Lopez Island, WA · standard
ZIP Code 98261
San Juan County, Washington - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 2,383
- 31/sq mi Moderate-density area
- $80,119
- Median income Near-median income area
- $787,800
- Median home value Above-median home value
- 59.6%
- Bachelor's or higher Above-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Lopez Island pairs an above-median household income with top-decile home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 38%
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 5%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 31
- people per sq mi
- 81%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 98261 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 98261 covers 77.1 square miles in Lopez Island, San Juan County, Washington (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 2,383 residents on file, a density of 31 people per square mile, in the Los Angeles time zone.
ZIP 98261 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $80,119 (12% below the average Washington ZIP), while per-capita income is $50,406. The poverty rate is 14.8%, with unemployment at 4.0%; those measures add context to the income figure. Housing is both higher-cost and owner-heavy: median home value is $787,800 (54% above the average Washington ZIP), while 80.6% of occupied homes are owner-occupied and median rent is $1,168.
This is a highly-educated ZIP: 59.6% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 62.2, and the average commute is -. The page also surfaces 4 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in San Juan County, so 98261 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 98261
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Lopez Island, WA
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 98261.
- Construction
Construction
37 establishments
- Professional, scientific, and technical services
Professional, scientific, and technical services
17 establishments
- Health care and social assistance 14
Health care and social assistance
14 establishments
- Retail trade 12
Retail trade
12 establishments
- Accommodation and food services 11
Accommodation and food services
11 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 98261, Lopez Island, 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
2,383
Population
77.1
Area (sq mi)
31
People / sq mi
Los Angeles
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 98261?
62.2
Median Age
48.7%
Male
51.3%
Female
7.4%
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?
$80,119
Median Household Income
-12% vs state ZIP avg
$50,406
Per Capita Income
14.8%
Poverty Rate
4.0%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 98261 ranks among Washington ZIPs
Lopez Island, 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)
$80,119 44th percentile higher than 44% 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
2,415housing units
2,415
Total Housing Units
1,468
Occupied Units
947
Vacant Units
2.03
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$787,800
Median Home Value
+54% vs state ZIP avg
$1,168
Median Rent
1985
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 148 business establishments in ZIP 98261, employing approximately 545 people with a combined annual payroll of $22,356,000.
148
Businesses
545
Employees
$22.4M
Annual Payroll
14
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | 37 | 25.0% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 17 | 11.5% |
| Health care and social assistance | 14 | 9.5% |
| Retail trade | 12 | 8.1% |
| Accommodation and food services | 11 | 7.4% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 10 | 6.8% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 10 | 6.8% |
| Manufacturing | 8 | 5.4% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 6 | 4.0% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 5 | 3.4% |
| Wholesale trade | 4 | 2.7% |
| Utilities | 3 | 2.0% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 3 | 2.0% |
| Information | 3 | 2.0% |
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 98261 vs 98280 →
ZIP 98261 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 98261
Lopez Island (98261)
2,383 residents
- 98243 507
Deer Harbor (98243)
507 residents
- 98280 480
Orcas (98280)
480 residents
- 98286 240
Shaw Island (98286)
240 residents
- 98222 33
Blakely Island (98222)
33 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 98261 ranks the most populous - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 98261 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 98243
Deer Harbor (98243)
$139,167 median income
- 98222
Blakely Island (98222)
$106,333 median income
- 98280
Orcas (98280)
$80,192 median income
- 98261
Lopez Island (98261)
$80,119 median income
- 98286
Shaw Island (98286)
$74,250 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 98261 ranks #4 of 5 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 98261, 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 (2,383 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in San Juan County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 98261 in?
ZIP code 98261 (Lopez Island) is located in San Juan County, Washington. San Juan County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/san-juan-wa.
What is the population of ZIP code 98261?
ZIP code 98261 in Lopez Island, WA has a population of 2,383 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 98261?
The median household income in ZIP 98261 is $80,119, which is 5% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 98261?
The median home value in ZIP 98261 is $787,800, which is 183% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 98261?
The largest racial group in ZIP 98261 is White at 90.8%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 5.2% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 98261?
ZIP code 98261 has 148 business establishments employing approximately 545 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 98261?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 98261 are: Construction (37), Professional, scientific, and technical services (17), Health care and social assistance (14). There are 14 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 98261?
In ZIP code 98261, 71.0% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 59.6% 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 98261?
In ZIP code 98261, approximately 80.6% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 19.4% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 98261?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 98261 is 14.8% 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 98261's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 98261 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Lopez Island, 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.