | Seattle, WA | 21,077 | 3.3 mi |
| 98104 | Seattle, WA | 13,095 | 2.0 mi |
| 98134 | Seattle, WA | 644 | 2.2 mi |
| 98164 | Seattle, WA | 141 | 2.3 mi |
| 98174 | Seattle, WA | 0 | 2.4 mi |
| 98154 | Seattle, WA | 0 | 2.4 mi |
| 98108 | Seattle, WA | 22,374 | 3.2 mi |
| 98118 | Seattle, WA | 42,731 | 3.2 mi |
| 98101 | Seattle, WA | 10,238 | 2.6 mi |
More ZIP Codes in King County
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Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 98144 in? ▼
What is the population of ZIP code 98144? ▼
What is the median household income in ZIP 98144? ▼
What is the average home value in ZIP 98144? ▼
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 98144? ▼
How many businesses are in ZIP code 98144? ▼
What are the main industries in ZIP code 98144? ▼
How have home values changed in ZIP code 98144? ▼
What is the education level in ZIP code 98144? ▼
What is the average commute time in ZIP 98144? ▼
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 98144? ▼
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 98144? ▼
ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for Seattle, WA
Verify and explore additional data for this area using these official government sources.
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