98579 ZIP Code — Rochester, WA

Thurston County, Washington

ZIP code 98579 is located in Rochester, Washington, within Thurston County. It covers approximately 94.23 square miles and serves a population of 14,259 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Pacific (PT) timezone, served by area code 360/564.

About ZIP code 98579

The housing stock consists of a higher-than-average concentration of mobile homes. Most homes were built in the 2000s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $365,900. Owner-occupancy is high at 79%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $91,493. 43% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is sales and office, with public administration as the leading industry. The average commute of 30 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 19% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Overall, ZIP code 98579 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

14,259

population

94.23

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Pacific (PT)

timezone

98579 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 98579

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 98579. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Rochester	Acceptable
Rochester	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

98568 Oakville (8.8 mi) 98531 Centralia (9.3 mi) 98512 Olympia (11 mi) 98532 Chehalis (14.7 mi) 98532 Chehalis (14.7 mi) 98589 Tenino (16.1 mi) 98557 Mccleary (17.4 mi) 98501 Olympia (18.1 mi)

Demographics updated 06/2026

Population
Total population	14,259
Population density	151 / sq mi
State FIPS	53
County FIPS	067

Geography
Land area	94.23 sq mi
Water area	0.52 sq mi
Latitude	46.8019
Longitude	-123.1564
Timezone	Pacific (PT)
Area code	360/564

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 06/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	32.8%	31.8%	31.7%
$50k – $100k	33.2%	33.6%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	31.5%	28.3%	27.1%
Over $200k	2.5%	6.3%	10.6%

Demographics & statistics

14,259

Population

151

People per sq mi

40.7

Median age

$91,493

Median household income

$35,279

Per capita income

$365,900

Median home value

$1,159

Median monthly rent

79.1%

Home ownership

11.0%

Poverty rate

3.6%

Unemployment

4,204

Housing units

18.7%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

580

Under 5

613

317

5–9

334

338

10–14

356

404

15–19

427

314

20–24

331

874

25–34

923

976

35–44

1,031

1,041

45–54

1,100

392

55–59

414

556

60–64

588

743

65–74

785

348

75–84

367

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	3,040	21.3%
18 and over	11,219	78.7%
65 and over	2,350	16.5%
Median age	40.7 years

Race & ethnicity

White 77.3%

Two or more races 9.6%

Hispanic or Latino 7.5%

Other race 2.3%

American Indian / Alaska Native 2.1%

Black or African American 0.6%

Asian 0.4%

Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%

Group	Count	%
White	11,918	77.3%
Two or more races	1,482	9.6%
Hispanic or Latino	1,154	7.5%
Other race	358	2.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native	317	2.1%
Black or African American	92	0.6%
Asian	66	0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	26	0.2%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	32.8%	31.8%	31.7%
$50k – $100k	33.2%	33.6%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	31.5%	28.3%	27.1%
Over $200k	2.5%	6.3%	10.6%

Under $10k 1.8%

$10k–$15k 1.3%

$15k–$25k 6.8%

$25k–$35k 5.1%

$35k–$50k 12.6%

$50k–$75k 13.0%

$75k–$100k 13.7%

$100k–$150k 28.7%

$150k–$200k 9.9%

$200k+ 7.1%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	1.8%
$10k–$15k	1.3%
$15k–$25k	6.8%
$25k–$35k	5.1%
$35k–$50k	12.6%
$50k–$75k	13.0%
$75k–$100k	13.7%
$100k–$150k	28.7%
$150k–$200k	9.9%
$200k+	7.1%
Median income	$91,493

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 4.0%

$50k–$100k 2.8%

$100k–$150k 1.8%

$150k–$200k 6.0%

$200k–$300k 19.9%

$300k–$500k 40.3%

$500k–$1M 24.7%

$1M+ 0.5%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$365,900
Median rent / month	$1,159
Owner occupied	79.1%
Renter occupied	20.9%
Vacant	2.9%
Single-family detached	67.2%
Large apartment buildings	1.6%
Mobile homes	26.0%
Median rooms	5.6
Avg household size (owned)	2.87

