98439 ZIP Code — Lakewood, WA

Pierce County, Washington

ZIP code 98439 is located in Lakewood, Washington, within Pierce County. It covers approximately 5.44 square miles and serves a population of 5,679 residents. This is a po box ZIP code in the Pacific (PT) timezone, served by area code 253.

About ZIP code 98439

The housing stock consists of a mix of housing types. Most homes were built in the 1970s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $18,500. Renters make up the majority at 93%, typical of denser urban areas.

Median household income is $44,135.

The dominant occupation class is sales and office, 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 a notable veteran presence at 14% of civilians, above the national average of 7%.

Overall, ZIP code 98439 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce and a strong veteran community.

5,679

population

5.44

sq mi land

PO Box

ZIP type

Pacific (PT)

timezone

98439 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 98439

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 98439. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Lakewood	Acceptable
Lakewood	Acceptable
Lakewood	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

98430 Camp Murray (2.3 mi) 98498 Lakewood (2.7 mi) 98499 Lakewood (2.7 mi) 98444 Tacoma (3.6 mi) 98447 Tacoma (3.9 mi) 98467 University Place (5 mi) 98433 Tacoma (5 mi) 98445 Tacoma (5.2 mi) 98408 Tacoma (5.9 mi) 98409 Tacoma (6.3 mi) 98446 Tacoma (6.9 mi) 98466 Tacoma (7 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	5,679
Population density	1,044 / sq mi
State FIPS	53
County FIPS	053

Geography
Land area	5.44 sq mi
Water area	0.01 sq mi
Latitude	47.1287
Longitude	-122.5224
Timezone	Pacific (PT)
Area code	253

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	64.0%	31.0%	31.7%
$50k – $100k	25.8%	33.3%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	10.2%	28.4%	27.1%
Over $200k	0.0%	7.3%	10.6%

Demographics & statistics

5,679

Population

1,044

People per sq mi

25.5

Median age

$44,135

Median household income

$20,990

Per capita income

$18,500

Median home value

$1,372

Median monthly rent

7.5%

Home ownership

15.8%

Poverty rate

16.2%

Unemployment

437

Housing units

12.2%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

354

Under 5

274

389

5–9

300

232

10–14

180

156

15–19

120

396

20–24

306

917

25–34

709

253

35–44

195

257

45–54

199

55–59

60–64

65–74

75–84

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	1,863	32.8%
18 and over	3,816	67.2%
65 and over	136	2.4%
Median age	25.5 years

Race & ethnicity

White 44.2%

Hispanic or Latino 16.7%

Black or African American 12.5%

Other race 11.7%

Two or more races 10.1%

American Indian / Alaska Native 2.1%

Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.8%

Asian 0.9%

Group	Count	%
White	3,015	44.2%
Hispanic or Latino	1,135	16.7%
Black or African American	851	12.5%
Other race	799	11.7%
Two or more races	690	10.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native	140	2.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	121	1.8%
Asian	63	0.9%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	64.0%	31.0%	31.7%
$50k – $100k	25.8%	33.3%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	10.2%	28.4%	27.1%
Over $200k	0.0%	7.3%	10.6%

Under $10k 5.4%

$10k–$15k 5.3%

$15k–$25k 9.3%

$25k–$35k 13.1%

$35k–$50k 22.1%

$50k–$75k 27.1%

$75k–$100k 8.7%

$100k–$150k 6.2%

$150k–$200k 2.1%

$200k+ 0.7%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	5.4%
$10k–$15k	5.3%
$15k–$25k	9.3%
$25k–$35k	13.1%
$35k–$50k	22.1%
$50k–$75k	27.1%
$75k–$100k	8.7%
$100k–$150k	6.2%
$150k–$200k	2.1%
$200k+	0.7%
Median income	$44,135

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 81.3%

$200k–$300k 18.7%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$18,500
Median rent / month	$1,372
Owner occupied	7.5%
Renter occupied	92.5%
Vacant	10.5%
Single-family detached	10.5%
Large apartment buildings	6.8%
Mobile homes	10.9%
Median rooms	4.2
Avg household size (owned)	3.05

