PlainZIP

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 a mid-sized community (a standard USPS delivery area) in Buckley, Pierce County, Washington, home to 15,152 residents across 93.0 square miles, a density of 163 people per square mile, in the Los Angeles time zone.

ZIP 98321 skews affluent, with a median household income of $127,411 (40% above the Washington average), while per-capita income is $55,552. Poverty here runs at 4.7%, with unemployment measured at 4.0%. The typical home here is valued at $571,200 (12% above the state average); renters pay a median of $1,760 monthly, and 90.7% of units are owner-occupied.

Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 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 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 98321

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Buckley, WA

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 98321.

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 · ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) As of 2023

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 98321, Buckley, 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

15,152

Population

93.0

Area (sq mi)

163

People / sq mi

Los Angeles

Time Zone

standard

ZIP Type

Neighborhood Scorecard
Get an A-F grade across income, safety, housing, rent, education, commute, and childcare for this ZIP code.
View Scorecard →

Who lives in ZIP 98321?

41.2

Median Age

51.6%

Male

48.4%

Female

3.0%

Foreign-Born

White 86.8%
African American 3.0%
Asian 1.2%
American Indian or Alaska Native 1.3%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.2%
Two or More Ethnicities 6.4%
Hispanic or Latino 7.2%

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

Buckley, WA 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

$0–$20,000: 118 US ZIPs (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 1,573 US ZIPs (5%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 7,092 US ZIPs (23%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). Below this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). Below this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 2,855 US ZIPs (9%). Below this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 1,362 US ZIPs (4%). This entry sits in this band. $140,000–$160,000: 686 US ZIPs (2%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 364 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 186 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 324 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. This ZIP $0 $200K+ every reporting US ZIP, bucketed by value

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?

High School Graduate or Higher 52.7%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 22.1%

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

Owner 90.7%
Renter 9.3%

$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.

residents

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 98321 ranks #3 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023

ZIP 98321 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income

Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

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.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023
ZIP Code City Population Distance
98385 South Prairie, WA 459 1.7 mi
98396 Wilkeson, WA 662 4.5 mi
98391 Bonney Lake, WA 44,309 5.3 mi
98092 Auburn, WA 39,816 9.8 mi
98360 Orting, WA 12,221 9.6 mi

More ZIP Codes in Pierce County

98391 standard
Bonney Lake, WA
Pop: 44,309
98387 standard
Spanaway, WA
Pop: 43,173
98374 standard
Puyallup, WA
Pop: 37,360
98444 standard
Tacoma, WA
Pop: 33,956
98404 standard
Tacoma, WA
Pop: 32,086
98499 standard
Lakewood, WA
Pop: 29,750

Related Areas

Pierce County Buckley, WA Washington

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 98321 in? ▼
ZIP code 98321 (Buckley) is located in Pierce County, Washington. Pierce County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/pierce-wa.
What is the population of ZIP code 98321? ▼
ZIP code 98321 in Buckley, WA has a population of 15,152 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 98321? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 98321 is $127,411, which is 67% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 98321? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 98321 is $571,200, which is 105% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 98321? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 98321 is White at 86.8%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 7.2% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 98321? ▼
ZIP code 98321 has 329 business establishments employing approximately 1,741 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 98321? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 98321 are: Construction (88), Real estate and rental and leasing (32), Other services (except public administration) (32). There are 16 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 98321? ▼
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 98321 increased by 5.7% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 234%. 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 98321? ▼
In ZIP code 98321, 52.7% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 22.1% 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 98321? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 98321 is 34.3 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 98321? ▼
In ZIP code 98321, approximately 90.7% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 9.3% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 98321? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 98321 is 4.7% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.

Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.