98321 ZIP Code — Buckley, WA

Pierce County, Washington

ZIP code 98321 is located in Buckley, Washington, within Pierce County. It covers approximately 35.52 square miles and serves a population of 16,936 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Pacific (PT) timezone, served by area code 360/564.

About ZIP code 98321

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 $488,600. Owner-occupancy is high at 86%, well above the national average.

The gap between median ($122,399) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. The poverty rate of 3% is below the national average.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. An above-average commute of 37 minutes suggests many residents work outside the immediate area.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 27% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

16,936

population

35.52

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Pacific (PT)

timezone

98321 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 98321

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 98321. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Buckley	Acceptable
Buckley	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

98323 Carbonado (7.6 mi) 98022 Enumclaw (9.2 mi) 98360 Orting (11.6 mi) 98304 Ashford (14.7 mi) 98328 Eatonville (19.8 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	16,936
Population density	477 / sq mi
State FIPS	53
County FIPS	053

Geography
Land area	35.52 sq mi
Water area	0.54 sq mi
Latitude	46.9858
Longitude	-121.8362
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	20.8%	31.0%	31.7%
$50k – $100k	26.7%	33.3%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	41.0%	28.4%	27.1%
Over $200k	11.5%	7.3%	10.6%

Demographics & statistics

16,936

Population

477

People per sq mi

40.2

Median age

$122,399

Median household income

$55,478

Per capita income

$488,600

Median home value

$1,703

Median monthly rent

85.8%

Home ownership

2.6%

Poverty rate

4.3%

Unemployment

5,387

Housing units

27.3%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

508

Under 5

494

549

5–9

535

612

10–14

596

497

15–19

483

439

20–24

428

988

25–34

962

1,425

35–44

1,387

1,075

45–54

1,047

745

55–59

725

498

60–64

484

750

65–74

731

381

75–84

370

115

85+

112

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	3,839	22.7%
18 and over	13,097	77.3%
65 and over	2,459	14.5%
Median age	40.2 years

Race & ethnicity

White 90.7%

Two or more races 3.5%

Hispanic or Latino 2.1%

American Indian / Alaska Native 1.7%

Asian 0.9%

Other race 0.8%

Black or African American 0.3%

Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	15,697	90.7%
Two or more races	605	3.5%
Hispanic or Latino	364	2.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native	289	1.7%
Asian	160	0.9%
Other race	130	0.8%
Black or African American	45	0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	10	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	20.8%	31.0%	31.7%
$50k – $100k	26.7%	33.3%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	41.0%	28.4%	27.1%
Over $200k	11.5%	7.3%	10.6%

Under $10k 0.1%

$10k–$15k 0.6%

$15k–$25k 3.1%

$25k–$35k 7.5%

$35k–$50k 4.9%

$50k–$75k 8.3%

$75k–$100k 13.3%

$100k–$150k 24.7%

$150k–$200k 19.0%

$200k+ 18.3%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	0.1%
$10k–$15k	0.6%
$15k–$25k	3.1%
$25k–$35k	7.5%
$35k–$50k	4.9%
$50k–$75k	8.3%
$75k–$100k	13.3%
$100k–$150k	24.7%
$150k–$200k	19.0%
$200k+	18.3%
Median income	$122,399

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 4.0%

$50k–$100k 2.8%

$100k–$150k 1.8%

$150k–$200k 1.4%

$200k–$300k 5.3%

$300k–$500k 37.5%

$500k–$1M 40.5%

$1M+ 6.7%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$488,600
Median rent / month	$1,703
Owner occupied	85.8%
Renter occupied	14.2%
Vacant	3.4%
Single-family detached	81.6%
Large apartment buildings	2.0%
Mobile homes	11.9%
Median rooms	6.6
Avg household size (owned)	2.85

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.9%
2010–2019	8.2%
2000–2009	16.5%
1990–1999	31.8%
1980–1989	15.2%
1970–1979	9.8%
1960–1969	6.5%
1950–1959	1.8%
1940–1949	0.7%
1939 or earlier	8.7%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	1.7%
1 bedroom	2.7%
2 bedrooms	8.3%
3 bedrooms	59.2%
4 bedrooms	22.4%
5+ bedrooms	5.6%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	2.4%
1 vehicle	14.0%
2 vehicles	31.8%
3 or more	51.9%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	38.3%
Electricity	38.1%
Propane / LP gas	8.6%
Fuel oil	0.2%
Wood	9.9%
No fuel used	0.6%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	3,838	63.6%
Cohabiting couple	346	5.7%
Male householder, no spouse	867	14.4%
Female householder, no spouse	982	16.3%
Households with children under 18	1,979	32.8%
Households with seniors (65+)	1,642	27.2%
Average household size	2.75