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	1.5%
2010–2019	9.1%
2000–2009	26.7%
1990–1999	20.9%
1980–1989	14.9%
1970–1979	16.6%
1960–1969	1.8%
1950–1959	1.0%
1940–1949	0.3%
1939 or earlier	7.1%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.6%
1 bedroom	5.6%
2 bedrooms	21.7%
3 bedrooms	54.3%
4 bedrooms	16.2%
5+ bedrooms	1.5%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	2.9%
1 vehicle	19.3%
2 vehicles	24.2%
3 or more	53.6%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	1.0%
Electricity	73.3%
Propane / LP gas	9.1%
Fuel oil	0.6%
Wood	13.6%
Solar	0.9%
No fuel used	0.2%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	2,855	55.8%
Cohabiting couple	614	12.0%
Male householder, no spouse	723	14.1%
Female householder, no spouse	929	18.1%
Households with children under 18	1,547	30.2%
Households with seniors (65+)	1,659	32.4%
Average household size	2.78

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	31.7%	29.9%
Married	51.8%	50.0%
Separated	0.4%	1.6%
Widowed	1.8%	5.7%
Divorced	14.4%	12.7%

Education

Less than 9th grade 3.8%

Some HS, no diploma 4.7%

HS graduate 34.2%

Some college, no degree 27.9%

Associate's degree 10.7%

Bachelor's degree 13.6%

Graduate / professional 5.1%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	91.5%
Bachelor's or higher	18.7%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	306	12.1%
Kindergarten	157	6.2%
Elementary school	844	33.4%
High school	815	32.3%
College / grad school	403	16.0%

Employment

Industry of employment

Public administration 17.2%

Education & healthcare 15.6%

Retail trade 15.5%

Arts, food & hospitality 9.4%

Manufacturing 8.6%

Agriculture & mining 8.2%

Professional & management 8.2%

Finance & real estate 5.2%

Construction 4.1%

Other services 2.8%

Transportation & utilities 2.4%

Wholesale trade 1.7%

Information 1.2%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	25.9%
Service	16.0%
Sales & office	27.5%
Natural resources & construction	14.4%
Production & transportation	16.1%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	71.1%
Government	26.8%
Self-employed	2.1%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	71.5%
Carpool	7.6%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.2%
Work from home	12.6%
Other means	8.2%
Avg commute (minutes)	30.1

Poverty

All people 11.0%

Under 18 years 20.2%

18 and over 8.5%

Married-couple families 3.8%

Female-led households 8.2%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	43.4%
Retirement income	27.1%
Supplemental Security	5.1%
Cash public assistance	5.8%
Food stamps / SNAP	12.2%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	33.0%
High blood pressure	31.8%
High cholesterol	32.9%
Diabetes	9.3%
Heart disease	6.0%
Stroke	2.9%
Asthma	10.6%
Arthritis	26.4%
Kidney disease	2.8%
Pulmonary disease	6.8%
Cancer	6.6%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	18.3%
Binge drinking	17.7%
No physical activity	18.6%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	34.7%
Depression	29.7%
Fair or poor health	14.4%
Poor mental health	16.6%
Poor physical health	11.2%
No health insurance	11.0%
Visited doctor (checkup)	68.9%
Visited dentist	63.4%
Cholesterol screening	88.0%
Teeth loss	12.4%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	1,182	10.6%

Disability	%
Any disability	16.5%
Under 18	6.5%
18–64 years	15.4%
65 and over	33.3%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	75.0%
Public insurance	44.4%
No insurance	2.5%
Uninsured under 19	0.6%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	13,066	91.6%
Spanish	372	2.8%
Other Indo-European	356	2.7%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	16	0.1%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	13,487	94.6%
Born in same state	13,264	93.0%
Born in different state	9,056	63.5%
Foreign born	223	1.6%
Naturalized citizen	772	5.4%
Not a US citizen	247	32.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	2,125	14.9%
French	1,354	9.5%
Arab	1,098	7.7%
Polish	942	6.6%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	143	1%
Dutch	57	0.4%
Norwegian	52	0.4%
German	5	0%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	35.9%
Internet access	98.9%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 98579

What city is ZIP code 98579 in?

ZIP code 98579 is primarily assigned to Rochester, Washington.

What county is ZIP code 98579 in?

ZIP code 98579 falls within Thurston County, Washington.

Does ZIP code 98579 have a large retiree population?

43% of households in ZIP code 98579 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Does ZIP code 98579 have a large veteran population?

11% of civilians in ZIP code 98579 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 98579?

The median home value in ZIP code 98579 is $365,900.

What is the population of ZIP code 98579?

ZIP code 98579 has an estimated population of 14,259 residents, with a density of 151 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 98579 in?

ZIP code 98579 observes the PST timezone.