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 Low-density area
- $83,891
- Median income Above-median income area
- $448,900
- Median home value Above-median home value
- 18.2%
- Bachelor's or higher Near-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
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.
FHFA HPI release change
What changed in the latest House Price Index year
- FHFA House Price Index values in ZIP 98251 (Gold Bar, WA) rose +21.1% from 2023 to 2024. The all-transactions index moved from 271.3 in 2023 to 328.4 in 2024 (2000 = 100).
ZIP code 98251 covers 393.7 square miles in Gold Bar, Snohomish County, Washington (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 4,567 residents on file, a density of 12 people per square mile, in the Los Angeles time zone.
ZIP 98251 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $83,891 (8% below the average Washington ZIP), while per-capita income is $38,314. The poverty rate is 12.7%, with unemployment at 7.5%; those measures add context to the income figure. Median home value is $448,900 (12% below the average Washington ZIP) and median rent is $1,791; 89.4% of occupied homes are owner-occupied.
Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 18.2% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 40.4, and the average commute is 48 minutes. The page also surfaces 1 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Snohomish County, so 98251 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 98251
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Gold Bar, WA
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 + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, 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; 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 ZIP avg
$38,314
Per Capita Income
12.7%
Poverty Rate
7.5%
Unemployment Rate
48.2 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 98251 ranks among Washington ZIPs
Gold Bar, 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)
$83,891 49th percentile higher than 49% 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
2,340housing units
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 ZIP avg
$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 |
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 98251, 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 (4,567 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Snohomish County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 98251 in?
ZIP code 98251 (Gold Bar) is located in Snohomish County, Washington. Snohomish County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/snohomish-wa.
What is the population of ZIP code 98251?
ZIP code 98251 in Gold Bar, WA has a population of 4,567 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 98251?
The median household income in ZIP 98251 is $83,891, which is 10% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 98251?
The median home value in ZIP 98251 is $448,900, which is 61% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 98251?
The largest racial group in ZIP 98251 is White at 75.4%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 13.2% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 98251?
ZIP code 98251 has 80 business establishments employing approximately 298 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 98251?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 98251 are: Construction (23), Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services (14), Accommodation and food services (9). There are 10 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 98251?
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 98251 increased by 21.1% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 228%. 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 98251?
In ZIP code 98251, 45.4% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 18.2% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What is the average commute time in ZIP 98251?
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 98251 is 48.2 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend more time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 98251?
In ZIP code 98251, approximately 89.4% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 10.6% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 98251?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 98251 is 12.7% 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 98251's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 98251 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Gold Bar, WA ranks among every U.S. ZIP code on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
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ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.