PlainZIP

Rochester, WA · standard

ZIP Code 98579

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

12,870
55/sq mi
$99,411
Median income
$463,400
Median home value
20.6%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

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

Top 19%
household income, US ZIPs
Top 15%
home value, US ZIPs
55
people per sq mi
80%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 98579 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 98579 is a mid-sized community (a standard USPS delivery area) in Rochester, Thurston County, Washington, home to 12,870 residents across 234.4 square miles, a density of 55 people per square mile, in the Los Angeles time zone.

ZIP 98579 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $99,411 (9% above the Washington average), while per-capita income is $38,147. Local economic indicators show a 11.8% poverty rate alongside 4.5% unemployment. On housing, the median home value is $463,400 (9% below the state average) with median rent at $1,532 per month, and 80.2% of occupied units are owner-occupied.

Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 20.6% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 41.6, and the average commute is 29 minutes. Beyond these figures, 1 nearby ZIP codes within about 10 miles are surfaced below, along with 6 more sharing Thurston County, letting you compare 98579 to its immediate surroundings rather than a national baseline alone.

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 98579

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Rochester, WA

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 98579.

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 98579, Rochester, 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

12,870

Population

234.4

Area (sq mi)

55

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 98579?

41.6

Median Age

51.1%

Male

48.9%

Female

4.3%

Foreign-Born

White 80.8%
African American 0.9%
Asian 1.6%
American Indian or Alaska Native 1.2%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.8%
Two or More Ethnicities 11.4%
Hispanic or Latino 10.6%

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?

$99,411

Median Household Income

+9% vs state

$38,147

Per Capita Income

11.8%

Poverty Rate

4.5%

Unemployment Rate

29.4 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 98579 ranks nationally

Rochester, WA household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$99,411 Top 19% higher than 81% 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 53.0%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 20.6%

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

What does housing look like?

5,234

Total Housing Units

5,023

Occupied Units

211

Vacant Units

2.79

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 80.2%
Renter 19.8%

$463,400

Median Home Value

-9% vs state

$1,532

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

+5.0%

YoY Change (2024)

332

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+232%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 98579 have increased 5.0% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +232% cumulative appreciation.

Year Annual Change HPI Index
2020 +5.7% 235
2021 +16.7% 274
2022 +18.6% 324
2023 -2.4% 317
2024 +5.0% 332

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 235 business establishments in ZIP 98579, employing approximately 1,956 people with a combined annual payroll of $84,522,000.

235

Businesses

1,956

Employees

$84.5M

Annual Payroll

14

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Construction 62 26.4%
Retail trade 31 13.2%
Accommodation and food services 19 8.1%
Real estate and rental and leasing 18 7.7%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 16 6.8%
Health care and social assistance 15 6.4%
Other services (except public administration) 15 6.4%
Transportation and warehousing 12 5.1%
Manufacturing 10 4.3%
Professional, scientific, and technical services 10 4.3%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting 9 3.8%
Wholesale trade 6 2.5%
Finance and insurance 6 2.5%
Information 3 1.3%

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 98579 vs 98544 →

ZIP Code City Population Distance
98544 Galvin, WA 73 6.0 mi

More ZIP Codes in Thurston County

98501 standard
Olympia, WA
Pop: 38,133
98503 standard
Lacey, WA
Pop: 36,611
98513 standard
Olympia, WA
Pop: 31,975
98502 standard
Olympia, WA
Pop: 30,491
98512 standard
Olympia, WA
Pop: 28,130
98597 standard
Yelm, WA
Pop: 21,557

Related Areas

Thurston County Rochester, WA Washington

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 98579 in? ▼
ZIP code 98579 (Rochester) 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 98579? ▼
ZIP code 98579 in Rochester, WA has a population of 12,870 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 98579? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 98579 is $99,411, which is 30% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 98579? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 98579 is $463,400, which is 67% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 98579? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 98579 is White at 80.8%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 10.6% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 98579? ▼
ZIP code 98579 has 235 business establishments employing approximately 1,956 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 98579? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 98579 are: Construction (62), Retail trade (31), Accommodation and food services (19). There are 14 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 98579? ▼
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 98579 increased by 5.0% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 232%. 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 98579? ▼
In ZIP code 98579, 53.0% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 20.6% 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 98579? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 98579 is 29.4 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 98579? ▼
In ZIP code 98579, approximately 80.2% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 19.8% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 98579? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 98579 is 11.8% 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.