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 classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 836.7 square miles in Chehalis, Lewis County, Washington. The area is home to 23,596 residents, producing a population density of 28 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 98532 against Washington and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 98532 sits at $89,910 (1% below the Washington average), while per-capita income is $40,109. The poverty rate stands at 8.8% and the unemployment rate at 4.4%. On housing, the median home value is $427,100 (16% below the state average) with median rent at $1,142 per month, and 79.2% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 98532 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 25.2% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 41.1, and the average commute is 27 minutes. We also surface 4 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Lewis County, so you can benchmark 98532 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 98532
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 98532.
- Construction
Construction
121 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
116 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
69 establishments
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
64 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
61 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 98532, Chehalis, 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
23,596
Population
836.7
Area (sq mi)
28
People / sq mi
Los Angeles
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 98532?
41.1
Median Age
52.1%
Male
47.9%
Female
4.1%
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?
$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
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
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?
10,508
Total Housing Units
9,931
Occupied Units
577
Vacant Units
2.69
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$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.
- 98531
Centralia (98531)
24,121 residents
- 98532
Chehalis (98532)
23,596 residents
- 98596 6,524
Winlock (98596)
6,524 residents
- 98565 618
Napavine (98565)
618 residents
- 98544 73
Galvin (98544)
73 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 98532 ranks #2 by population — useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 98532 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 98532
Chehalis (98532)
$89,910 median income
- 98596
Winlock (98596)
$80,188 median income
- 98565
Napavine (98565)
$73,750 median income
- 98531
Centralia (98531)
$63,406 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.
More ZIP Codes in Lewis County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 98532 in? ▼
What is the population of ZIP code 98532? ▼
What is the median household income in ZIP 98532? ▼
What is the average home value in ZIP 98532? ▼
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 98532? ▼
How many businesses are in ZIP code 98532? ▼
What are the main industries in ZIP code 98532? ▼
How have home values changed in ZIP code 98532? ▼
What is the education level in ZIP code 98532? ▼
What is the average commute time in ZIP 98532? ▼
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 98532? ▼
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 98532? ▼
ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for Chehalis, 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.