PlainZIP

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 a mid-sized community (a standard USPS delivery area) in Tacoma, Pierce County, Washington, home to 6,356 residents across 2.4 square miles, a density of 2,606 people per square mile, in the Los Angeles time zone.

ZIP 98402 reports a modest median household income of $60,505 (33% below the Washington average), while per-capita income is $49,089. 22.9% of residents live below the poverty line, and the unemployment rate reads 5.4%. Median home value sits at $531,300 (4% above the state average), median rent at $1,553 a month, and owner-occupancy at 17.8%.

A solid share of residents have a four-year degree: 43.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 33.5, and the average commute is 22 minutes. To put 98402 in local context, 10 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles appear further down this page alongside 6 additional ZIPs in Pierce County, for a geography-aware comparison.

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 98402

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Tacoma, WA

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 98402.

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 98402, Tacoma, 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

6,356

Population

2.4

Area (sq mi)

2,606

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 98402?

33.5

Median Age

49.7%

Male

50.3%

Female

8.9%

Foreign-Born

White 66.1%
African American 8.5%
Asian 8.0%
American Indian or Alaska Native 1.4%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 1.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 12.4%
Hispanic or Latino 11.2%

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?

$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

Tacoma, WA 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

$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%). This entry sits in this band. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 2,855 US ZIPs (9%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 1,362 US ZIPs (4%). Above this entry. $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 63.7%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 43.4%

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

Owner 17.8%
Renter 82.2%

$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.

residents

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 98402 ranks #9 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 98402 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 98402 ranks #9 of 9 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
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

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 Tacoma, WA Washington

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 98402 in? ▼
ZIP code 98402 (Tacoma) 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 98402? ▼
ZIP code 98402 in Tacoma, WA has a population of 6,356 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 98402? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 98402 is $60,505, which is 21% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 98402? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 98402 is $531,300, which is 91% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 98402? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 98402 is White at 66.1%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 11.2% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 98402? ▼
ZIP code 98402 has 910 business establishments employing approximately 24,093 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 98402? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 98402 are: Professional, scientific, and technical services (187), Health care and social assistance (120), Finance and insurance (106). There are 16 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 98402? ▼
In ZIP code 98402, 63.7% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 43.4% 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 98402? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 98402 is 22.3 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend less time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 98402? ▼
In ZIP code 98402, approximately 17.8% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 82.2% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 98402? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 98402 is 22.9% 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.