Custer, WA · standard
ZIP Code 98240
Whatcom County, Washington - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 3,061
- 57/sq mi Moderate-density area
- $110,116
- Median income Above-median income area
- $619,700
- Median home value Above-median home value
- 23.6%
- Bachelor's or higher Near-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Custer pairs an upper-quartile household income with top-decile home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 13%
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 8%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 57
- people per sq mi
- 93%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 98240 against every reporting US ZIP.
FHFA HPI release change
What changed in the latest House Price Index year
- FHFA House Price Index values in ZIP 98240 (Custer, WA) rose +10.5% from 2023 to 2024. The all-transactions index moved from 345.3 in 2023 to 381.5 in 2024 (2000 = 100).
ZIP code 98240 covers 53.6 square miles in Custer, Whatcom County, Washington (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 3,061 residents on file, a density of 57 people per square mile, in the Los Angeles time zone.
ZIP 98240 skews affluent, with a median household income of $110,116 (21% above the average Washington ZIP), while per-capita income is $47,642. The poverty rate is 4.3%, with unemployment at 8.0%; those measures add context to the income figure. Housing is both higher-cost and owner-heavy: median home value is $619,700 (21% above the average Washington ZIP), while 93.0% of occupied homes are owner-occupied.
Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 23.6% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 36.9, and the average commute is -. The page also surfaces 2 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Whatcom County, so 98240 can be compared with both its immediate and county-level context.
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 98240
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Custer, WA
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 98240.
- Construction
Construction
19 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
9 establishments
- Professional, scientific, and technical services 7
Professional, scientific, and technical services
7 establishments
- Other services (except public administration) 7
Other services (except public administration)
7 establishments
- Wholesale trade 5
Wholesale trade
5 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 + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 98240, Custer, 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
3,061
Population
53.6
Area (sq mi)
57
People / sq mi
Los Angeles
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 98240?
36.9
Median Age
50.1%
Male
49.9%
Female
12.0%
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?
$110,116
Median Household Income
+21% vs state ZIP avg
$47,642
Per Capita Income
4.3%
Poverty Rate
8.0%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 98240 ranks among Washington ZIPs
Custer, WA household income vs. every Washington ZIP code
Median household income among 547 reporting Washington ZIPs (this ZIP's population is too small for a reliable national-corpus placement)
$110,116 Top 21% higher than 79% of 547 Washington ZIPs
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more Washington 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?
Housing stock: occupied vs vacant
1,345housing units
1,345
Total Housing Units
1,265
Occupied Units
80
Vacant Units
2.83
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$619,700
Median Home Value
+21% vs state ZIP avg
1989
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
+10.5%
YoY Change (2024)
381
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+281%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 98240 have increased 10.5% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +281% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +2.1% | 239 |
| 2021 | +13.0% | 270 |
| 2022 | +8.8% | 294 |
| 2023 | +17.4% | 345 |
| 2024 | +10.5% | 381 |
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 71 business establishments in ZIP 98240, employing approximately 381 people with a combined annual payroll of $17,687,000.
71
Businesses
381
Employees
$17.7M
Annual Payroll
10
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | 19 | 26.8% |
| Retail trade | 9 | 12.7% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 7 | 9.9% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 7 | 9.9% |
| Wholesale trade | 5 | 7.0% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 5 | 7.0% |
| Manufacturing | 3 | 4.2% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 3 | 4.2% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 3 | 4.2% |
| Accommodation and food services | 3 | 4.2% |
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 98240 vs 98248 →
ZIP 98240 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 98248
Ferndale (98248)
22,361 residents
- 98230
Blaine (98230)
15,710 residents
- 98240 3,061
Custer (98240)
3,061 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 98240 ranks #3 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 98240 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 98240
Custer (98240)
$110,116 median income
- 98248
Ferndale (98248)
$91,060 median income
- 98230
Blaine (98230)
$86,623 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 98240 ranks the highest of 3 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 98240, both outside WA so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment (Nearby and same-county blocks stay local).
Similar population
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by resident population (3,061 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Whatcom County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 98240 in?
ZIP code 98240 (Custer) is located in Whatcom County, Washington. Whatcom County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/whatcom-wa.
What is the population of ZIP code 98240?
ZIP code 98240 in Custer, WA has a population of 3,061 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 98240?
The median household income in ZIP 98240 is $110,116, which is 44% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 98240?
The median home value in ZIP 98240 is $619,700, which is 123% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 98240?
The largest racial group in ZIP 98240 is White at 76.6%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 19.6% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 98240?
ZIP code 98240 has 71 business establishments employing approximately 381 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 98240?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 98240 are: Construction (19), Retail trade (9), Professional, scientific, and technical services (7). There are 10 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 98240?
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 98240 increased by 10.5% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 281%. This is a developmental index based on repeat sales and appraisal data from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
What is the education level in ZIP code 98240?
In ZIP code 98240, 57.4% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 23.6% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 98240?
In ZIP code 98240, approximately 93.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 7.0% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 98240?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 98240 is 4.3% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.
Related
Take this with you
What to do with ZIP 98240's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 98240 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Custer, WA ranks among every U.S. ZIP code on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
- Save this ZIP to your shortlist to track alongside others you're considering View your shortlist
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.