Buckley, WA · standard
ZIP Code 98321
Pierce County, Washington — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 15,152
- 163/sq mi
- $127,411
- Median income
- $571,200
- Median home value
- 22.1%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
Buckley pairs a top-decile household income with top-decile home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 8%
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 10%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 163
- people per sq mi
- 91%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 98321 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 98321 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 93.0 square miles in Buckley, Pierce County, Washington. The area is home to 15,152 residents, producing a population density of 163 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 98321 against Washington and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 98321 sits at $127,411 (40% above the Washington average), while per-capita income is $55,552. The poverty rate stands at 4.7% and the unemployment rate at 4.0%. On housing, the median home value is $571,200 (12% above the state average) with median rent at $1,760 per month, and 90.7% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 98321 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 22.1% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 41.2, and the average commute is 34 minutes. We also surface 5 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Pierce County, so you can benchmark 98321 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 98321
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 98321.
- Construction
Construction
88 establishments
- Real estate and rental and leasing 32
Real estate and rental and leasing
32 establishments
- Other services (except public administration) 32
Other services (except public administration)
32 establishments
- Accommodation and food services 23
Accommodation and food services
23 establishments
- Retail trade 22
Retail trade
22 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 98321, Buckley, 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
15,152
Population
93.0
Area (sq mi)
163
People / sq mi
Los Angeles
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 98321?
41.2
Median Age
51.6%
Male
48.4%
Female
3.0%
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?
$127,411
Median Household Income
+40% vs state
$55,552
Per Capita Income
4.7%
Poverty Rate
4.0%
Unemployment Rate
34.3 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 98321 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$127,411 Top 8% higher than 92% 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?
6,347
Total Housing Units
6,055
Occupied Units
292
Vacant Units
2.94
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$571,200
Median Home Value
+12% vs state
$1,760
Median Rent
1994
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
+5.7%
YoY Change (2024)
334
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+234%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 98321 have increased 5.7% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +234% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +6.3% | 230 |
| 2021 | +13.8% | 261 |
| 2022 | +15.7% | 303 |
| 2023 | +4.5% | 316 |
| 2024 | +5.7% | 334 |
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 329 business establishments in ZIP 98321, employing approximately 1,741 people with a combined annual payroll of $95,859,000.
329
Businesses
1,741
Employees
$95.9M
Annual Payroll
16
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | 88 | 26.8% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 32 | 9.7% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 32 | 9.7% |
| Accommodation and food services | 23 | 7.0% |
| Retail trade | 22 | 6.7% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 22 | 6.7% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 21 | 6.4% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 21 | 6.4% |
| Health care and social assistance | 15 | 4.6% |
| Wholesale trade | 14 | 4.3% |
| Manufacturing | 12 | 3.6% |
| Finance and insurance | 7 | 2.1% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 7 | 2.1% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting | 5 | 1.5% |
| Information | 3 | 0.9% |
| Educational services | 3 | 0.9% |
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 98321 vs 98385 →
ZIP 98321 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 98391
Bonney Lake (98391)
44,309 residents
- 98092
Auburn (98092)
39,816 residents
- 98321 15,152
Buckley (98321)
15,152 residents
- 98360 12,221
Orting (98360)
12,221 residents
- 98396 662
Wilkeson (98396)
662 residents
- 98385 459
South Prairie (98385)
459 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 98321 ranks #3 by population — useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 98321 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 98385
South Prairie (98385)
$152,500 median income
- 98391
Bonney Lake (98391)
$135,037 median income
- 98321
Buckley (98321)
$127,411 median income
- 98360
Orting (98360)
$125,842 median income
- 98092
Auburn (98092)
$122,300 median income
- 98396
Wilkeson (98396)
$112,031 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 98321 ranks #3 of 6 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
More ZIP Codes in Pierce County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 98321 in? ▼
What is the population of ZIP code 98321? ▼
What is the median household income in ZIP 98321? ▼
What is the average home value in ZIP 98321? ▼
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 98321? ▼
How many businesses are in ZIP code 98321? ▼
What are the main industries in ZIP code 98321? ▼
How have home values changed in ZIP code 98321? ▼
What is the education level in ZIP code 98321? ▼
What is the average commute time in ZIP 98321? ▼
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 98321? ▼
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 98321? ▼
ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for Buckley, 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.