98603 ZIP Code — Ariel, WA

Cowlitz County, Washington

ZIP code 98603 is located in Ariel, Washington, within Cowlitz County. It covers approximately 114.73 square miles and serves a population of 1,192 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Pacific (PT) timezone, served by area code 360/564.

About ZIP code 98603

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1990s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $338,000. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 71%.

Median household income is $76,481. SNAP benefit usage at 37% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 37% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with construction as the leading industry. An above-average commute of 52 minutes suggests many residents work outside the immediate area.

College attainment at 15% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Notable community characteristics include a notable veteran presence at 13% of civilians, above the national average of 7%.

Overall, ZIP code 98603 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, a strong veteran community, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

1,192

population

114.73

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Pacific (PT)

timezone

98603 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 98603

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 98603. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Ariel	Acceptable
Ariel	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

98601 Amboy (4.5 mi) 98616 Cougar (8.3 mi) 98674 Woodland (9.1 mi) 98629 La Center (13.2 mi) 98649 Toutle (13.2 mi) 98625 Kalama (13.9 mi) 98604 Battle Ground (15.8 mi) 98675 Yacolt (16 mi) 98626 Kelso (17.2 mi) 97018 Columbia City (19.6 mi) 98642 Ridgefield (19.6 mi) 98609 Carrolls (19.7 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	1,192
Population density	10 / sq mi
State FIPS	53
County FIPS	015

Geography
Land area	114.73 sq mi
Water area	2.86 sq mi
Latitude	46.0292
Longitude	-122.4555
Timezone	Pacific (PT)
Area code	360/564

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	38.1%	43.2%	31.7%
$50k – $100k	44.6%	32.8%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	13.3%	19.8%	27.1%
Over $200k	4.0%	4.2%	10.6%

Demographics & statistics

1,192

Population

People per sq mi

30.3

Median age

$76,481

Median household income

$30,264

Per capita income

$338,000

Median home value

$726

Median monthly rent

71.0%

Home ownership

15.8%

Poverty rate

0.0%

Unemployment

527

Housing units

14.9%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

111

5–9

125

10–14

15–19

20–24

25–34

109

35–44

45–54

55–59

60–64

65–74

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	369	31.0%
18 and over	823	69.0%
65 and over	206	17.3%
Median age	30.3 years

Race & ethnicity

White 83.7%

Two or more races 7.5%

Hispanic or Latino 5.9%

American Indian / Alaska Native 2.9%

Group	Count	%
White	1,060	83.7%
Two or more races	95	7.5%
Hispanic or Latino	75	5.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native	37	2.9%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	38.1%	43.2%	31.7%
$50k – $100k	44.6%	32.8%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	13.3%	19.8%	27.1%
Over $200k	4.0%	4.2%	10.6%

Under $10k 13.5%

$10k–$15k 7.5%

$15k–$25k 2.3%

$25k–$35k 8.2%

$35k–$50k 2.5%

$50k–$75k 12.3%

$75k–$100k 28.5%

$100k–$150k 10.3%

$150k–$200k 7.8%

$200k+ 7.1%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	13.5%
$10k–$15k	7.5%
$15k–$25k	2.3%
$25k–$35k	8.2%
$35k–$50k	2.5%
$50k–$75k	12.3%
$75k–$100k	28.5%
$100k–$150k	10.3%
$150k–$200k	7.8%
$200k+	7.1%
Median income	$76,481

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 3.5%

$50k–$100k 2.9%

$100k–$150k 8.7%

$150k–$200k 3.2%

$200k–$300k 17.4%

$300k–$500k 50.8%

$500k–$1M 13.5%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$338,000
Median rent / month	$726
Owner occupied	71.0%
Renter occupied	29.0%
Vacant	33.0%
Single-family detached	79.2%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	19.1%
Median rooms	6.0
Avg household size (owned)	2.88

