98626 ZIP Code — Kelso, WA

Cowlitz County, Washington

ZIP code 98626 is located in Kelso, Washington, within Cowlitz County. It covers approximately 134.61 square miles and serves a population of 27,000 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Pacific (PT) timezone, served by area code 360/564.

About ZIP code 98626

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the pre-1940, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $310,500. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 70%.

Median household income is $69,423. SNAP benefit usage at 19% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 36% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is sales and office, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 25 minutes is near the national average.

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

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (21%) compared to national benchmarks.

Overall, ZIP code 98626 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

27,000

population

134.61

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Pacific (PT)

timezone

98626 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 98626

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 98626. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Kelso	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

98609 Carrolls (6.4 mi) 98625 Kalama (6.7 mi) 97048 Rainier (11.2 mi) 98611 Castle Rock (11.3 mi) 98632 Longview (13.8 mi) 98649 Toutle (13.9 mi) 98674 Woodland (16.4 mi) 98603 Ariel (17.2 mi) 97018 Columbia City (17.2 mi) 97051 Saint Helens (19.6 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	27,000
Population density	201 / sq mi
State FIPS	53
County FIPS	015

Geography
Land area	134.61 sq mi
Water area	0.78 sq mi
Latitude	46.1421
Longitude	-122.7748
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	42.7%	43.2%	31.7%
$50k – $100k	36.0%	32.8%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	17.3%	19.8%	27.1%
Over $200k	3.9%	4.2%	10.6%

Demographics & statistics

27,000

Population

201

People per sq mi

40.1

Median age

$69,423

Median household income

$32,000

Per capita income

$310,500

Median home value

$1,079

Median monthly rent

69.6%

Home ownership

12.8%

Poverty rate

7.3%

Unemployment

7,616

Housing units

14.6%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

827

Under 5

770

962

5–9

895

963

10–14

896

922

15–19

858

775

20–24

722

1,810

25–34

1,685

1,796

35–44

1,673

1,816

45–54

1,690

1,046

55–59

974

933

60–64

868

1,261

65–74

1,174

575

75–84

536

297

85+

276

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	6,403	23.7%
18 and over	20,597	76.3%
65 and over	4,119	15.3%
Median age	40.1 years

Race & ethnicity

White 84.6%

Two or more races 5.6%

Hispanic or Latino 3.5%

American Indian / Alaska Native 2.5%

Other race 1.5%

Asian 1.4%

Black or African American 0.7%

Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	23,685	84.6%
Two or more races	1,571	5.6%
Hispanic or Latino	992	3.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native	704	2.5%
Other race	422	1.5%
Asian	392	1.4%
Black or African American	191	0.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	35	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	42.7%	43.2%	31.7%
$50k – $100k	36.0%	32.8%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	17.3%	19.8%	27.1%
Over $200k	3.9%	4.2%	10.6%

Under $10k 4.6%

$10k–$15k 1.5%

$15k–$25k 7.1%

$25k–$35k 8.0%

$35k–$50k 13.7%

$50k–$75k 20.4%

$75k–$100k 15.9%

$100k–$150k 17.5%

$150k–$200k 6.5%

$200k+ 4.8%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	4.6%
$10k–$15k	1.5%
$15k–$25k	7.1%
$25k–$35k	8.0%
$35k–$50k	13.7%
$50k–$75k	20.4%
$75k–$100k	15.9%
$100k–$150k	17.5%
$150k–$200k	6.5%
$200k+	4.8%
Median income	$69,423

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 6.5%

$50k–$100k 4.1%

$100k–$150k 3.0%

$150k–$200k 9.6%

$200k–$300k 23.8%

$300k–$500k 41.8%

$500k–$1M 10.4%

$1M+ 0.9%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$310,500
Median rent / month	$1,079
Owner occupied	69.6%
Renter occupied	30.4%
Vacant	3.9%
Single-family detached	72.6%
Large apartment buildings	4.1%
Mobile homes	9.1%
Median rooms	5.8
Avg household size (owned)	2.67

