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
- $26,307
- Median income
- 15.1%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
Tacoma pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country, in a rural, renter-heavy area.
- 1th 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 classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 17.3 square miles in Tacoma, Pierce County, Washington. The area is home to 1,308 residents, producing a population density of 76 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 98421 against Washington and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 98421 sits at $26,307 (71% below the Washington average), while per-capita income is $14,714. The poverty rate stands at 39.1% and the unemployment rate at 0.0%. On housing, the median home value is — with median rent at $1,083 per month, and 5.3% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 98421 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 15.1% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 33.1, and the average commute is —. We also surface 10 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Pierce County, so you can benchmark 98421 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 98421
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
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 + HUD FMR + FHFA HPI ACS demographics, ZBP business establishments, HUD Fair Market Rents, 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; HUD FMR + 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
$14,714
Per Capita Income
39.1%
Poverty Rate
0.0%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 98421 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$26,307 1st percentile higher than 1% 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?
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 |
More ZIP Codes in Pierce County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 98421 in? ▼
What is the population of ZIP code 98421? ▼
What is the median household income in ZIP 98421? ▼
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 98421? ▼
How many businesses are in ZIP code 98421? ▼
What are the main industries in ZIP code 98421? ▼
What is the education level in ZIP code 98421? ▼
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 98421? ▼
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 98421? ▼
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.