Index, WA · standard
ZIP Code 98256
Snohomish County, Washington - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 420
- 2/sq mi Low-density area
- $94,375
- Median income Above-median income area
- $430,000
- Median home value Above-median home value
- 12.5%
- Bachelor's or higher Below-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Index pairs an upper-quartile household income with upper-quartile home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 23%
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 18%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 2
- people per sq mi
- 86%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 98256 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 98256 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Index, Snohomish County, Washington, home to just 420 residents across 221.1 square miles, a density of 2 people per square mile, in the Los Angeles time zone.
ZIP 98256 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $94,375 (4% above the average Washington ZIP), while per-capita income is $41,920. Unemployment is 14.4%, an important qualifier alongside the household-income figure. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $430,000 (16% below the average Washington ZIP); owner occupancy is 85.9%.
Formal educational attainment runs low here: just 12.5% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 45.2, and the average commute is -. The page also surfaces 1 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Snohomish County, so 98256 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 →
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 98256, Index, 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
420
Population
221.1
Area (sq mi)
2
People / sq mi
Los Angeles
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 98256?
45.2
Median Age
50.8%
Male
49.2%
Female
5.4%
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?
$94,375
Median Household Income
+4% vs state ZIP avg
$41,920
Per Capita Income
12.2%
Poverty Rate
14.4%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 98256 ranks among Washington ZIPs
Index, 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)
$94,375 Top 37% higher than 63% 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
310housing units
310
Total Housing Units
156
Occupied Units
154
Vacant Units
2.36
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$430,000
Median Home Value
-16% vs state ZIP avg
1967
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 7 business establishments in ZIP 98256, employing approximately 14 people with a combined annual payroll of $634,000.
7
Businesses
14
Employees
$634K
Annual Payroll
0
Industry Sectors
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 98256 vs 98251 →
| ZIP Code | City | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 98251 | Gold Bar, WA | 4,567 | 7.3 mi |
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 98256, both outside WA so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment (Nearby and same-county blocks stay local).
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 98256 in?
ZIP code 98256 (Index) 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 98256?
ZIP code 98256 in Index, WA has a population of 420 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 98256?
The median household income in ZIP 98256 is $94,375, which is 24% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 98256?
The median home value in ZIP 98256 is $430,000, which is 55% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 98256?
The largest racial group in ZIP 98256 is White at 98.4%.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 98256?
ZIP code 98256 has 7 business establishments employing approximately 14 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What is the education level in ZIP code 98256?
In ZIP code 98256, 60.1% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 12.5% 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 98256?
In ZIP code 98256, approximately 85.9% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 14.1% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 98256?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 98256 is 12.2% 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 98256's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 98256 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Index, 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.