Tacoma, WA · standard
ZIP Code 98421
Pierce County, Washington - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 1,308
- 76/sq mi Moderate-density area
- $26,307
- Median income Below-median income area
- 15.1%
- Bachelor's or higher Below-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Tacoma pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country, in a rural, renter-heavy area.
- 1st pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- 76
- people per sq mi
- 5%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 98421 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 98421 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Tacoma, Pierce County, Washington, home to just 1,308 residents across 17.3 square miles, a density of 76 people per square mile, in the Los Angeles time zone.
ZIP 98421 sits on the lower end of the income spectrum: median household income is $26,307 (71% below the average Washington ZIP), while per-capita income is $14,714. The poverty rate is 39.1%, so the area-level income figures should not be treated as typical household experience. The ACS does not report a median home value for this ZIP, so housing cost context is limited to the available tenure and rent fields.
Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 15.1% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 33.1, and the average commute is -. The page also surfaces 10 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Pierce County, so 98421 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 98421
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Tacoma, WA
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 98421.
- Transportation and warehousing
Transportation and warehousing
88 establishments
- Wholesale trade
Wholesale trade
49 establishments
- Manufacturing
Manufacturing
48 establishments
- Other services (except public administration) 25
Other services (except public administration)
25 establishments
- Retail trade 18
Retail trade
18 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 98421, 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
1,308
Population
17.3
Area (sq mi)
76
People / sq mi
Los Angeles
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 98421?
33.1
Median Age
87.0%
Male
13.0%
Female
26.4%
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?
$26,307
Median Household Income
-71% vs state ZIP avg
$14,714
Per Capita Income
39.1%
Poverty Rate
0.0%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 98421 ranks among Washington ZIPs
Tacoma, 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)
$26,307 0th percentile higher than 0% 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
108housing units
108
Total Housing Units
95
Occupied Units
13
Vacant Units
1.16
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$1,083
Median Rent
2017
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 316 business establishments in ZIP 98421, employing approximately 9,060 people with a combined annual payroll of $704,936,000.
316
Businesses
9,060
Employees
$704.9M
Annual Payroll
14
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Transportation and warehousing | 88 | 27.9% |
| Wholesale trade | 49 | 15.5% |
| Manufacturing | 48 | 15.2% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 25 | 7.9% |
| Retail trade | 18 | 5.7% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 18 | 5.7% |
| Construction | 14 | 4.4% |
| Accommodation and food services | 14 | 4.4% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 13 | 4.1% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 13 | 4.1% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 5 | 1.6% |
| Management of companies and enterprises | 4 | 1.3% |
| Health care and social assistance | 4 | 1.3% |
| Finance and insurance | 3 | 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 98421 vs 98422 →
ZIP 98421 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 98023
Federal Way (98023)
47,510 residents
- 98404
Tacoma (98404)
32,086 residents
- 98405
Tacoma (98405)
22,851 residents
- 98422
Tacoma (98422)
20,151 residents
- 98424 10,140
Tacoma (98424)
10,140 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
- 98443 5,371
Tacoma (98443)
5,371 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 98421 ranks #0 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 98421 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
- 98443
Tacoma (98443)
$105,035 median income
- 98023
Federal Way (98023)
$104,893 median income
- 98424
Tacoma (98424)
$94,122 median income
- 98418
Tacoma (98418)
$89,706 median income
- 98403
Tacoma (98403)
$88,056 median income
- 98404
Tacoma (98404)
$82,191 median income
- 98405
Tacoma (98405)
$75,946 median income
- 98402
Tacoma (98402)
$60,505 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 98421 ranks #null of 9 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
| ZIP Code | City | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 98422 | Tacoma, WA | 20,151 | 2.1 mi |
| 98402 | Tacoma, WA | 6,356 | 2.0 mi |
| 98404 | Tacoma, WA | 32,086 | 3.5 mi |
| 98403 | Tacoma, WA | 7,713 | 2.8 mi |
| 98424 | Tacoma, WA | 10,140 | 2.8 mi |
| 98443 | Tacoma, WA | 5,371 | 4.0 mi |
| 98418 | Tacoma, WA | 10,069 | 3.3 mi |
| 98416 | Tacoma, WA | 1,014 | 3.8 mi |
| 98405 | Tacoma, WA | 22,851 | 3.5 mi |
| 98023 | Federal Way, WA | 47,510 | 3.8 mi |
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 98421, both outside WA so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment (Nearby and same-county blocks stay local).
Similar population
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by resident population (1,308 here; floor ≥1,000).
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 98421 in?
ZIP code 98421 (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 98421?
ZIP code 98421 in Tacoma, WA has a population of 1,308 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 98421?
The median household income in ZIP 98421 is $26,307, which is 66% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 98421?
The largest racial group in ZIP 98421 is White at 38.7%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 22.6% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 98421?
ZIP code 98421 has 316 business establishments employing approximately 9,060 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 98421?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 98421 are: Transportation and warehousing (88), Wholesale trade (49), Manufacturing (48). There are 14 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 98421?
In ZIP code 98421, 46.9% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 15.1% 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 98421?
In ZIP code 98421, approximately 5.3% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 94.7% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 98421?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 98421 is 39.1% 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 98421's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 98421 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Tacoma, WA ranks among every U.S. ZIP code on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
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ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.