Rainier, WA · standard
ZIP Code 98576
Thurston County, Washington — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 4,667
- 26/sq mi
- $104,896
- Median income
- $446,900
- Median home value
- 23.4%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
Rainier pairs an upper-quartile household income with upper-quartile home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 16%
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 17%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 26
- people per sq mi
- 88%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 98576 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 98576 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 183.0 square miles in Rainier, Thurston County, Washington. The area is home to 4,667 residents, producing a population density of 26 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 98576 against Washington and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 98576 sits at $104,896 (15% above the Washington average), while per-capita income is $36,377. The poverty rate stands at 10.4% and the unemployment rate at 5.2%. On housing, the median home value is $446,900 (13% below the state average) with median rent at $1,564 per month, and 87.9% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 98576 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 23.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 39, and the average commute is 38 minutes. We also surface 3 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Thurston County, so you can benchmark 98576 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 98576
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 98576.
- Construction
Construction
26 establishments
- Professional, scientific, and technical services 10
Professional, scientific, and technical services
10 establishments
- Other services (except public administration) 8
Other services (except public administration)
8 establishments
- Retail trade 6
Retail trade
6 establishments
- Health care and social assistance 6
Health care and social assistance
6 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 98576, Rainier, 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
4,667
Population
183.0
Area (sq mi)
26
People / sq mi
Los Angeles
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 98576?
39.0
Median Age
45.3%
Male
54.7%
Female
3.5%
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?
$104,896
Median Household Income
+15% vs state
$36,377
Per Capita Income
10.4%
Poverty Rate
5.2%
Unemployment Rate
37.9 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 98576 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$104,896 Top 16% higher than 84% 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?
1,821
Total Housing Units
1,676
Occupied Units
145
Vacant Units
2.97
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$446,900
Median Home Value
-13% vs state
$1,564
Median Rent
1994
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
+2.8%
YoY Change (2024)
321
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+221%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 98576 have increased 2.8% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +221% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +8.0% | 225 |
| 2021 | +15.9% | 260 |
| 2022 | +24.8% | 325 |
| 2023 | -4.0% | 312 |
| 2024 | +2.8% | 321 |
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 82 business establishments in ZIP 98576, employing approximately 340 people with a combined annual payroll of $14,920,000.
82
Businesses
340
Employees
$14.9M
Annual Payroll
11
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | 26 | 31.7% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 10 | 12.2% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 8 | 9.8% |
| Retail trade | 6 | 7.3% |
| Health care and social assistance | 6 | 7.3% |
| Wholesale trade | 5 | 6.1% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting | 3 | 3.7% |
| Manufacturing | 3 | 3.7% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 3 | 3.7% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 3 | 3.7% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 3 | 3.7% |
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 98576 vs 98597 →
ZIP 98576 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 98513
Olympia (98513)
31,975 residents
- 98597
Yelm (98597)
21,557 residents
- 98576 4,667
Rainier (98576)
4,667 residents
- 98558 192
Mckenna (98558)
192 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 98576 ranks #3 by population — useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 98576 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 98513
Olympia (98513)
$113,053 median income
- 98576
Rainier (98576)
$104,896 median income
- 98597
Yelm (98597)
$92,219 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 98576 ranks #2 of 3 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
More ZIP Codes in Thurston County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 98576 in? ▼
What is the population of ZIP code 98576? ▼
What is the median household income in ZIP 98576? ▼
What is the average home value in ZIP 98576? ▼
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 98576? ▼
How many businesses are in ZIP code 98576? ▼
What are the main industries in ZIP code 98576? ▼
How have home values changed in ZIP code 98576? ▼
What is the education level in ZIP code 98576? ▼
What is the average commute time in ZIP 98576? ▼
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 98576? ▼
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 98576? ▼
ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for Rainier, 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.