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.6%
2010–2019	18.9%
2000–2009	5.0%
1990–1999	16.8%
1980–1989	4.9%
1970–1979	37.0%
1960–1969	7.9%
1950–1959	5.4%
1940–1949	0.5%
1939 or earlier	3.0%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	7.0%
1 bedroom	15.8%
2 bedrooms	35.2%
3 bedrooms	33.9%
4 bedrooms	8.1%
5+ bedrooms	0.0%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	12.8%
1 vehicle	40.5%
2 vehicles	35.6%
3 or more	11.1%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	10.5%
Electricity	84.3%
Wood	0.5%
No fuel used	4.7%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	1,047	46.0%
Cohabiting couple	104	4.6%
Male householder, no spouse	622	27.3%
Female householder, no spouse	502	22.1%
Households with children under 18	967	42.5%
Households with seniors (65+)	130	5.7%
Average household size	2.50

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	27.3%	25.8%
Married	57.5%	62.2%
Separated	5.0%	5.7%
Widowed	0.9%	0.7%
Divorced	9.3%	5.5%

Education

Less than 9th grade 4.4%

Some HS, no diploma 11.0%

HS graduate 24.2%

Some college, no degree 28.3%

Associate's degree 20.0%

Bachelor's degree 9.3%

Graduate / professional 2.9%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	84.6%
Bachelor's or higher	12.2%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	89	5.0%
Kindergarten	189	10.6%
Elementary school	762	42.6%
High school	318	17.8%
College / grad school	432	24.1%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 22.1%

Construction 14.3%

Professional & management 14.3%

Transportation & utilities 11.3%

Retail trade 9.5%

Arts, food & hospitality 5.5%

Public administration 5.4%

Manufacturing 5.3%

Finance & real estate 4.1%

Other services 4.1%

Wholesale trade 2.4%

Information 1.8%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	18.9%
Service	21.8%
Sales & office	26.6%
Natural resources & construction	13.6%
Production & transportation	19.1%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	77.9%
Government	16.6%
Self-employed	2.4%
Unpaid family workers	3.2%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	74.0%
Carpool	17.3%
Public transit	1.7%
Walk	0.3%
Work from home	1.5%
Other means	5.2%
Avg commute (minutes)	22.7

Poverty

All people 15.8%

Under 18 years 17.9%

18 and over 14.7%

Married-couple families 8.3%

Female-led households 42.4%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	11.7%
Retirement income	8.9%
Supplemental Security	9.0%
Cash public assistance	2.9%
Food stamps / SNAP	16.7%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	35.5%
High blood pressure	25.6%
High cholesterol	22.5%
Diabetes	6.5%
Heart disease	3.2%
Stroke	1.9%
Asthma	12.1%
Arthritis	15.7%
Kidney disease	1.9%
Pulmonary disease	4.7%
Cancer	3.0%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	19.1%
Binge drinking	19.7%
No physical activity	21.7%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	35.9%
Depression	28.7%
Fair or poor health	13.8%
Poor mental health	20.0%
Poor physical health	9.9%
No health insurance	14.5%
Visited doctor (checkup)	64.0%
Visited dentist	57.0%
Cholesterol screening	78.5%
Teeth loss	16.1%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	422	14.0%

Disability	%
Any disability	13.6%
Under 18	0.8%
18–64 years	20.6%
65 and over	41.9%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	62.7%
Public insurance	37.8%
No insurance	8.7%
Uninsured under 19	0.7%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	5,051	88.9%
Spanish	204	4.0%
Other Indo-European	189	3.7%
Asian & Pacific Islander	6	0.1%
Other languages	9	0.2%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	5,262	92.7%
Born in same state	5,133	90.4%
Born in different state	1,660	29.2%
Foreign born	129	2.3%
Naturalized citizen	417	7.3%
Not a US citizen	146	35.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	305	5.4%
Italian	277	4.9%
Arab	130	2.3%
Polish	109	1.9%

Ancestry	Count	%
German	34	0.6%
Norwegian	18	0.3%
English	15	0.3%
Irish	11	0.2%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	40.1%
Internet access	97.5%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 98439

What city is ZIP code 98439 in?

ZIP code 98439 is primarily assigned to Lakewood, Washington.

What county is ZIP code 98439 in?

ZIP code 98439 falls within Pierce County, Washington.

Is ZIP code 98439 mostly rentals?

93% of occupied units in ZIP code 98439 are renter-occupied.

Is ZIP code 98439 family-oriented?

33% of residents in ZIP code 98439 are under 18, reflecting a younger, family-oriented community.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 98439?

12% 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 98439?

16% of residents in ZIP code 98439 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

What timezone is ZIP code 98439 in?

ZIP code 98439 observes the PST timezone.