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.2%
2010–2019	4.7%
2000–2009	11.6%
1990–1999	14.4%
1980–1989	8.5%
1970–1979	14.8%
1960–1969	11.6%
1950–1959	9.6%
1940–1949	7.2%
1939 or earlier	17.4%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	1.8%
1 bedroom	7.8%
2 bedrooms	24.7%
3 bedrooms	48.0%
4 bedrooms	14.0%
5+ bedrooms	3.7%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	3.9%
1 vehicle	26.5%
2 vehicles	40.7%
3 or more	28.9%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	4.2%
Electricity	85.9%
Propane / LP gas	0.7%
Fuel oil	0.1%
Wood	7.4%
Solar	0.1%
No fuel used	0.6%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	5,172	50.0%
Cohabiting couple	1,168	11.3%
Male householder, no spouse	1,772	17.1%
Female householder, no spouse	2,224	21.5%
Households with children under 18	3,355	32.5%
Households with seniors (65+)	3,024	29.3%
Average household size	2.61

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	34.0%	28.2%
Married	49.4%	49.6%
Separated	2.1%	1.7%
Widowed	3.2%	6.5%
Divorced	11.3%	14.1%

Education

Less than 9th grade 4.0%

Some HS, no diploma 6.2%

HS graduate 31.7%

Some college, no degree 31.3%

Associate's degree 12.1%

Bachelor's degree 10.7%

Graduate / professional 3.9%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	89.8%
Bachelor's or higher	14.6%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	412	6.6%
Kindergarten	331	5.3%
Elementary school	2,948	47.4%
High school	1,284	20.6%
College / grad school	1,248	20.1%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 18.3%

Manufacturing 17.9%

Retail trade 14.8%

Professional & management 10.2%

Construction 8.2%

Arts, food & hospitality 8.1%

Transportation & utilities 6.9%

Other services 4.4%

Public administration 4.3%

Finance & real estate 3.4%

Agriculture & mining 1.4%

Wholesale trade 1.0%

Information 1.0%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	22.9%
Service	20.6%
Sales & office	23.7%
Natural resources & construction	11.5%
Production & transportation	21.2%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	81.9%
Government	13.1%
Self-employed	4.8%
Unpaid family workers	0.2%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	83.9%
Carpool	8.2%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.8%
Work from home	5.4%
Other means	1.6%
Avg commute (minutes)	24.6

Poverty

All people 12.8%

Under 18 years 17.3%

18 and over 11.5%

Married-couple families 3.3%

Female-led households 28.8%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	36.3%
Retirement income	25.6%
Supplemental Security	7.7%
Cash public assistance	4.6%
Food stamps / SNAP	18.8%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	38.1%
High blood pressure	33.6%
High cholesterol	32.1%
Diabetes	9.6%
Heart disease	6.7%
Stroke	3.2%
Asthma	12.7%
Arthritis	27.6%
Kidney disease	3.0%
Pulmonary disease	7.8%
Cancer	6.6%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	20.5%
Binge drinking	18.1%
No physical activity	20.6%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	37.8%
Depression	31.5%
Fair or poor health	16.1%
Poor mental health	16.8%
Poor physical health	12.2%
No health insurance	12.2%
Visited doctor (checkup)	69.1%
Visited dentist	61.8%
Cholesterol screening	86.4%
Teeth loss	13.6%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	2,102	10.2%

Disability	%
Any disability	19.3%
Under 18	7.0%
18–64 years	21.2%
65 and over	30.8%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	64.6%
Public insurance	42.2%
No insurance	6.9%
Uninsured under 19	4.8%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	25,403	94.1%
Spanish	653	2.6%
Other Indo-European	373	1.5%
Asian & Pacific Islander	34	0.1%
Other languages	246	1.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	25,949	96.1%
Born in same state	25,651	95.0%
Born in different state	15,767	58.4%
Foreign born	298	1.1%
Naturalized citizen	1,051	3.9%
Not a US citizen	303	28.8%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	4,109	15.2%
French	3,184	11.8%
Polish	1,184	4.4%
Arab	848	3.1%
Dutch	419	1.6%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	284	1.1%
German	220	0.8%
Irish	119	0.4%
Norwegian	59	0.2%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	38.3%
Internet access	94.4%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 98626

What city is ZIP code 98626 in?

ZIP code 98626 is primarily assigned to Kelso, Washington.

What county is ZIP code 98626 in?

ZIP code 98626 falls within Cowlitz County, Washington.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 98626?

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

Does ZIP code 98626 have a large retiree population?

36% of households in ZIP code 98626 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Does ZIP code 98626 have a large veteran population?

10% of civilians in ZIP code 98626 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 98626?

The median home value in ZIP code 98626 is $310,500.

What timezone is ZIP code 98626 in?

ZIP code 98626 observes the PST timezone.