PlainZIP

Tacoma, WA · standard

ZIP Code 98403

Pierce County, Washington - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.

7,713
2,714/sq mi
$88,056
Median income
$829,800
Median home value
64.2%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Tacoma pairs an above-median household income with top-decile home values, in a suburban-density, renter-heavy area.

Top 29%
household income, US ZIPs
Top 4%
home value, US ZIPs
2,714
people per sq mi
40%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 98403 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 98403 is a mid-sized community (a standard USPS delivery area) in Tacoma, Pierce County, Washington, home to 7,713 residents across 2.8 square miles, a density of 2,714 people per square mile, in the Los Angeles time zone.

ZIP 98403 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $88,056 (3% below the Washington average), while per-capita income is $67,283. Poverty here runs at 9.3%, with unemployment measured at 1.7%. Housing costs here run $829,800 for a typical home value (62% above the state average), with rent averaging $1,546 a month; 39.7% of homes are owner-occupied.

This is a highly-educated ZIP: 64.2% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 39.4, and the average commute is 26 minutes. To put 98403 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 98403

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Tacoma, WA

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 98403.

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 98403, 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

7,713

Population

2.8

Area (sq mi)

2,714

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 98403?

39.4

Median Age

46.9%

Male

53.1%

Female

4.0%

Foreign-Born

White 72.7%
African American 5.5%
Asian 4.2%
American Indian or Alaska Native 1.9%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 14.4%
Hispanic or Latino 9.0%

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?

$88,056

Median Household Income

-3% vs state

$67,283

Per Capita Income

9.3%

Poverty Rate

1.7%

Unemployment Rate

25.6 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 98403 ranks nationally

Tacoma, WA household income vs. every US ZIP code

Median household income, the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked

$88,056 Top 29% higher than 71% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $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 78.6%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 64.2%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What does housing look like?

5,014

Total Housing Units

4,818

Occupied Units

196

Vacant Units

1.87

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 39.7%
Renter 60.3%

$829,800

Median Home Value

+62% vs state

$1,546

Median Rent

1938

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

-6.2%

YoY Change (2024)

343

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+243%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 98403 have decreased 6.2% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +243% cumulative appreciation.

Year Annual Change HPI Index
2020 +6.3% 258
2021 +14.4% 296
2022 +14.5% 339
2023 +7.9% 366
2024 -6.2% 343

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 239 business establishments in ZIP 98403, employing approximately 2,037 people with a combined annual payroll of $142,570,000.

239

Businesses

2,037

Employees

$142.6M

Annual Payroll

13

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Health care and social assistance 40 16.7%
Accommodation and food services 35 14.6%
Professional, scientific, and technical services 32 13.4%
Other services (except public administration) 27 11.3%
Real estate and rental and leasing 25 10.5%
Retail trade 19 8.0%
Finance and insurance 16 6.7%
Construction 12 5.0%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 7 2.9%
Educational services 7 2.9%
Wholesale trade 5 2.1%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation 5 2.1%
Manufacturing 4 1.7%

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 98403 vs 98416 →

ZIP 98403 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 98403 ranks #7 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 98403 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 98403 ranks #4 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
98416 Tacoma, WA 1,014 1.1 mi
98405 Tacoma, WA 22,851 1.5 mi
98402 Tacoma, WA 6,356 1.5 mi
98406 Tacoma, WA 21,610 2.4 mi
98418 Tacoma, WA 10,069 3.0 mi
98421 Tacoma, WA 1,308 2.8 mi
98407 Tacoma, WA 19,885 2.9 mi
98409 Tacoma, WA 22,989 3.9 mi
98408 Tacoma, WA 18,830 4.7 mi
98465 Tacoma, WA 6,340 3.5 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 98403 in? ▼
ZIP code 98403 (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 98403? ▼
ZIP code 98403 in Tacoma, WA has a population of 7,713 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 98403? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 98403 is $88,056, which is 15% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 98403? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 98403 is $829,800, which is 198% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 98403? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 98403 is White at 72.7%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 9.0% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 98403? ▼
ZIP code 98403 has 239 business establishments employing approximately 2,037 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 98403? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 98403 are: Health care and social assistance (40), Accommodation and food services (35), Professional, scientific, and technical services (32). There are 13 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 98403? ▼
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 98403 decreased by 6.2% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 243%. 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 98403? ▼
In ZIP code 98403, 78.6% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 64.2% 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 98403? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 98403 is 25.6 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 98403? ▼
In ZIP code 98403, approximately 39.7% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 60.3% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 98403? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 98403 is 9.3% 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.