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 classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 21.8 square miles in Lakewood, Pierce County, Washington. The area is home to 27,546 residents, producing a population density of 1,262 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 98498 against Washington and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 98498 sits at $91,664 (1% above the Washington average), while per-capita income is $50,374. The poverty rate stands at 8.1% and the unemployment rate at 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 direct signal of whether 98498 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 31.8% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 40.8, and the average commute is 30 minutes. We also surface 10 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Pierce County, so you can benchmark 98498 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 98498
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 98498.
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
71 establishments
- Construction
Construction
49 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
41 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
37 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
34 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 98498, Lakewood, 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
27,546
Population
21.8
Area (sq mi)
1,262
People / sq mi
Los Angeles
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 98498?
40.8
Median Age
49.9%
Male
50.1%
Female
12.0%
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?
$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
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
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?
12,918
Total Housing Units
11,857
Occupied Units
1,061
Vacant Units
2.36
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$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.
- 98444
Tacoma (98444)
33,956 residents
- 98499
Lakewood (98499)
29,750 residents
- 98498
Lakewood (98498)
27,546 residents
- 98466
Tacoma (98466)
26,944 residents
- 98409
Tacoma (98409)
22,989 residents
- 98467
University Place (98467)
14,728 residents
- 98433
Tacoma (98433)
14,584 residents
- 98465 6,340
Tacoma (98465)
6,340 residents
- 98439 4,839
Lakewood (98439)
4,839 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 98498 ranks #3 by population — useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 98498 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 98466
Tacoma (98466)
$101,778 median income
- 98498
Lakewood (98498)
$91,664 median income
- 98467
University Place (98467)
$91,354 median income
- 98409
Tacoma (98409)
$73,348 median income
- 98465
Tacoma (98465)
$73,226 median income
- 98499
Lakewood (98499)
$67,292 median income
- 98444
Tacoma (98444)
$65,342 median income
- 98433
Tacoma (98433)
$60,158 median income
- 98439
Lakewood (98439)
$50,509 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.
| 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
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 98498 in? ▼
What is the population of ZIP code 98498? ▼
What is the median household income in ZIP 98498? ▼
What is the average home value in ZIP 98498? ▼
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 98498? ▼
How many businesses are in ZIP code 98498? ▼
What are the main industries in ZIP code 98498? ▼
How have home values changed in ZIP code 98498? ▼
What is the education level in ZIP code 98498? ▼
What is the average commute time in ZIP 98498? ▼
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 98498? ▼
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 98498? ▼
ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for Lakewood, 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.