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 classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 2.8 square miles in Tacoma, Pierce County, Washington. The area is home to 7,713 residents, producing a population density of 2,714 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 98403 against Washington and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 98403 sits at $88,056 (3% below the Washington average), while per-capita income is $67,283. The poverty rate stands at 9.3% and the unemployment rate at 1.7%. On housing, the median home value is $829,800 (62% above the state average) with median rent at $1,546 per month, and 39.7% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 98403 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 64.2% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 39.4, and the average commute is 26 minutes. We also surface 10 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Pierce County, so you can benchmark 98403 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 98403
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 98403.
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
40 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
35 establishments
- Professional, scientific, and technical services
Professional, scientific, and technical services
32 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
27 establishments
- Real estate and rental and leasing
Real estate and rental and leasing
25 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 98403, 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
7,713
Population
2.8
Area (sq mi)
2,714
People / sq mi
Los Angeles
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 98403?
39.4
Median Age
46.9%
Male
53.1%
Female
4.0%
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?
$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
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
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?
5,014
Total Housing Units
4,818
Occupied Units
196
Vacant Units
1.87
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$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.
- 98409
Tacoma (98409)
22,989 residents
- 98405
Tacoma (98405)
22,851 residents
- 98406
Tacoma (98406)
21,610 residents
- 98407
Tacoma (98407)
19,885 residents
- 98408
Tacoma (98408)
18,830 residents
- 98418
Tacoma (98418)
10,069 residents
- 98403 7,713
Tacoma (98403)
7,713 residents
- 98402 6,356
Tacoma (98402)
6,356 residents
- 98465 6,340
Tacoma (98465)
6,340 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 98403 ranks #7 by population — useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 98403 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 98407
Tacoma (98407)
$110,288 median income
- 98406
Tacoma (98406)
$104,264 median income
- 98418
Tacoma (98418)
$89,706 median income
- 98403
Tacoma (98403)
$88,056 median income
- 98408
Tacoma (98408)
$80,899 median income
- 98405
Tacoma (98405)
$75,946 median income
- 98409
Tacoma (98409)
$73,348 median income
- 98465
Tacoma (98465)
$73,226 median income
- 98402
Tacoma (98402)
$60,505 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.
| 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
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 98403 in? ▼
What is the population of ZIP code 98403? ▼
What is the median household income in ZIP 98403? ▼
What is the average home value in ZIP 98403? ▼
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 98403? ▼
How many businesses are in ZIP code 98403? ▼
What are the main industries in ZIP code 98403? ▼
How have home values changed in ZIP code 98403? ▼
What is the education level in ZIP code 98403? ▼
What is the average commute time in ZIP 98403? ▼
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 98403? ▼
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 98403? ▼
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.