98248 ZIP Code — Ferndale, WA

Whatcom County, Washington

ZIP code 98248 is located in Ferndale, Washington, within Whatcom County. It covers approximately 71.81 square miles and serves a population of 27,147 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Pacific (PT) timezone, served by area code 360/564.

About ZIP code 98248

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 $475,300. Owner-occupancy is high at 77%, well above the national average.

The gap between median ($86,334) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. 32% 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 22 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 32% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Overall, ZIP code 98248 reflects a community defined by high homeownership and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

27,147

population

71.81

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Pacific (PT)

timezone

98248 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 98248

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 98248. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Ferndale	Acceptable
Ferndale	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

98240 Custer (5.7 mi) 98230 Blaine (5.7 mi) 98226 Bellingham (8.4 mi) 98225 Bellingham (9 mi) 98264 Lynden (9.9 mi) 98262 Lummi Island (12 mi) 98247 Everson (13.3 mi) 98276 Nooksack (13.9 mi) 98229 Bellingham (15.4 mi) 98279 Olga (17.4 mi) 98295 Sumas (18.2 mi)

Demographics updated 06/2026

Population
Total population	27,147
Population density	378 / sq mi
State FIPS	53
County FIPS	073

Geography
Land area	71.81 sq mi
Water area	2.20 sq mi
Latitude	48.8639
Longitude	-122.6115
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	33.1%	37.7%	31.7%
$50k – $100k	33.9%	33.5%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	28.0%	23.7%	27.1%
Over $200k	4.9%	5.1%	10.6%

Demographics & statistics

27,147

Population

378

People per sq mi

36.7

Median age

$86,334

Median household income

$40,645

Per capita income

$475,300

Median home value

$1,311

Median monthly rent

76.5%

Home ownership

9.5%

Poverty rate

3.6%

Unemployment

8,040

Housing units

31.6%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

927

Under 5

935

894

5–9

902

887

10–14

895

937

15–19

945

740

20–24

747

2,017

25–34

2,036

1,502

35–44

1,515

1,800

45–54

1,816

708

55–59

714

787

60–64

794

1,532

65–74

1,545

541

75–84

545

242

85+

244

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	6,721	24.8%
18 and over	20,426	75.2%
65 and over	4,649	17.1%
Median age	36.7 years

Race & ethnicity

White 73.3%

Hispanic or Latino 7.4%

Two or more races 6.4%

Asian 6%

Other race 4.7%

American Indian / Alaska Native 1.6%

Black or African American 0.4%

Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%

Group	Count	%
White	21,485	73.3%
Hispanic or Latino	2,177	7.4%
Two or more races	1,867	6.4%
Asian	1,769	6%
Other race	1,378	4.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native	467	1.6%
Black or African American	120	0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	61	0.2%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	33.1%	37.7%	31.7%
$50k – $100k	33.9%	33.5%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	28.0%	23.7%	27.1%
Over $200k	4.9%	5.1%	10.6%

Under $10k 2.5%

$10k–$15k 2.9%

$15k–$25k 3.1%

$25k–$35k 7.0%

$35k–$50k 10.9%

$50k–$75k 15.2%

$75k–$100k 15.6%

$100k–$150k 21.4%

$150k–$200k 10.3%

$200k+ 11.1%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	2.5%
$10k–$15k	2.9%
$15k–$25k	3.1%
$25k–$35k	7.0%
$35k–$50k	10.9%
$50k–$75k	15.2%
$75k–$100k	15.6%
$100k–$150k	21.4%
$150k–$200k	10.3%
$200k+	11.1%
Median income	$86,334

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 1.8%

$50k–$100k 1.9%

$100k–$150k 1.3%

$150k–$200k 3.0%

$200k–$300k 10.3%

$300k–$500k 37.2%

$500k–$1M 41.5%

$1M+ 3.1%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$475,300
Median rent / month	$1,311
Owner occupied	76.5%
Renter occupied	23.5%
Vacant	9.1%
Single-family detached	71.8%
Large apartment buildings	8.8%
Mobile homes	9.5%
Median rooms	5.8
Avg household size (owned)	3.01

