Ryderwood, WA · standard
ZIP Code 98581
Cowlitz County, Washington - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 424
- 6/sq mi Low-density area
- $43,009
- Median income Below-median income area
- $232,500
- Median home value Near-median home value
- 15.8%
- Bachelor's or higher Below-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Ryderwood pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with above-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 8th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 47%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 6
- people per sq mi
- 96%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 98581 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 98581 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Ryderwood, Cowlitz County, Washington, home to just 424 residents across 75.7 square miles, a density of 6 people per square mile, in the Los Angeles time zone.
ZIP 98581 reports a modest median household income of $43,009 (53% below the average Washington ZIP), while per-capita income is $32,853. The poverty rate is 11.2%, with unemployment at 0.0%; those measures add context to the income figure. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $232,500 (55% below the average Washington ZIP); owner occupancy is 95.6%.
Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 15.8% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 72.1, and the average commute is -. The page also surfaces 4 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Cowlitz County, so 98581 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 →
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 98581, Ryderwood, 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
424
Population
75.7
Area (sq mi)
6
People / sq mi
Los Angeles
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 98581?
72.1
Median Age
44.2%
Male
55.8%
Female
0.0%
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?
$43,009
Median Household Income
-53% vs state ZIP avg
$32,853
Per Capita Income
11.2%
Poverty Rate
0.0%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 98581 ranks among Washington ZIPs
Ryderwood, 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)
$43,009 2nd percentile higher than 2% 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
251housing units
251
Total Housing Units
251
Occupied Units
0
Vacant Units
1.67
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$232,500
Median Home Value
-55% vs state ZIP avg
1942
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
Nearby ZIP Codes
Want a side-by-side? Compare 98581 vs 98593 →
ZIP 98581 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 98632
Longview (98632)
49,205 residents
- 98596 6,524
Winlock (98596)
6,524 residents
- 98593 1,113
Vader (98593)
1,113 residents
- 98581 424
Ryderwood (98581)
424 residents
- 98538 304
Curtis (98538)
304 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 98581 ranks #4 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 98581 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 98538
Curtis (98538)
$105,000 median income
- 98593
Vader (98593)
$84,244 median income
- 98596
Winlock (98596)
$80,188 median income
- 98632
Longview (98632)
$66,305 median income
- 98581
Ryderwood (98581)
$43,009 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 98581 ranks #5 of 5 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 98581, both outside WA so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment (Nearby and same-county blocks stay local).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Cowlitz County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 98581 in?
ZIP code 98581 (Ryderwood) is located in Cowlitz County, Washington. Cowlitz County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/cowlitz-wa.
What is the population of ZIP code 98581?
ZIP code 98581 in Ryderwood, WA has a population of 424 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 98581?
The median household income in ZIP 98581 is $43,009, which is 44% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 98581?
The median home value in ZIP 98581 is $232,500, which is 16% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 98581?
The largest racial group in ZIP 98581 is White at 96.7%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 3.1% of the population.
What is the education level in ZIP code 98581?
In ZIP code 98581, 30.5% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 15.8% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 98581?
In ZIP code 98581, approximately 95.6% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 4.4% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 98581?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 98581 is 11.2% 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 98581's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 98581 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Ryderwood, 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.