South Prairie, WA · standard
ZIP Code 98385
Pierce County, Washington - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 459
- 375/sq mi High-density area
- $152,500
- Median income Above-median income area
- $504,400
- Median home value Above-median home value
- 16.5%
- Bachelor's or higher Below-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
South Prairie pairs a top-decile household income with upper-quartile home values, in a low-density, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 4%
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 13%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 375
- people per sq mi
- 95%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 98385 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 98385 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in South Prairie, Pierce County, Washington, home to just 459 residents across 1.2 square miles, a density of 375 people per square mile, in the Los Angeles time zone.
ZIP 98385 skews affluent, with a median household income of $152,500 (68% above the average Washington ZIP), while per-capita income is $109,444. The poverty rate is 2.0%, with unemployment at 7.0%; those measures add context to the income figure. Median home value is $504,400 (1% below the average Washington ZIP); 95.1% of occupied homes are owner-occupied.
Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 16.5% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 38.7, and the average commute is -. The page also surfaces 5 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Pierce County, so 98385 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 98385
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in South Prairie, WA
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 98385.
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
4 establishments
- Construction
Construction
3 establishments
- Manufacturing
Manufacturing
3 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 98385, South Prairie, 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
459
Population
1.2
Area (sq mi)
375
People / sq mi
Los Angeles
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 98385?
38.7
Median Age
53.4%
Male
46.6%
Female
3.3%
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?
$152,500
Median Household Income
+68% vs state ZIP avg
$109,444
Per Capita Income
2.0%
Poverty Rate
7.0%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 98385 ranks among Washington ZIPs
South Prairie, 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)
$152,500 Top 6% higher than 94% 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
170housing units
170
Total Housing Units
162
Occupied Units
8
Vacant Units
2.82
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$504,400
Median Home Value
-1% vs state ZIP avg
1981
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 16 business establishments in ZIP 98385, employing approximately 166 people with a combined annual payroll of $7,932,000.
16
Businesses
166
Employees
$7.9M
Annual Payroll
3
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Accommodation and food services | 4 | 25.0% |
| Construction | 3 | 18.8% |
| Manufacturing | 3 | 18.8% |
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 98385 vs 98321 →
ZIP 98385 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
- 98321 15,152
Buckley (98321)
15,152 residents
- 98360 12,221
Orting (98360)
12,221 residents
- 98390 10,461
Sumner (98390)
10,461 residents
- 98396 662
Wilkeson (98396)
662 residents
- 98385 459
South Prairie (98385)
459 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 98385 ranks #6 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 98385 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
- 98396
Wilkeson (98396)
$112,031 median income
- 98390
Sumner (98390)
$97,795 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 98385 ranks the highest of 6 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 98385, 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 Pierce County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 98385 in?
ZIP code 98385 (South Prairie) 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 98385?
ZIP code 98385 in South Prairie, WA has a population of 459 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 98385?
The median household income in ZIP 98385 is $152,500, which is 100% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 98385?
The median home value in ZIP 98385 is $504,400, which is 81% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 98385?
The largest racial group in ZIP 98385 is White at 68.5%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 7.9% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 98385?
ZIP code 98385 has 16 business establishments employing approximately 166 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 98385?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 98385 are: Accommodation and food services (4), Construction (3), Manufacturing (3). There are 3 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 98385?
In ZIP code 98385, 44.3% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 16.5% 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 98385?
In ZIP code 98385, approximately 95.1% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 4.9% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 98385?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 98385 is 2.0% 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 98385's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 98385 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where South Prairie, 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.