Castle Rock, WA · standard
ZIP Code 98611
Cowlitz County, Washington - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 9,133
- 28/sq mi Moderate-density area
- $86,322
- Median income Above-median income area
- $425,700
- Median home value Above-median home value
- 14.9%
- Bachelor's or higher Below-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Castle Rock pairs an above-median household income with upper-quartile home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 31%
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 18%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 28
- people per sq mi
- 84%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 98611 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 98611 (Castle Rock, WA) fell -3.1% from 2023 to 2024. The all-transactions index moved from 301.3 in 2023 to 291.9 in 2024 (2000 = 100).
ZIP code 98611 is a mid-sized community (a standard USPS delivery area) in Castle Rock, Cowlitz County, Washington, home to 9,133 residents across 322.7 square miles, a density of 28 people per square mile, in the Los Angeles time zone.
ZIP 98611 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $86,322 (5% below the average Washington ZIP), while per-capita income is $37,729. The poverty rate is 8.5%, with unemployment at 4.7%; those measures add context to the income figure. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $425,700 (17% below the average Washington ZIP), and median rent is $1,250; owner occupancy is 83.8%.
Formal educational attainment runs low here: just 14.9% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 43.7, and the average commute is 29 minutes. The page also surfaces 2 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Cowlitz County, so 98611 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 98611
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Castle Rock, WA
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 98611.
- Construction
Construction
32 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
22 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
18 establishments
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
17 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
16 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 98611, Castle Rock, 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
9,133
Population
322.7
Area (sq mi)
28
People / sq mi
Los Angeles
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 98611?
43.7
Median Age
46.5%
Male
53.5%
Female
1.3%
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?
$86,322
Median Household Income
-5% vs state ZIP avg
$37,729
Per Capita Income
8.5%
Poverty Rate
4.7%
Unemployment Rate
29.2 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 98611 ranks among Washington ZIPs
Castle Rock, 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)
$86,322 Top 48% higher than 52% 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
3,723housing units
3,723
Total Housing Units
3,539
Occupied Units
184
Vacant Units
2.62
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$425,700
Median Home Value
-17% vs state ZIP avg
$1,250
Median Rent
1982
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
-3.1%
YoY Change (2024)
292
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+192%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 98611 have decreased 3.1% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +192% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +5.8% | 212 |
| 2021 | +15.9% | 246 |
| 2022 | +20.7% | 296 |
| 2023 | +1.6% | 301 |
| 2024 | -3.1% | 292 |
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 160 business establishments in ZIP 98611, employing approximately 902 people with a combined annual payroll of $38,709,000.
160
Businesses
902
Employees
$38.7M
Annual Payroll
14
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | 32 | 20.0% |
| Accommodation and food services | 22 | 13.8% |
| Retail trade | 18 | 11.3% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting | 17 | 10.6% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 16 | 10.0% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 11 | 6.9% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 8 | 5.0% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 7 | 4.4% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 7 | 4.4% |
| Health care and social assistance | 6 | 3.8% |
| Manufacturing | 5 | 3.1% |
| Finance and insurance | 5 | 3.1% |
| Wholesale trade | 3 | 1.9% |
| Information | 3 | 1.9% |
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 98611 vs 98645 →
ZIP 98611 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 98611
Castle Rock (98611)
9,133 residents
- 98645 1,429
Silverlake (98645)
1,429 residents
- 98593 1,113
Vader (98593)
1,113 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 98611 ranks the most populous - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 98611 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 98645
Silverlake (98645)
$101,429 median income
- 98611
Castle Rock (98611)
$86,322 median income
- 98593
Vader (98593)
$84,244 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 98611 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 98611, 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 (9,133 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 98611 in?
ZIP code 98611 (Castle Rock) 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 98611?
ZIP code 98611 in Castle Rock, WA has a population of 9,133 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 98611?
The median household income in ZIP 98611 is $86,322, which is 13% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 98611?
The median home value in ZIP 98611 is $425,700, which is 53% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 98611?
The largest racial group in ZIP 98611 is White at 87.3%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 1.8% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 98611?
ZIP code 98611 has 160 business establishments employing approximately 902 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 98611?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 98611 are: Construction (32), Accommodation and food services (22), Retail trade (18). There are 14 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 98611?
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 98611 decreased by 3.1% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 192%. 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 98611?
In ZIP code 98611, 51.9% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 14.9% 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 98611?
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 98611 is 29.2 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 98611?
In ZIP code 98611, approximately 83.8% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 16.2% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 98611?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 98611 is 8.5% 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 98611's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 98611 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Castle Rock, 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.