98542 ZIP Code — Ethel, WA

Lewis County, Washington

ZIP code 98542 is located in Ethel, Washington, within Lewis County. It covers approximately 10.91 square miles and serves a population of 708 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Pacific (PT) timezone, served by area code 360/564.

About ZIP code 98542

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 2000s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $363,800. Owner-occupancy is high at 83%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $80,875. 53% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 23 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 12% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Notable community characteristics include disability rates above the national average at 34%.

Overall, ZIP code 98542 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

708

population

10.91

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Pacific (PT)

timezone

98542 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 98542

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 98542. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Ethel	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

98582 Salkum (3.3 mi) 98570 Onalaska (3.6 mi) 98591 Toledo (5.5 mi) 98596 Winlock (9 mi) 98533 Cinebar (10 mi) 98585 Silver Creek (11.3 mi) 98532 Chehalis (14.2 mi) 98532 Chehalis (14.2 mi) 98564 Mossyrock (14.3 mi) 98593 Vader (15.1 mi) 98611 Castle Rock (17.7 mi) 98531 Centralia (19.1 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	708
Population density	65 / sq mi
State FIPS	53
County FIPS	041

Geography
Land area	10.91 sq mi
Water area	0.00 sq mi
Latitude	46.5310
Longitude	-122.7235
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	49.1%	46.0%	31.7%
$50k – $100k	27.8%	32.8%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	23.1%	18.5%	27.1%
Over $200k	0.0%	2.7%	10.6%

Demographics & statistics

708

Population

People per sq mi

48.7

Median age

$80,875

Median household income

$25,589

Per capita income

$363,800

Median home value

Median monthly rent

83.1%

Home ownership

10.9%

Poverty rate

0.0%

Unemployment

201

Housing units

12.4%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

10–14

15–19

20–24

25–34

35–44

101

45–54

55–59

60–64

65–74

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	56	7.9%
18 and over	652	92.1%
65 and over	194	27.4%
Median age	48.7 years

Race & ethnicity

White 100%

Group	Count	%
White	708	100%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	49.1%	46.0%	31.7%
$50k – $100k	27.8%	32.8%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	23.1%	18.5%	27.1%
Over $200k	0.0%	2.7%	10.6%

Under $10k 3.3%

$15k–$25k 28.1%

$25k–$35k 9.9%

$35k–$50k 3.3%

$50k–$75k 2.5%

$75k–$100k 24.8%

$100k–$150k 25.2%

$150k–$200k 2.9%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	3.3%
$15k–$25k	28.1%
$25k–$35k	9.9%
$35k–$50k	3.3%
$50k–$75k	2.5%
$75k–$100k	24.8%
$100k–$150k	25.2%
$150k–$200k	2.9%
Median income	$80,875

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 4.5%

$100k–$150k 3.0%

$200k–$300k 11.4%

$300k–$500k 68.2%

$500k–$1M 12.9%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$363,800
Median rent / month	$0
Owner occupied	83.1%
Renter occupied	16.9%
Vacant	0.0%
Single-family detached	81.0%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	19.0%
Median rooms	4.5
Avg household size (owned)	3.05

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	26.0%
2000–2009	44.2%
1990–1999	0.0%
1980–1989	2.5%
1970–1979	12.8%
1960–1969	0.0%
1950–1959	7.4%
1940–1949	3.7%
1939 or earlier	3.3%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.0%
1 bedroom	6.2%
2 bedrooms	16.5%
3 bedrooms	71.5%
4 bedrooms	5.8%
5+ bedrooms	0.0%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	5.8%
1 vehicle	21.5%
2 vehicles	39.7%
3 or more	33.1%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Electricity	90.5%
Propane / LP gas	6.2%
No fuel used	3.3%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	189	78.1%
Cohabiting couple	8	3.3%
Male householder, no spouse	8	3.3%
Female householder, no spouse	37	15.3%
Households with children under 18	60	24.8%
Households with seniors (65+)	110	45.5%
Average household size	2.93

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	34.7%	9.4%
Married	55.3%	74.8%
Separated	0.0%	0.0%
Widowed	2.6%	13.4%
Divorced	7.4%	2.4%

Education

Less than 9th grade 6.5%

Some HS, no diploma 5.9%

HS graduate 41.6%

Some college, no degree 28.2%

Associate's degree 5.3%

Bachelor's degree 12.4%

Graduate / professional 0.0%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	87.6%
Bachelor's or higher	12.4%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	0	0.0%
Kindergarten	0	0.0%
Elementary school	20	17.9%
High school	26	23.2%
College / grad school	66	58.9%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 28.5%

Construction 17.4%

Manufacturing 12.9%

Retail trade 12.4%

Agriculture & mining 10.6%

Public administration 8.8%

Arts, food & hospitality 5.6%

Transportation & utilities 3.8%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	27.4%
Service	10.9%
Sales & office	16.8%
Natural resources & construction	23.2%
Production & transportation	21.8%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	82.4%
Government	17.6%
Self-employed	0.0%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	80.0%
Carpool	0.0%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	13.5%
Work from home	4.5%
Other means	1.9%
Avg commute (minutes)	23.4

Poverty

All people 10.9%

Under 18 years 0.0%

18 and over 11.8%

Married-couple families 20.6%

Female-led households 0.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	52.5%
Retirement income	35.1%
Supplemental Security	3.3%
Cash public assistance	6.2%
Food stamps / SNAP	9.5%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	33.7%
High blood pressure	33.7%
High cholesterol	35.0%
Diabetes	10.8%
Heart disease	7.7%
Stroke	3.6%
Asthma	11.1%
Arthritis	30.0%
Kidney disease	3.3%
Pulmonary disease	8.1%
Cancer	7.5%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	18.3%
Binge drinking	16.8%
No physical activity	21.4%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	32.0%
Depression	26.5%
Fair or poor health	16.3%
Poor mental health	16.0%
Poor physical health	12.6%
No health insurance	11.7%
Visited doctor (checkup)	67.7%
Visited dentist	60.9%
Cholesterol screening	87.9%
Teeth loss	14.6%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	65	10.0%

Disability	%
Any disability	34.0%
Under 18	23.2%
18–64 years	26.6%
65 and over	54.6%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	69.6%
Public insurance	39.8%
No insurance	13.3%
Uninsured under 19	27.3%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	708	100.0%
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)	708	100.0%
Born in same state	708	100.0%
Born in different state	395	55.8%
Foreign born	0	0.0%
Naturalized citizen	0	0.0%
Not a US citizen	0	0.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	115	16.2%
French	92	13%

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	75	10.6%
Polish	6	0.8%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	34.2%
Internet access	90.5%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 98542

What city is ZIP code 98542 in?

ZIP code 98542 is primarily assigned to Ethel, Washington.

What county is ZIP code 98542 in?

ZIP code 98542 falls within Lewis County, Washington.

Does ZIP code 98542 have a large retiree population?

53% of households in ZIP code 98542 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Does ZIP code 98542 have an older population?

27% of residents in ZIP code 98542 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 98542?

12% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — below the national average of ~33%, consistent with a trades-oriented local economy.

Is ZIP code 98542 mostly owner-occupied?

83% of occupied units in ZIP code 98542 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

What timezone is ZIP code 98542 in?

ZIP code 98542 observes the PST timezone.