Ariel, WA · standard
ZIP Code 98603
Cowlitz County, Washington - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 1,017
- 3/sq mi Low-density area
- $78,281
- Median income Near-median income area
- $464,500
- Median home value Above-median home value
- 15.9%
- Bachelor's or higher Below-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Ariel pairs an above-median household income with upper-quartile home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 40%
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 15%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 3
- people per sq mi
- 73%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 98603 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 98603 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Ariel, Cowlitz County, Washington, home to just 1,017 residents across 299.1 square miles, a density of 3 people per square mile, in the Los Angeles time zone.
ZIP 98603 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $78,281 (14% below the average Washington ZIP), while per-capita income is $25,673. The poverty rate is 15.0%, with unemployment at 0.0%; those measures add context to the income figure. Median home value is $464,500 (9% below the average Washington ZIP); 72.9% of occupied homes are owner-occupied.
Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 15.9% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 41.3, and the average commute is -. The page also surfaces 1 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Cowlitz County, so 98603 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 98603
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Ariel, WA
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 98603.
- Utilities
Utilities
4 establishments
- Construction
Construction
3 establishments
- Professional, scientific, and technical services
Professional, scientific, and technical services
3 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 98603, Ariel, 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
1,017
Population
299.1
Area (sq mi)
3
People / sq mi
Los Angeles
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 98603?
41.3
Median Age
41.9%
Male
58.1%
Female
5.7%
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?
$78,281
Median Household Income
-14% vs state ZIP avg
$25,673
Per Capita Income
15.0%
Poverty Rate
0.0%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 98603 ranks among Washington ZIPs
Ariel, 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)
$78,281 40th percentile higher than 40% 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
615housing units
615
Total Housing Units
395
Occupied Units
220
Vacant Units
3.21
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$464,500
Median Home Value
-9% vs state ZIP avg
2002
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 20 business establishments in ZIP 98603, employing approximately 169 people with a combined annual payroll of $13,473,000.
20
Businesses
169
Employees
$13.5M
Annual Payroll
3
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Utilities | 4 | 20.0% |
| Construction | 3 | 15.0% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 3 | 15.0% |
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 98603 vs 98601 →
| ZIP Code | City | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 98601 | Amboy, WA | 2,982 | 6.5 mi |
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 98603, 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 (1,017 here; floor ≥1,000).
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 98603 in?
ZIP code 98603 (Ariel) 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 98603?
ZIP code 98603 in Ariel, WA has a population of 1,017 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 98603?
The median household income in ZIP 98603 is $78,281, which is 3% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 98603?
The median home value in ZIP 98603 is $464,500, which is 67% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 98603?
The largest racial group in ZIP 98603 is White at 88.5%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 6.4% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 98603?
ZIP code 98603 has 20 business establishments employing approximately 169 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 98603?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 98603 are: Utilities (4), Construction (3), Professional, scientific, and technical services (3). There are 3 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 98603?
In ZIP code 98603, 51.6% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 15.9% 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 98603?
In ZIP code 98603, approximately 72.9% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 27.1% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 98603?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 98603 is 15.0% 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 98603's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 98603 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Ariel, WA ranks among every U.S. ZIP code on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
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ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.