98498 ZIP Code — Lakewood, WA

Pierce County, Washington

ZIP code 98498 is located in Lakewood, Washington, within Pierce County. It covers approximately 9.94 square miles and serves a population of 28,256 residents. This is a po box ZIP code in the Pacific (PT) timezone, served by area code 253.

About ZIP code 98498

The housing stock consists of a mix of housing types. Most homes were built in the 1960s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $427,600. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 60%.

Median household income is $84,878. 34% 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 29 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 31% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Notable community characteristics include a notable veteran presence at 18% of civilians, above the national average of 7%.

Overall, ZIP code 98498 reflects a community defined by a strong veteran community and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

28,256

population

9.94

sq mi land

PO Box

ZIP type

Pacific (PT)

timezone

98498 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 98498

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 98498. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Lakewood	Acceptable
Lakewood	Acceptable
Lakewood	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

98439 Lakewood (2.7 mi) 98430 Camp Murray (2.7 mi) 98499 Lakewood (2.7 mi) 98467 University Place (3 mi) 98466 Tacoma (5 mi) 98444 Tacoma (5.2 mi) 98447 Tacoma (5.5 mi) 98409 Tacoma (5.6 mi) 98408 Tacoma (6 mi) 98465 Tacoma (6.4 mi) 98433 Tacoma (6.7 mi) 98327 Dupont (6.8 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	28,256
Population density	2,843 / sq mi
State FIPS	53
County FIPS	053

Geography
Land area	9.94 sq mi
Water area	1.33 sq mi
Latitude	47.1581
Longitude	-122.5604
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	31.4%	31.0%	31.7%
$50k – $100k	37.1%	33.3%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	26.6%	28.4%	27.1%
Over $200k	4.9%	7.3%	10.6%

Demographics & statistics

28,256

Population

2,843

People per sq mi

41.0

Median age

$84,878

Median household income

$48,511

Per capita income

$427,600

Median home value

$1,411

Median monthly rent

60.2%

Home ownership

7.6%

Poverty rate

4.1%

Unemployment

7,928

Housing units

30.6%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

913

Under 5

917

541

5–9

543

603

10–14

606

613

15–19

616

1,056

20–24

1,062

2,302

25–34

2,314

1,576

35–44

1,583

1,756

45–54

1,765

791

55–59

794

1,143

60–64

1,148

1,685

65–74

1,694

748

75–84

751

367

85+

369

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	4,878	17.3%
18 and over	23,378	82.7%
65 and over	5,614	19.9%
Median age	41.0 years

Race & ethnicity

White 52%

Two or more races 14.4%

Black or African American 9.3%

Hispanic or Latino 8.3%

Asian 8.1%

Other race 5.8%

Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.2%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.9%

Group	Count	%
White	16,018	52%
Two or more races	4,452	14.4%
Black or African American	2,866	9.3%
Hispanic or Latino	2,563	8.3%
Asian	2,495	8.1%
Other race	1,782	5.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	378	1.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native	265	0.9%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	31.4%	31.0%	31.7%
$50k – $100k	37.1%	33.3%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	26.6%	28.4%	27.1%
Over $200k	4.9%	7.3%	10.6%

Under $10k 2.6%

$10k–$15k 1.4%

$15k–$25k 4.9%

$25k–$35k 4.5%

$35k–$50k 10.2%

$50k–$75k 20.3%

$75k–$100k 15.8%

$100k–$150k 20.2%

$150k–$200k 11.6%

$200k+ 8.4%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	2.6%
$10k–$15k	1.4%
$15k–$25k	4.9%
$25k–$35k	4.5%
$35k–$50k	10.2%
$50k–$75k	20.3%
$75k–$100k	15.8%
$100k–$150k	20.2%
$150k–$200k	11.6%
$200k+	8.4%
Median income	$84,878

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 3.0%

$50k–$100k 0.2%

$100k–$150k 1.3%

$150k–$200k 4.2%

$200k–$300k 10.0%

$300k–$500k 54.6%

$500k–$1M 21.4%

$1M+ 5.3%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$427,600
Median rent / month	$1,411
Owner occupied	60.2%
Renter occupied	39.8%
Vacant	7.3%
Single-family detached	58.7%
Large apartment buildings	6.6%
Mobile homes	0.7%
Median rooms	5.5
Avg household size (owned)	2.51

