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 Moderate-density area
- $89,910
- Median income Above-median income area
- $427,100
- Median home value Above-median home value
- 25.2%
- Bachelor's or higher Near-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
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.
FHFA HPI release change
What changed in the latest House Price Index year
- FHFA House Price Index values in ZIP 98532 (Chehalis, WA) rose +3.5% from 2023 to 2024. The all-transactions index moved from 317.5 in 2023 to 328.6 in 2024 (2000 = 100).
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 average Washington ZIP), while per-capita income is $40,109. The poverty rate is 8.8%, with unemployment at 4.4%; those measures add context to the income figure. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $427,100 (16% below the average Washington ZIP), and median rent is $1,142; owner occupancy is 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. The page also surfaces 4 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Lewis County, so 98532 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 98532
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Chehalis, WA
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 + 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
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 ZIP avg
$40,109
Per Capita Income
8.8%
Poverty Rate
4.4%
Unemployment Rate
26.6 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 98532 ranks among Washington ZIPs
Chehalis, 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)
$89,910 Top 44% higher than 56% 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
10,508housing units
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 ZIP avg
$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.
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 98532, 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 (23,596 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Lewis County
Related Areas
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.
Related
Take this with you
What to do with ZIP 98532's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 98532 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Chehalis, WA ranks among every U.S. ZIP code on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
- Save this ZIP to your shortlist to track alongside others you're considering View your shortlist
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.