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 Moderate-density area
- $104,896
- Median income Above-median income area
- $446,900
- Median home value Above-median home value
- 23.4%
- Bachelor's or higher Near-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
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.
FHFA HPI release change
What changed in the latest House Price Index year
- FHFA House Price Index values in ZIP 98576 (Rainier, WA) rose +2.8% from 2023 to 2024. The all-transactions index moved from 311.9 in 2023 to 320.7 in 2024 (2000 = 100).
ZIP code 98576 covers 183.0 square miles in Rainier, Thurston County, Washington (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 4,667 residents on file, a density of 26 people per square mile, in the Los Angeles time zone.
ZIP 98576 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $104,896 (15% above the average Washington ZIP), while per-capita income is $36,377. The poverty rate is 10.4%, with unemployment at 5.2%; those measures add context to the income figure. Median home value is $446,900 (13% below the average Washington ZIP) and median rent is $1,564; 87.9% of occupied homes are owner-occupied.
Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 23.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 39, and the average commute is 38 minutes. The page also surfaces 3 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Thurston County, so 98576 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 98576
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Rainier, WA
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 + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, 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; 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 ZIP avg
$36,377
Per Capita Income
10.4%
Poverty Rate
5.2%
Unemployment Rate
37.9 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 98576 ranks among Washington ZIPs
Rainier, 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)
$104,896 Top 25% higher than 75% 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
1,821housing units
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 ZIP avg
$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.
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 98576, 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 (4,667 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 98576 in?
ZIP code 98576 (Rainier) 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 98576?
ZIP code 98576 in Rainier, WA has a population of 4,667 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 98576?
The median household income in ZIP 98576 is $104,896, which is 38% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 98576?
The median home value in ZIP 98576 is $446,900, which is 61% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 98576?
The largest racial group in ZIP 98576 is White at 85.3%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 8.9% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 98576?
ZIP code 98576 has 82 business establishments employing approximately 340 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 98576?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 98576 are: Construction (26), Professional, scientific, and technical services (10), Other services (except public administration) (8). There are 11 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 98576?
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 98576 increased by 2.8% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 221%. 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 98576?
In ZIP code 98576, 58.7% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 23.4% 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 98576?
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 98576 is 37.9 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 98576?
In ZIP code 98576, approximately 87.9% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 12.1% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 98576?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 98576 is 10.4% 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 98576's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 98576 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Rainier, 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.