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	27.9%	21.8%
Married	59.4%	59.5%
Separated	0.5%	0.9%
Widowed	1.1%	7.6%
Divorced	11.1%	10.2%

Education

Less than 9th grade 1.4%

Some HS, no diploma 4.6%

HS graduate 29.2%

Some college, no degree 26.7%

Associate's degree 10.9%

Bachelor's degree 19.4%

Graduate / professional 7.9%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	94.0%
Bachelor's or higher	27.3%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	334	8.4%
Kindergarten	217	5.4%
Elementary school	1,615	40.5%
High school	914	22.9%
College / grad school	905	22.7%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 19.1%

Manufacturing 18.4%

Retail trade 11.3%

Construction 10.4%

Transportation & utilities 8.0%

Finance & real estate 6.0%

Professional & management 5.8%

Public administration 5.7%

Wholesale trade 5.0%

Arts, food & hospitality 5.0%

Other services 4.7%

Agriculture & mining 0.4%

Information 0.3%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	38.5%
Service	13.0%
Sales & office	21.8%
Natural resources & construction	12.8%
Production & transportation	13.9%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	76.3%
Government	16.4%
Self-employed	6.9%
Unpaid family workers	0.4%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	75.1%
Carpool	7.8%
Public transit	1.6%
Walk	1.0%
Work from home	12.5%
Other means	2.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	36.9

Poverty

All people 2.6%

Under 18 years 0.3%

18 and over 3.2%

Married-couple families 0.0%

Female-led households 0.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	28.9%
Retirement income	27.0%
Supplemental Security	2.9%
Cash public assistance	2.1%
Food stamps / SNAP	4.8%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	33.3%
High blood pressure	33.0%
High cholesterol	34.3%
Diabetes	8.2%
Heart disease	5.1%
Stroke	2.5%
Asthma	10.6%
Arthritis	24.1%
Kidney disease	2.5%
Pulmonary disease	5.9%
Cancer	6.4%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	16.5%
Binge drinking	17.7%
No physical activity	19.1%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	32.1%
Depression	26.6%
Fair or poor health	12.3%
Poor mental health	15.9%
Poor physical health	10.4%
No health insurance	9.8%
Visited doctor (checkup)	68.1%
Visited dentist	67.4%
Cholesterol screening	87.8%
Teeth loss	10.8%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	1,099	8.4%

Disability	%
Any disability	10.5%
Under 18	5.5%
18–64 years	8.2%
65 and over	28.3%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	83.3%
Public insurance	28.4%
No insurance	2.3%
Uninsured under 19	2.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	15,934	94.1%
Spanish	63	0.4%
Other Indo-European	17	0.1%
Asian & Pacific Islander	29	0.2%
Other languages	17	0.1%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	16,484	97.3%
Born in same state	16,413	96.9%
Born in different state	11,608	68.5%
Foreign born	71	0.4%
Naturalized citizen	452	2.7%
Not a US citizen	231	51.1%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	2,121	12.5%
French	1,956	11.5%
Polish	1,172	6.9%
Arab	676	4%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	466	2.8%
Dutch	182	1.1%
German	94	0.6%
Norwegian	21	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	35.6%
Internet access	98.6%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 98321

What city is ZIP code 98321 in?

ZIP code 98321 is primarily assigned to Buckley, Washington.

What county is ZIP code 98321 in?

ZIP code 98321 falls within Pierce County, Washington.

Is ZIP code 98321 mostly owner-occupied?

86% of occupied units in ZIP code 98321 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 98321?

The median home value in ZIP code 98321 is $488,600.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 98321?

The median household income in ZIP code 98321 is $122,399, above the national median of ~$75,000.

What is the population of ZIP code 98321?

ZIP code 98321 has an estimated population of 16,936 residents, with a density of 477 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 98321 in?

ZIP code 98321 observes the PST timezone.