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	1.8%
2010–2019	16.1%
2000–2009	15.2%
1990–1999	20.0%
1980–1989	11.6%
1970–1979	18.0%
1960–1969	4.2%
1950–1959	3.3%
1940–1949	2.1%
1939 or earlier	7.6%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	2.5%
1 bedroom	4.3%
2 bedrooms	19.6%
3 bedrooms	48.7%
4 bedrooms	20.7%
5+ bedrooms	4.3%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	4.2%
1 vehicle	18.6%
2 vehicles	38.4%
3 or more	38.8%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	46.8%
Electricity	35.2%
Propane / LP gas	12.7%
Fuel oil	1.4%
Wood	2.8%
Solar	0.6%
No fuel used	0.3%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	5,847	62.9%
Cohabiting couple	579	6.2%
Male householder, no spouse	965	10.4%
Female householder, no spouse	1,906	20.5%
Households with children under 18	3,671	39.5%
Households with seniors (65+)	2,989	32.2%
Average household size	2.91

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	31.0%	24.1%
Married	58.6%	54.5%
Separated	1.0%	4.4%
Widowed	2.3%	7.1%
Divorced	7.1%	9.9%

Education

Less than 9th grade 3.1%

Some HS, no diploma 4.5%

HS graduate 23.6%

Some college, no degree 27.7%

Associate's degree 9.4%

Bachelor's degree 19.2%

Graduate / professional 12.4%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	92.3%
Bachelor's or higher	31.6%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	372	5.9%
Kindergarten	372	5.9%
Elementary school	2,864	45.3%
High school	1,503	23.8%
College / grad school	1,209	19.1%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 21.5%

Manufacturing 14.5%

Construction 12.3%

Retail trade 8.5%

Arts, food & hospitality 8.3%

Professional & management 8.1%

Finance & real estate 5.6%

Other services 5.5%

Transportation & utilities 4.8%

Public administration 4.2%

Wholesale trade 2.8%

Agriculture & mining 2.3%

Information 1.4%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	37.0%
Service	15.5%
Sales & office	19.4%
Natural resources & construction	12.9%
Production & transportation	15.2%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	79.0%
Government	12.2%
Self-employed	8.4%
Unpaid family workers	0.3%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	78.4%
Carpool	7.4%
Public transit	1.2%
Walk	0.7%
Work from home	11.4%
Other means	0.8%
Avg commute (minutes)	22.4

Poverty

All people 9.5%

Under 18 years 12.1%

18 and over 8.7%

Married-couple families 6.9%

Female-led households 19.1%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	31.6%
Retirement income	23.3%
Supplemental Security	4.6%
Cash public assistance	5.1%
Food stamps / SNAP	11.8%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	29.0%
High blood pressure	29.5%
High cholesterol	31.3%
Diabetes	8.8%
Heart disease	5.8%
Stroke	2.8%
Asthma	10.9%
Arthritis	24.7%
Kidney disease	2.7%
Pulmonary disease	6.2%
Cancer	6.3%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	16.8%
Binge drinking	19.7%
No physical activity	16.9%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	29.0%
Depression	28.2%
Fair or poor health	13.3%
Poor mental health	15.7%
Poor physical health	10.6%
No health insurance	11.0%
Visited doctor (checkup)	68.2%
Visited dentist	67.0%
Cholesterol screening	87.3%
Teeth loss	11.5%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	1,672	8.2%

Disability	%
Any disability	12.7%
Under 18	5.7%
18–64 years	10.4%
65 and over	30.5%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	68.5%
Public insurance	38.8%
No insurance	7.6%
Uninsured under 19	4.9%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	25,285	93.1%
Spanish	1,523	6.0%
Other Indo-European	511	2.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander	832	3.3%
Other languages	166	0.7%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	23,634	87.1%
Born in same state	23,030	84.8%
Born in different state	15,081	55.6%
Foreign born	604	2.2%
Naturalized citizen	3,513	12.9%
Not a US citizen	1,982	56.4%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	2,877	10.6%
Italian	2,317	8.5%
Polish	1,333	4.9%
English	995	3.7%

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	899	3.3%
Norwegian	377	1.4%
German	274	1%
Dutch	97	0.4%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	34.2%
Internet access	95.4%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 98248

What city is ZIP code 98248 in?

ZIP code 98248 is primarily assigned to Ferndale, Washington.

What county is ZIP code 98248 in?

ZIP code 98248 falls within Whatcom County, Washington.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 98248?

The median home value in ZIP code 98248 is $475,300.

What is the population of ZIP code 98248?

ZIP code 98248 has an estimated population of 27,147 residents, with a density of 378 people per square mile.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 98248?

The median household income in ZIP code 98248 is $86,334, above the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 98248 in?

ZIP code 98248 observes the PST timezone.