Olympia, WA · standard
ZIP Code 98516
Thurston County, Washington - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 20,166
- 272/sq mi High-density area
- $98,892
- Median income Above-median income area
- $572,500
- Median home value Above-median home value
- 39.2%
- Bachelor's or higher Above-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Olympia pairs an upper-quartile household income with top-decile home values, in a low-density, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 20%
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 10%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 272
- people per sq mi
- 66%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 98516 against every reporting US ZIP.
FHFA HPI release change
What changed in the latest House Price Index year
- FHFA House Price Index values in ZIP 98516 (Olympia, WA) rose +12.1% from 2023 to 2024. The all-transactions index moved from 303.4 in 2023 to 340.0 in 2024 (2000 = 100).
ZIP code 98516 is a densely settled ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Olympia, Thurston County, Washington, with 20,166 residents across 74.2 square miles, a density of 272 people per square mile, in the Los Angeles time zone.
ZIP 98516 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $98,892 (9% above the average Washington ZIP), while per-capita income is $47,679. The poverty rate is 9.4%, with unemployment at 2.3%; those measures add context to the income figure. Median home value is $572,500 (12% above the average Washington ZIP) and median rent is $2,068; 65.6% of occupied homes are owner-occupied.
A solid share of residents have a four-year degree: 39.2% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 38, and the average commute is 26 minutes. The page also surfaces 8 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Thurston County, so 98516 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 →
Top industries in ZIP 98516
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Olympia, WA
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 98516.
- Retail trade
Retail trade
108 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
96 establishments
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
83 establishments
- Construction
Construction
78 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
77 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 + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 98516, Olympia, 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
20,166
Population
74.2
Area (sq mi)
272
People / sq mi
Los Angeles
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 98516?
38.0
Median Age
47.9%
Male
52.1%
Female
12.4%
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?
$98,892
Median Household Income
+9% vs state ZIP avg
$47,679
Per Capita Income
9.4%
Poverty Rate
2.3%
Unemployment Rate
25.9 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 98516 ranks among Washington ZIPs
Olympia, 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)
$98,892 Top 32% higher than 68% of 547 Washington ZIPs
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?
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What does housing look like?
Housing stock: occupied vs vacant
12,126housing units
12,126
Total Housing Units
11,474
Occupied Units
652
Vacant Units
2.54
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$572,500
Median Home Value
+12% vs state ZIP avg
$2,068
Median Rent
2003
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
+12.1%
YoY Change (2024)
340
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+240%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 98516 have increased 12.1% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +240% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +6.9% | 225 |
| 2021 | +19.6% | 269 |
| 2022 | +15.4% | 311 |
| 2023 | -2.3% | 303 |
| 2024 | +12.1% | 340 |
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 782 business establishments in ZIP 98516, employing approximately 12,603 people with a combined annual payroll of $687,051,000.
782
Businesses
12,603
Employees
$687.1M
Annual Payroll
16
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 108 | 13.8% |
| Accommodation and food services | 96 | 12.3% |
| Health care and social assistance | 83 | 10.6% |
| Construction | 78 | 10.0% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 77 | 9.8% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 60 | 7.7% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 51 | 6.5% |
| Wholesale trade | 40 | 5.1% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 40 | 5.1% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 37 | 4.7% |
| Finance and insurance | 35 | 4.5% |
| Manufacturing | 29 | 3.7% |
| Information | 18 | 2.3% |
| Educational services | 12 | 1.5% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 10 | 1.3% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting | 4 | 0.5% |
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 98516 vs 98503 →
ZIP 98516 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 98501
Olympia (98501)
38,133 residents
- 98503
Lacey (98503)
36,611 residents
- 98513
Olympia (98513)
31,975 residents
- 98516
Olympia (98516)
20,166 residents
- 98506
Olympia (98506)
18,199 residents
- 98327 8,267
Dupont (98327)
8,267 residents
- 98388 7,508
Steilacoom (98388)
7,508 residents
- 98351 1,115
Longbranch (98351)
1,115 residents
- 98303 1,037
Anderson Island (98303)
1,037 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 98516 ranks #4 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 98516 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 98351
Longbranch (98351)
$151,660 median income
- 98327
Dupont (98327)
$120,781 median income
- 98513
Olympia (98513)
$113,053 median income
- 98388
Steilacoom (98388)
$100,851 median income
- 98516
Olympia (98516)
$98,892 median income
- 98501
Olympia (98501)
$97,198 median income
- 98506
Olympia (98506)
$91,596 median income
- 98503
Lacey (98503)
$89,002 median income
- 98303
Anderson Island (98303)
$80,282 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 98516 ranks #5 of 9 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 98516, 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 (20,166 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Thurston County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 98516 in?
ZIP code 98516 (Olympia) is located in Thurston County, Washington. Thurston County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/thurston-wa.
What is the population of ZIP code 98516?
ZIP code 98516 in Olympia, WA has a population of 20,166 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 98516?
The median household income in ZIP 98516 is $98,892, which is 30% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 98516?
The median home value in ZIP 98516 is $572,500, which is 106% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 98516?
The largest racial group in ZIP 98516 is White at 68.1%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 11.6% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 98516?
ZIP code 98516 has 782 business establishments employing approximately 12,603 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 98516?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 98516 are: Retail trade (108), Accommodation and food services (96), Health care and social assistance (83). There are 16 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 98516?
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 98516 increased by 12.1% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 240%. 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 98516?
In ZIP code 98516, 61.6% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 39.2% 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 98516?
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 98516 is 25.9 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 98516?
In ZIP code 98516, approximately 65.6% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 34.4% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 98516?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 98516 is 9.4% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.
Related
Take this with you
What to do with ZIP 98516's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 98516 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Olympia, WA ranks among every U.S. ZIP code on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
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ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.