Tacoma, WA · standard
ZIP Code 98402
Pierce County, Washington — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 6,356
- 2,606/sq mi
- $60,505
- Median income
- $531,300
- Median home value
- 43.4%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
Tacoma pairs a below-median household income with upper-quartile home values, in a suburban-density, renter-heavy area.
- 30th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 12%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 2,606
- people per sq mi
- 18%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 98402 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 98402 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 2.4 square miles in Tacoma, Pierce County, Washington. The area is home to 6,356 residents, producing a population density of 2,606 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 98402 against Washington and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 98402 sits at $60,505 (33% below the Washington average), while per-capita income is $49,089. The poverty rate stands at 22.9% and the unemployment rate at 5.4%. On housing, the median home value is $531,300 (4% above the state average) with median rent at $1,553 per month, and 17.8% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 98402 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 43.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 33.5, and the average commute is 22 minutes. We also surface 10 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Pierce County, so you can benchmark 98402 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 98402
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 98402.
- Professional, scientific, and technical services
Professional, scientific, and technical services
187 establishments
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
120 establishments
- Finance and insurance
Finance and insurance
106 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
101 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
99 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 98402, Tacoma, 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
6,356
Population
2.4
Area (sq mi)
2,606
People / sq mi
Los Angeles
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 98402?
33.5
Median Age
49.7%
Male
50.3%
Female
8.9%
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?
$60,505
Median Household Income
-33% vs state
$49,089
Per Capita Income
22.9%
Poverty Rate
5.4%
Unemployment Rate
22.3 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 98402 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$60,505 30th percentile higher than 30% 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?
5,007
Total Housing Units
4,625
Occupied Units
382
Vacant Units
1.49
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$531,300
Median Home Value
+4% vs state
$1,553
Median Rent
1988
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 910 business establishments in ZIP 98402, employing approximately 24,093 people with a combined annual payroll of $2,062,583,000.
910
Businesses
24,093
Employees
$2.1B
Annual Payroll
16
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 187 | 20.6% |
| Health care and social assistance | 120 | 13.2% |
| Finance and insurance | 106 | 11.7% |
| Accommodation and food services | 101 | 11.1% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 99 | 10.9% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 73 | 8.0% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 46 | 5.0% |
| Retail trade | 34 | 3.7% |
| Construction | 27 | 3.0% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 27 | 3.0% |
| Wholesale trade | 25 | 2.8% |
| Manufacturing | 18 | 2.0% |
| Information | 14 | 1.5% |
| Management of companies and enterprises | 13 | 1.4% |
| Educational services | 9 | 1.0% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 8 | 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 98402 vs 98418 →
ZIP 98402 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 98404
Tacoma (98404)
32,086 residents
- 98409
Tacoma (98409)
22,989 residents
- 98405
Tacoma (98405)
22,851 residents
- 98406
Tacoma (98406)
21,610 residents
- 98422
Tacoma (98422)
20,151 residents
- 98408
Tacoma (98408)
18,830 residents
- 98418 10,069
Tacoma (98418)
10,069 residents
- 98403 7,713
Tacoma (98403)
7,713 residents
- 98402 6,356
Tacoma (98402)
6,356 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 98402 ranks #9 by population — useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 98402 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 98422
Tacoma (98422)
$118,604 median income
- 98406
Tacoma (98406)
$104,264 median income
- 98418
Tacoma (98418)
$89,706 median income
- 98403
Tacoma (98403)
$88,056 median income
- 98404
Tacoma (98404)
$82,191 median income
- 98408
Tacoma (98408)
$80,899 median income
- 98405
Tacoma (98405)
$75,946 median income
- 98409
Tacoma (98409)
$73,348 median income
- 98402
Tacoma (98402)
$60,505 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 98402 ranks #9 of 9 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
| ZIP Code | City | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 98418 | Tacoma, WA | 10,069 | 1.8 mi |
| 98405 | Tacoma, WA | 22,851 | 1.6 mi |
| 98403 | Tacoma, WA | 7,713 | 1.5 mi |
| 98421 | Tacoma, WA | 1,308 | 2.0 mi |
| 98416 | Tacoma, WA | 1,014 | 2.2 mi |
| 98408 | Tacoma, WA | 18,830 | 3.5 mi |
| 98404 | Tacoma, WA | 32,086 | 3.0 mi |
| 98409 | Tacoma, WA | 22,989 | 3.3 mi |
| 98406 | Tacoma, WA | 21,610 | 3.4 mi |
| 98422 | Tacoma, WA | 20,151 | 3.6 mi |
More ZIP Codes in Pierce County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 98402 in? ▼
What is the population of ZIP code 98402? ▼
What is the median household income in ZIP 98402? ▼
What is the average home value in ZIP 98402? ▼
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 98402? ▼
How many businesses are in ZIP code 98402? ▼
What are the main industries in ZIP code 98402? ▼
What is the education level in ZIP code 98402? ▼
What is the average commute time in ZIP 98402? ▼
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 98402? ▼
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 98402? ▼
ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for Tacoma, 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.