PlainZIP

Chehalis, WA · standard

ZIP Code 98532

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

23,596
28/sq mi
$89,910
Median income
$427,100
Median home value
25.2%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Chehalis pairs an above-median household income with upper-quartile home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

Top 27%
household income, US ZIPs
Top 18%
home value, US ZIPs
28
people per sq mi
79%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 98532 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 98532 is a densely settled ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Chehalis, Lewis County, Washington, with 23,596 residents across 836.7 square miles, a density of 28 people per square mile, in the Los Angeles time zone.

ZIP 98532 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $89,910 (1% below the Washington average), while per-capita income is $40,109. Poverty here runs at 8.8%, with unemployment measured at 4.4%. Median home value sits at $427,100 (16% below the state average), median rent at $1,142 a month, and owner-occupancy at 79.2%.

Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 25.2% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 41.1, and the average commute is 27 minutes. To put 98532 in local context, 4 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles appear further down this page alongside 6 additional ZIPs in Lewis 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 98532

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Chehalis, WA

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 98532.

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 98532, Chehalis, 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

23,596

Population

836.7

Area (sq mi)

28

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 98532?

41.1

Median Age

52.1%

Male

47.9%

Female

4.1%

Foreign-Born

White 81.8%
African American 0.7%
Asian 1.4%
American Indian or Alaska Native 1.0%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.4%
Two or More Ethnicities 12.1%
Hispanic or Latino 9.7%

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?

$89,910

Median Household Income

-1% vs state

$40,109

Per Capita Income

8.8%

Poverty Rate

4.4%

Unemployment Rate

26.6 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 98532 ranks nationally

Chehalis, WA household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$89,910 Top 27% higher than 73% 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 54.7%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 25.2%

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

What does housing look like?

10,508

Total Housing Units

9,931

Occupied Units

577

Vacant Units

2.69

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 79.2%
Renter 20.8%

$427,100

Median Home Value

-16% vs state

$1,142

Median Rent

1984

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

+3.5%

YoY Change (2024)

329

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+229%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 98532 have increased 3.5% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +229% cumulative appreciation.

Year Annual Change HPI Index
2020 +6.1% 226
2021 +18.5% 267
2022 +16.2% 311
2023 +2.2% 318
2024 +3.5% 329

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 769 business establishments in ZIP 98532, employing approximately 9,249 people with a combined annual payroll of $506,485,000.

769

Businesses

9,249

Employees

$506.5M

Annual Payroll

18

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Construction 121 15.7%
Retail trade 116 15.1%
Accommodation and food services 69 9.0%
Health care and social assistance 64 8.3%
Other services (except public administration) 61 7.9%
Professional, scientific, and technical services 50 6.5%
Real estate and rental and leasing 48 6.2%
Manufacturing 42 5.5%
Transportation and warehousing 40 5.2%
Finance and insurance 40 5.2%
Wholesale trade 35 4.5%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 28 3.6%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting 25 3.3%
Information 11 1.4%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation 6 0.8%
Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction 4 0.5%
Utilities 3 0.4%
Educational services 3 0.4%

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 98532 vs 98544 →

ZIP 98532 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 98532 ranks #2 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 98532 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 98532 ranks the highest of 4 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
98544 Galvin, WA 73 7.5 mi
98565 Napavine, WA 618 7.5 mi
98596 Winlock, WA 6,524 10.2 mi
98531 Centralia, WA 24,121 9.1 mi

More ZIP Codes in Lewis County

98531 standard
Centralia, WA
Pop: 24,121
98596 standard
Winlock, WA
Pop: 6,524
98591 standard
Toledo, WA
Pop: 3,952
98570 standard
Onalaska, WA
Pop: 3,889
98564 standard
Mossyrock, WA
Pop: 2,459
98356 standard
Morton, WA
Pop: 2,149

Related Areas

Lewis County Chehalis, WA Washington

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 98532 in? ▼
ZIP code 98532 (Chehalis) is located in Lewis County, Washington. Lewis County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/lewis-wa.
What is the population of ZIP code 98532? ▼
ZIP code 98532 in Chehalis, WA has a population of 23,596 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 98532? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 98532 is $89,910, which is 18% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 98532? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 98532 is $427,100, which is 54% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 98532? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 98532 is White at 81.8%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 9.7% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 98532? ▼
ZIP code 98532 has 769 business establishments employing approximately 9,249 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 98532? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 98532 are: Construction (121), Retail trade (116), Accommodation and food services (69). There are 18 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 98532? ▼
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 98532 increased by 3.5% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 229%. 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 98532? ▼
In ZIP code 98532, 54.7% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 25.2% 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 98532? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 98532 is 26.6 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 98532? ▼
In ZIP code 98532, approximately 79.2% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 20.8% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 98532? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 98532 is 8.8% 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.