PlainZIP

Lakewood, WA · standard

ZIP Code 98439

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

4,839
214/sq mi
$50,509
Median income
10.4%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Lakewood pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country, in a low-density, renter-heavy area.

15th pct
household income, US ZIPs
214
people per sq mi
9%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 98439 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 98439 covers 22.6 square miles in Lakewood, Pierce County, Washington (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 4,839 residents on file, a density of 214 people per square mile, in the Los Angeles time zone.

ZIP 98439 reports a modest median household income of $50,509 (44% below the Washington average), while per-capita income is $22,112. Poverty here runs at 14.7%, with unemployment measured at 8.1%. On housing, the median home value is - with median rent at $1,873 per month, and 9.2% of occupied units are owner-occupied.

Formal educational attainment runs low here: just 10.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 25.1, and the average commute is 22 minutes. To put 98439 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 98439

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Lakewood, WA

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 98439.

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 98439, Lakewood, 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

4,839

Population

22.6

Area (sq mi)

214

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 98439?

25.1

Median Age

54.0%

Male

46.0%

Female

6.0%

Foreign-Born

White 56.0%
African American 11.7%
Asian 3.0%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.8%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.1%
Two or More Ethnicities 15.8%
Hispanic or Latino 27.5%

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?

$50,509

Median Household Income

-44% vs state

$22,112

Per Capita Income

14.7%

Poverty Rate

8.1%

Unemployment Rate

21.8 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 98439 ranks nationally

Lakewood, WA household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$50,509 15th percentile higher than 15% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). Above this entry. $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 42.0%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 10.4%

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

What does housing look like?

2,416

Total Housing Units

2,139

Occupied Units

277

Vacant Units

2.65

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 9.2%
Renter 90.8%

$1,873

Median Rent

1979

Median Year Built

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

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 28 business establishments in ZIP 98439, employing approximately 568 people with a combined annual payroll of $28,133,000.

28

Businesses

568

Employees

$28.1M

Annual Payroll

4

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Transportation and warehousing 8 28.6%
Real estate and rental and leasing 6 21.4%
Construction 4 14.3%
Retail trade 3 10.7%

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 98439 vs 98438 →

ZIP 98439 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 98439 ranks #8 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 98439 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 98439 ranks #8 of 8 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
98438 Mcchord Afb, WA 366 0.6 mi
98499 Lakewood, WA 29,750 3.0 mi
98430 Camp Murray, WA 13 3.2 mi
98447 Tacoma, WA 842 3.1 mi
98444 Tacoma, WA 33,956 3.2 mi
98498 Lakewood, WA 27,546 3.6 mi
98433 Tacoma, WA 14,584 4.1 mi
98409 Tacoma, WA 22,989 6.1 mi
98445 Tacoma, WA 29,661 4.4 mi
98467 University Place, WA 14,728 5.9 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 Lakewood, WA Washington

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 98439 in? ▼
ZIP code 98439 (Lakewood) 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 98439? ▼
ZIP code 98439 in Lakewood, WA has a population of 4,839 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 98439? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 98439 is $50,509, which is 34% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 98439? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 98439 is White at 56.0%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 27.5% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 98439? ▼
ZIP code 98439 has 28 business establishments employing approximately 568 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 98439? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 98439 are: Transportation and warehousing (8), Real estate and rental and leasing (6), Construction (4). There are 4 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 98439? ▼
In ZIP code 98439, 42.0% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 10.4% 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 98439? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 98439 is 21.8 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 98439? ▼
In ZIP code 98439, approximately 9.2% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 90.8% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 98439? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 98439 is 14.7% 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.