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	11.0%
2000–2009	20.6%
1990–1999	24.8%
1980–1989	22.0%
1970–1979	3.8%
1960–1969	7.3%
1950–1959	4.9%
1940–1949	0.0%
1939 or earlier	5.5%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	8.3%
1 bedroom	11.3%
2 bedrooms	13.0%
3 bedrooms	33.6%
4 bedrooms	13.0%
5+ bedrooms	20.8%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	4.1%
1 vehicle	15.1%
2 vehicles	37.0%
3 or more	43.8%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Electricity	70.5%
Propane / LP gas	2.5%
Wood	24.9%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	178	40.6%
Cohabiting couple	29	6.6%
Male householder, no spouse	93	21.2%
Female householder, no spouse	138	31.5%
Households with children under 18	168	38.4%
Households with seniors (65+)	144	32.9%
Average household size	2.72

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	7.8%	29.1%
Married	62.7%	41.3%
Separated	0.0%	0.0%
Widowed	0.0%	2.9%
Divorced	29.5%	26.6%

Education

Less than 9th grade 0.0%

Some HS, no diploma 12.1%

HS graduate 26.5%

Some college, no degree 28.8%

Associate's degree 17.6%

Bachelor's degree 7.2%

Graduate / professional 7.7%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	87.9%
Bachelor's or higher	14.9%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	12	3.6%
Kindergarten	83	25.2%
Elementary school	100	30.4%
High school	0	0.0%
College / grad school	134	40.7%

Employment

Industry of employment

Construction 23.2%

Transportation & utilities 16.5%

Education & healthcare 14.4%

Arts, food & hospitality 14.2%

Manufacturing 9.2%

Finance & real estate 6.9%

Agriculture & mining 5.0%

Public administration 4.0%

Professional & management 2.6%

Retail trade 2.4%

Other services 1.7%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	44.0%
Service	10.9%
Sales & office	2.4%
Natural resources & construction	30.5%
Production & transportation	12.3%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	62.6%
Government	27.0%
Self-employed	10.4%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	82.9%
Carpool	0.0%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.0%
Work from home	14.3%
Other means	2.8%
Avg commute (minutes)	51.9

Poverty

All people 15.8%

Under 18 years 21.4%

18 and over 13.5%

Married-couple families 0.0%

Female-led households 52.7%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	37.0%
Retirement income	39.7%
Supplemental Security	7.5%
Cash public assistance	27.4%
Food stamps / SNAP	37.2%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	37.2%
High blood pressure	35.0%
High cholesterol	34.4%
Diabetes	9.6%
Heart disease	6.9%
Stroke	3.2%
Asthma	12.0%
Arthritis	28.9%
Kidney disease	2.9%
Pulmonary disease	7.6%
Cancer	7.0%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	19.3%
Binge drinking	17.9%
No physical activity	18.9%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	37.0%
Depression	30.2%
Fair or poor health	14.8%
Poor mental health	15.4%
Poor physical health	11.8%
No health insurance	10.2%
Visited doctor (checkup)	69.7%
Visited dentist	65.5%
Cholesterol screening	89.3%
Teeth loss	12.0%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	109	13.2%

Disability	%
Any disability	13.9%
Under 18	0.0%
18–64 years	17.7%
65 and over	27.7%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	74.1%
Public insurance	56.1%
No insurance	1.3%
Uninsured under 19	0.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	1,092	91.6%
Spanish	0	0.0%
Other Indo-European	0	0.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	1,156	97.0%
Born in same state	1,156	97.0%
Born in different state	409	34.3%
Foreign born	0	0.0%
Naturalized citizen	36	3.0%
Not a US citizen	36	100.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	131	11%
Arab	79	6.6%

Ancestry	Count	%
French	73	6.1%
English	49	4.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	36.7%
Internet access	97.7%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 98603

What city is ZIP code 98603 in?

ZIP code 98603 is primarily assigned to Ariel, Washington.

What county is ZIP code 98603 in?

ZIP code 98603 falls within Cowlitz County, Washington.

Is ZIP code 98603 family-oriented?

31% of residents in ZIP code 98603 are under 18, reflecting a younger, family-oriented community.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 98603?

15% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — below the national average of ~33%, consistent with a trades-oriented local economy.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 98603?

16% of residents in ZIP code 98603 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

Does ZIP code 98603 have a large veteran population?

13% of civilians in ZIP code 98603 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

What timezone is ZIP code 98603 in?

ZIP code 98603 observes the PST timezone.