Gold Bar, WA · standard
ZIP Code 98251
Snohomish County, Washington — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 4,567
- 12/sq mi
- $83,891
- Median income
- $448,900
- Median home value
- 18.2%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
Gold Bar pairs an above-median household income with upper-quartile home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 33%
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 16%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 12
- people per sq mi
- 89%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 98251 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 98251 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 393.7 square miles in Gold Bar, Snohomish County, Washington. The area is home to 4,567 residents, producing a population density of 12 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 98251 against Washington and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 98251 sits at $83,891 (8% below the Washington average), while per-capita income is $38,314. The poverty rate stands at 12.7% and the unemployment rate at 7.5%. On housing, the median home value is $448,900 (12% below the state average) with median rent at $1,791 per month, and 89.4% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 98251 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 18.2% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 40.4, and the average commute is 48 minutes. We also surface 1 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Snohomish County, so you can benchmark 98251 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 98251
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 98251.
- Construction
Construction
23 establishments
- Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services
14 establishments
- Accommodation and food services 9
Accommodation and food services
9 establishments
- Retail trade 8
Retail trade
8 establishments
- Real estate and rental and leasing 5
Real estate and rental and leasing
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 + HUD FMR + FHFA HPI ACS demographics, ZBP business establishments, HUD Fair Market Rents, FHFA HPI for ZIP 98251, Gold Bar, 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
4,567
Population
393.7
Area (sq mi)
12
People / sq mi
Los Angeles
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 98251?
40.4
Median Age
52.0%
Male
48.0%
Female
6.7%
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?
$83,891
Median Household Income
-8% vs state
$38,314
Per Capita Income
12.7%
Poverty Rate
7.5%
Unemployment Rate
48.2 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 98251 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$83,891 Top 33% higher than 67% 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?
2,340
Total Housing Units
1,905
Occupied Units
435
Vacant Units
2.57
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$448,900
Median Home Value
-12% vs state
$1,791
Median Rent
1992
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
+21.1%
YoY Change (2024)
328
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+228%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 98251 have increased 21.1% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +228% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +8.2% | 215 |
| 2021 | +17.3% | 253 |
| 2022 | +21.0% | 306 |
| 2023 | -11.3% | 271 |
| 2024 | +21.1% | 328 |
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 80 business establishments in ZIP 98251, employing approximately 298 people with a combined annual payroll of $10,471,000.
80
Businesses
298
Employees
$10.5M
Annual Payroll
10
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | 23 | 28.8% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 14 | 17.5% |
| Accommodation and food services | 9 | 11.3% |
| Retail trade | 8 | 10.0% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 5 | 6.3% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 4 | 5.0% |
| Manufacturing | 3 | 3.8% |
| Wholesale trade | 3 | 3.8% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 3 | 3.8% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 3 | 3.8% |
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 98251 vs 98256 →
| ZIP Code | City | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 98256 | Index, WA | 420 | 7.3 mi |
More ZIP Codes in Snohomish County
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Frequently Asked Questions
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How many businesses are in ZIP code 98251? ▼
What are the main industries in ZIP code 98251? ▼
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ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for Gold Bar, 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.