Tacoma, WA · standard

ZIP Code 98446

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

10,173
357/sq mi High-density area
$101,938
Median income Above-median income area
$487,500
Median home value Above-median home value
21.5%
Bachelor's or higher Near-average bachelor's attainment

National ZIP placement

Tacoma pairs an upper-quartile household income with upper-quartile home values, in a low-density, homeowner-dominated area.

Top 18%
household income, US ZIPs
Top 14%
home value, US ZIPs
357
people per sq mi
67%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 98446 against every reporting US ZIP.

FHFA HPI release change

What changed in the latest House Price Index year

2023 -> 2024
  • FHFA House Price Index values in ZIP 98446 (Tacoma, WA) rose +5.0% from 2023 to 2024. The all-transactions index moved from 304.9 in 2023 to 320.2 in 2024 (2000 = 100).

Arithmetic difference between stored FHFA all-transactions ZIP House Price Index annual values - a developmental index from repeat sales and appraisals, not a transaction median, appraisal opinion, or forecast. Thin markets can move sharply.

National HPI changes Year-pair CSV

ZIP code 98446 is a mid-sized community (a standard USPS delivery area) in Tacoma, Pierce County, Washington, home to 10,173 residents across 28.5 square miles, a density of 357 people per square mile, in the Los Angeles time zone.

ZIP 98446 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $101,938 (12% above the average Washington ZIP), while per-capita income is $44,225. The poverty rate is 9.0%, with unemployment at 8.2%; those measures add context to the income figure. Median home value is $487,500 (5% below the average Washington ZIP) and median rent is $1,991; 66.8% of occupied homes are owner-occupied.

Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 21.5% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 36.7, and the average commute is 33 minutes. The page also surfaces 10 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Pierce County, so 98446 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 →

View your shortlist → Compare ZIPs →

Top industries in ZIP 98446

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Tacoma, WA

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 98446.

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 98446, 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

10,173

Population

28.5

Area (sq mi)

357

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 98446?

36.7

Median Age

50.6%

Male

49.4%

Female

7.7%

Foreign-Born

White 60.4%
African American 9.6%
Asian 4.1%
American Indian or Alaska Native 1.4%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 3.6%
Two or More Ethnicities 17.4%
Hispanic or Latino 15.4%

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?

$101,938

Median Household Income

+12% vs state ZIP avg

$44,225

Per Capita Income

9.0%

Poverty Rate

8.2%

Unemployment Rate

32.5 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 98446 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)

$101,938 Top 28% higher than 72% of 547 Washington ZIPs

This ZIP $0 $200K+ every Washington ZIP, bucketed by value

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?

High School Graduate or Higher 48.6%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 21.5%

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

What does housing look like?

5,579

Total Housing Units

5,257

Occupied Units

322

Vacant Units

2.78

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 66.8%
Renter 33.2%

$487,500

Median Home Value

-5% vs state ZIP avg

$1,991

Median Rent

1994

Median Year Built

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

FHFA House Price Index, annual appreciation data based on repeat sales and appraisals

+5.0%

YoY Change (2024)

320

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+220%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 98446 have increased 5.0% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +220% cumulative appreciation.

Year Annual Change HPI Index
2020 +6.2% 225
2021 +16.6% 263
2022 +15.4% 303
2023 +0.6% 305
2024 +5.0% 320

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 240 business establishments in ZIP 98446, employing approximately 3,428 people with a combined annual payroll of $248,262,000.

240

Businesses

3,428

Employees

$248.3M

Annual Payroll

13

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Construction 79 32.9%
Other services (except public administration) 31 12.9%
Real estate and rental and leasing 20 8.3%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 19 7.9%
Transportation and warehousing 17 7.1%
Retail trade 16 6.7%
Professional, scientific, and technical services 13 5.4%
Health care and social assistance 12 5.0%
Wholesale trade 11 4.6%
Manufacturing 7 2.9%
Accommodation and food services 7 2.9%
Utilities 3 1.3%
Finance and insurance 3 1.3%

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 98446 vs 98445 →

ZIP 98446 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 98446 ranks #9 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 98446 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 98446 ranks #6 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
98445 Tacoma, WA 29,661 1.8 mi
98373 Puyallup, WA 22,246 2.6 mi
98443 Tacoma, WA 5,371 5.2 mi
98375 Puyallup, WA 26,863 3.0 mi
98447 Tacoma, WA 842 3.4 mi
98387 Spanaway, WA 43,173 5.1 mi
98444 Tacoma, WA 33,956 3.9 mi
98374 Puyallup, WA 37,360 5.3 mi
98404 Tacoma, WA 32,086 5.8 mi
98371 Puyallup, WA 20,468 5.4 mi

Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles

Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 98446, 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 (10,173 here; floor ≥1,000).

Similar median household income

Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.

More ZIP Codes in Pierce County

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 98446 in?

ZIP code 98446 (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 98446?

ZIP code 98446 in Tacoma, WA has a population of 10,173 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in ZIP 98446?

The median household income in ZIP 98446 is $101,938, which is 34% above the national average of $76,288.

What is the average home value in ZIP 98446?

The median home value in ZIP 98446 is $487,500, which is 75% above the national average of $278,155.

What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 98446?

The largest racial group in ZIP 98446 is White at 60.4%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 15.4% of the population.

How many businesses are in ZIP code 98446?

ZIP code 98446 has 240 business establishments employing approximately 3,428 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.

What are the main industries in ZIP code 98446?

The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 98446 are: Construction (79), Other services (except public administration) (31), Real estate and rental and leasing (20). There are 13 industry sectors represented in total.

How have home values changed in ZIP code 98446?

According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 98446 increased by 5.0% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 220%. 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 98446?

In ZIP code 98446, 48.6% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 21.5% 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 98446?

The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 98446 is 32.5 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend more time traveling to work than typical.

What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 98446?

In ZIP code 98446, approximately 66.8% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 33.2% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 98446?

The poverty rate in ZIP code 98446 is 9.0% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.

ZIP 98446's figures come from ACS 5-Year Estimates, Census ZIP Code Business Patterns, and the FHFA House Price Index. See our methodology for details.

Related

Compare this ZIP with another

Read our methodology : how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Take this with you

What to do with ZIP 98446's numbers, next.

ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.