Orcas, WA · standard
ZIP Code 98280
San Juan County, Washington - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 480
- 26/sq mi Moderate-density area
- $80,192
- Median income Near-median income area
- $1,031,300
- Median home value Above-median home value
- 68.5%
- Bachelor's or higher Above-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Orcas pairs an above-median household income with top-decile home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 38%
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 2%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 26
- people per sq mi
- 84%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 98280 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 98280 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Orcas, San Juan County, Washington, home to just 480 residents across 18.5 square miles, a density of 26 people per square mile, in the Los Angeles time zone.
ZIP 98280 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $80,192 (12% below the average Washington ZIP), while per-capita income is $62,035. The poverty rate is 7.7%, with unemployment at 4.5%; those measures add context to the income figure. Housing is both higher-cost and owner-heavy: median home value is $1,031,300 (102% above the average Washington ZIP), while 83.9% of occupied homes are owner-occupied and median rent is $1,906.
This is a highly-educated ZIP: 68.5% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 61.9, and the average commute is -. The page also surfaces 7 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in San Juan County, so 98280 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 98280, Orcas, 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
480
Population
18.5
Area (sq mi)
26
People / sq mi
Los Angeles
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 98280?
61.9
Median Age
50.7%
Male
49.3%
Female
2.7%
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?
$80,192
Median Household Income
-12% vs state ZIP avg
$62,035
Per Capita Income
7.7%
Poverty Rate
4.5%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 98280 ranks among Washington ZIPs
Orcas, 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)
$80,192 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
379housing units
379
Total Housing Units
242
Occupied Units
137
Vacant Units
1.83
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$1,031,300
Median Home Value
+102% vs state ZIP avg
$1,906
Median Rent
1978
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 13 business establishments in ZIP 98280, employing approximately 78 people with a combined annual payroll of $4,119,000.
13
Businesses
78
Employees
$4.1M
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 98280 vs 98245 →
ZIP 98280 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 98245
Eastsound (98245)
3,651 residents
- 98261
Lopez Island (98261)
2,383 residents
- 98279 608
Olga (98279)
608 residents
- 98243 507
Deer Harbor (98243)
507 residents
- 98280 480
Orcas (98280)
480 residents
- 98286 240
Shaw Island (98286)
240 residents
- 98297 106
Waldron (98297)
106 residents
- 98222 33
Blakely Island (98222)
33 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 98280 ranks #5 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 98280 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
- 98245
Eastsound (98245)
$95,811 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
- 98279
Olga (98279)
$70,417 median income
- 98297 $45,625
Waldron (98297)
$45,625 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 98280 ranks #4 of 8 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 98280, 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 San Juan County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 98280 in?
ZIP code 98280 (Orcas) 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 98280?
ZIP code 98280 in Orcas, WA has a population of 480 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 98280?
The median household income in ZIP 98280 is $80,192, which is 5% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 98280?
The median home value in ZIP 98280 is $1,031,300, which is 271% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 98280?
The largest racial group in ZIP 98280 is White at 89.4%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 2.0% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 98280?
ZIP code 98280 has 13 business establishments employing approximately 78 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What is the education level in ZIP code 98280?
In ZIP code 98280, 76.4% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 68.5% 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 98280?
In ZIP code 98280, approximately 83.9% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 16.1% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 98280?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 98280 is 7.7% 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 98280's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 98280 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Orcas, 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.