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.3%
2010–2019	5.3%
2000–2009	7.4%
1990–1999	11.2%
1980–1989	12.0%
1970–1979	20.2%
1960–1969	22.6%
1950–1959	13.9%
1940–1949	4.2%
1939 or earlier	2.8%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	4.4%
1 bedroom	13.4%
2 bedrooms	23.8%
3 bedrooms	38.2%
4 bedrooms	16.1%
5+ bedrooms	4.2%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	5.3%
1 vehicle	33.2%
2 vehicles	37.2%
3 or more	24.3%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	44.0%
Electricity	51.4%
Propane / LP gas	1.9%
Fuel oil	1.0%
Solar	0.1%
No fuel used	0.6%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	5,508	47.3%
Cohabiting couple	704	6.0%
Male householder, no spouse	2,312	19.8%
Female householder, no spouse	3,129	26.9%
Households with children under 18	2,798	24.0%
Households with seniors (65+)	3,825	32.8%
Average household size	2.33

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	32.8%	24.0%
Married	51.8%	48.9%
Separated	2.0%	2.5%
Widowed	2.3%	9.0%
Divorced	11.2%	15.6%

Education

Less than 9th grade 2.5%

Some HS, no diploma 4.6%

HS graduate 22.9%

Some college, no degree 26.6%

Associate's degree 12.8%

Bachelor's degree 18.8%

Graduate / professional 11.8%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	92.9%
Bachelor's or higher	30.6%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	167	3.4%
Kindergarten	335	6.8%
Elementary school	1,674	34.1%
High school	968	19.7%
College / grad school	1,771	36.0%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 27.3%

Arts, food & hospitality 10.2%

Retail trade 10.0%

Professional & management 9.8%

Public administration 8.5%

Transportation & utilities 7.2%

Construction 6.9%

Manufacturing 6.8%

Finance & real estate 6.5%

Other services 3.8%

Wholesale trade 1.8%

Information 1.0%

Agriculture & mining 0.3%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	39.3%
Service	18.1%
Sales & office	22.2%
Natural resources & construction	8.1%
Production & transportation	12.4%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	69.3%
Government	25.0%
Self-employed	5.6%
Unpaid family workers	0.1%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	73.7%
Carpool	11.2%
Public transit	3.7%
Walk	0.8%
Work from home	9.8%
Other means	0.8%
Avg commute (minutes)	28.6

Poverty

All people 7.6%

Under 18 years 4.6%

18 and over 8.2%

Married-couple families 2.9%

Female-led households 8.6%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	33.6%
Retirement income	33.4%
Supplemental Security	6.4%
Cash public assistance	3.3%
Food stamps / SNAP	8.2%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	32.5%
High blood pressure	36.4%
High cholesterol	35.7%
Diabetes	10.0%
Heart disease	5.9%
Stroke	3.0%
Asthma	10.5%
Arthritis	25.6%
Kidney disease	2.9%
Pulmonary disease	5.9%
Cancer	7.1%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	14.2%
Binge drinking	15.0%
No physical activity	20.9%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	32.4%
Depression	23.7%
Fair or poor health	13.5%
Poor mental health	14.7%
Poor physical health	10.4%
No health insurance	10.8%
Visited doctor (checkup)	71.1%
Visited dentist	66.1%
Cholesterol screening	88.4%
Teeth loss	10.6%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	3,918	17.7%

Disability	%
Any disability	18.5%
Under 18	3.0%
18–64 years	16.6%
65 and over	38.0%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	72.1%
Public insurance	44.1%
No insurance	6.1%
Uninsured under 19	4.4%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	26,426	93.5%
Spanish	1,683	6.4%
Other Indo-European	459	1.7%
Asian & Pacific Islander	173	0.7%
Other languages	970	3.7%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	24,545	86.9%
Born in same state	23,237	82.2%
Born in different state	10,812	38.3%
Foreign born	1,308	4.6%
Naturalized citizen	3,711	13.1%
Not a US citizen	2,481	66.9%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	2,644	9.4%
Italian	2,473	8.8%
Polish	932	3.3%
Arab	894	3.2%

Ancestry	Count	%
Dutch	245	0.9%
English	205	0.7%
German	193	0.7%
Irish	55	0.2%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	41.2%
Internet access	96.1%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 98498

What city is ZIP code 98498 in?

ZIP code 98498 is primarily assigned to Lakewood, Washington.

What county is ZIP code 98498 in?

ZIP code 98498 falls within Pierce County, Washington.

Does ZIP code 98498 have a large veteran population?

18% of civilians in ZIP code 98498 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 98498?

The median home value in ZIP code 98498 is $427,600.

What is the population of ZIP code 98498?

ZIP code 98498 has an estimated population of 28,256 residents, with a density of 2,842 people per square mile.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 98498?

The median household income in ZIP code 98498 is $84,878, above the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 98498 in?

ZIP code 98498 observes the PST timezone.