PlainZIP

Lakewood, WA · standard

ZIP Code 98498

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

27,546
1,262/sq mi
$91,664
Median income
$506,300
Median home value
31.8%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

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

Top 25%
household income, US ZIPs
Top 13%
home value, US ZIPs
1,262
people per sq mi
64%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 98498 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 98498 is a densely settled ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Lakewood, Pierce County, Washington, with 27,546 residents across 21.8 square miles, a density of 1,262 people per square mile, in the Los Angeles time zone.

ZIP 98498 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $91,664 (1% above the Washington average), while per-capita income is $50,374. 8.1% of residents live below the poverty line, and the unemployment rate reads 3.6%. On housing, the median home value is $506,300 (1% below the state average) with median rent at $1,711 per month, and 63.9% of occupied units are owner-occupied.

A solid share of residents have a four-year degree: 31.8% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 40.8, and the average commute is 30 minutes. Beyond these figures, 10 nearby ZIP codes within about 10 miles are surfaced below, along with 6 more sharing Pierce County, letting you compare 98498 to its immediate surroundings rather than a national baseline alone.

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 98498

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Lakewood, WA

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 98498.

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 98498, 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

27,546

Population

21.8

Area (sq mi)

1,262

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 98498?

40.8

Median Age

49.9%

Male

50.1%

Female

12.0%

Foreign-Born

White 54.6%
African American 10.3%
Asian 7.6%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 1.8%
Two or More Ethnicities 18.3%
Hispanic or Latino 13.1%

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?

$91,664

Median Household Income

+1% vs state

$50,374

Per Capita Income

8.1%

Poverty Rate

3.6%

Unemployment Rate

29.6 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 98498 ranks nationally

Lakewood, WA household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$91,664 Top 25% higher than 75% 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%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). Below this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). This entry sits in this band. $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 53.1%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 31.8%

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

What does housing look like?

12,918

Total Housing Units

11,857

Occupied Units

1,061

Vacant Units

2.36

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 63.9%
Renter 36.1%

$506,300

Median Home Value

-1% vs state

$1,711

Median Rent

1974

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

+2.3%

YoY Change (2024)

349

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+249%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 98498 have increased 2.3% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +249% cumulative appreciation.

Year Annual Change HPI Index
2020 +8.0% 243
2021 +17.8% 287
2022 +14.1% 327
2023 +4.5% 342
2024 +2.3% 349

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 331 business establishments in ZIP 98498, employing approximately 4,620 people with a combined annual payroll of $315,681,000.

331

Businesses

4,620

Employees

$315.7M

Annual Payroll

14

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Health care and social assistance 71 21.4%
Construction 49 14.8%
Accommodation and food services 41 12.4%
Other services (except public administration) 37 11.2%
Retail trade 34 10.3%
Real estate and rental and leasing 25 7.5%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 18 5.4%
Professional, scientific, and technical services 14 4.2%
Finance and insurance 10 3.0%
Transportation and warehousing 9 2.7%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation 7 2.1%
Manufacturing 6 1.8%
Wholesale trade 3 0.9%
Information 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 98498 vs 98467 →

ZIP 98498 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 98498 ranks #3 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 98498 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 98498 ranks #2 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
98467 University Place, WA 14,728 2.9 mi
98499 Lakewood, WA 29,750 2.3 mi
98430 Camp Murray, WA 13 3.2 mi
98433 Tacoma, WA 14,584 3.8 mi
98466 Tacoma, WA 26,944 4.6 mi
98438 Mcchord Afb, WA 366 3.4 mi
98439 Lakewood, WA 4,839 3.6 mi
98465 Tacoma, WA 6,340 6.1 mi
98444 Tacoma, WA 33,956 5.0 mi
98409 Tacoma, WA 22,989 4.8 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 98498 in? ▼
ZIP code 98498 (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 98498? ▼
ZIP code 98498 in Lakewood, WA has a population of 27,546 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 98498? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 98498 is $91,664, which is 20% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 98498? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 98498 is $506,300, which is 82% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 98498? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 98498 is White at 54.6%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 13.1% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 98498? ▼
ZIP code 98498 has 331 business establishments employing approximately 4,620 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 98498? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 98498 are: Health care and social assistance (71), Construction (49), Accommodation and food services (41). There are 14 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 98498? ▼
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 98498 increased by 2.3% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 249%. 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 98498? ▼
In ZIP code 98498, 53.1% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 31.8% 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 98498? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 98498 is 29.6 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 98498? ▼
In ZIP code 98498, approximately 63.9% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 36.1% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 98498? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 98498 is 8.1% 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.