98499 ZIP Code — Lakewood, WA

Pierce County, Washington

ZIP code 98499 is located in Lakewood, Washington, within Pierce County. It covers approximately 8.84 square miles and serves a population of 34,207 residents. This is a po box ZIP code in the Pacific (PT) timezone, served by area code 253.

About ZIP code 98499

The housing stock consists of a mix of housing types. Most homes were built in the 1950s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $371,300. Renters make up the majority at 66%, typical of denser urban areas.

Median household income is $60,726. SNAP benefit usage at 21% of households reflects economic stress in the area.

The dominant occupation class is service, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 29 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 20% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Notable community characteristics include a notable veteran presence at 13% of civilians, above the national average of 7%.

Overall, ZIP code 98499 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, a strong veteran community, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

34,207

population

8.84

sq mi land

PO Box

ZIP type

Pacific (PT)

timezone

98499 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 98499

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 98499. 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) 98498 Lakewood (2.7 mi) 98444 Tacoma (2.8 mi) 98467 University Place (3 mi) 98447 Tacoma (3.1 mi) 98408 Tacoma (3.4 mi) 98409 Tacoma (3.6 mi) 98430 Camp Murray (4.5 mi) 98466 Tacoma (4.7 mi) 98418 Tacoma (4.8 mi) 98445 Tacoma (4.9 mi) 98404 Tacoma (5.4 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	34,207
Population density	3,870 / sq mi
State FIPS	53
County FIPS	053

Geography
Land area	8.84 sq mi
Water area	0.50 sq mi
Latitude	47.1658
Longitude	-122.5032
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	50.0%	31.0%	31.7%
$50k – $100k	32.4%	33.3%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	14.9%	28.4%	27.1%
Over $200k	2.7%	7.3%	10.6%

Demographics & statistics

34,207

Population

3,870

People per sq mi

34.2

Median age

$60,726

Median household income

$33,617

Per capita income

$371,300

Median home value

$1,322

Median monthly rent

34.5%

Home ownership

15.6%

Poverty rate

4.8%

Unemployment

5,720

Housing units

19.8%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

936

Under 5

962

1,234

5–9

1,268

974

10–14

1,002

873

15–19

898

1,437

20–24

1,477

3,195

25–34

3,283

2,180

35–44

2,241

1,527

45–54

1,570

991

55–59

1,018

1,023

60–64

1,051

1,448

65–74

1,488

742

75–84

762

309

85+

318

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	7,528	22.0%
18 and over	26,679	78.0%
65 and over	5,067	14.8%
Median age	34.2 years

Race & ethnicity

White 43.5%

Black or African American 14.9%

Two or more races 13.3%

Hispanic or Latino 10.1%

Asian 8.3%

Other race 5%

Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 4.2%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%

Group	Count	%
White	16,533	43.5%
Black or African American	5,680	14.9%
Two or more races	5,070	13.3%
Hispanic or Latino	3,832	10.1%
Asian	3,153	8.3%
Other race	1,920	5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	1,601	4.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native	250	0.7%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	50.0%	31.0%	31.7%
$50k – $100k	32.4%	33.3%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	14.9%	28.4%	27.1%
Over $200k	2.7%	7.3%	10.6%

Under $10k 6.1%

$10k–$15k 3.3%

$15k–$25k 7.5%

$25k–$35k 8.1%

$35k–$50k 16.5%

$50k–$75k 22.4%

$75k–$100k 13.7%

$100k–$150k 10.1%

$150k–$200k 6.1%

$200k+ 6.1%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	6.1%
$10k–$15k	3.3%
$15k–$25k	7.5%
$25k–$35k	8.1%
$35k–$50k	16.5%
$50k–$75k	22.4%
$75k–$100k	13.7%
$100k–$150k	10.1%
$150k–$200k	6.1%
$200k+	6.1%
Median income	$60,726

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 10.4%

$50k–$100k 1.4%

$100k–$150k 0.2%

$150k–$200k 3.5%

$200k–$300k 17.2%

$300k–$500k 48.1%

$500k–$1M 16.2%

$1M+ 3.0%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$371,300
Median rent / month	$1,322
Owner occupied	34.5%
Renter occupied	65.5%
Vacant	5.8%
Single-family detached	38.1%
Large apartment buildings	13.5%
Mobile homes	5.9%
Median rooms	4.3
Avg household size (owned)	2.53

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.5%
2010–2019	3.4%
2000–2009	8.3%
1990–1999	12.5%
1980–1989	15.4%
1970–1979	16.4%
1960–1969	16.3%
1950–1959	17.5%
1940–1949	6.8%
1939 or earlier	2.8%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	3.7%
1 bedroom	24.0%
2 bedrooms	33.2%
3 bedrooms	29.6%
4 bedrooms	6.9%
5+ bedrooms	2.6%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	7.9%
1 vehicle	43.5%
2 vehicles	30.7%
3 or more	17.9%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	22.2%
Electricity	72.9%
Propane / LP gas	1.9%
Fuel oil	0.9%
Wood	0.5%
No fuel used	1.4%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	5,027	35.7%
Cohabiting couple	1,637	11.6%
Male householder, no spouse	2,986	21.2%
Female householder, no spouse	4,419	31.4%
Households with children under 18	4,354	30.9%
Households with seniors (65+)	3,860	27.4%
Average household size	2.41

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	45.1%	30.7%
Married	40.0%	37.9%
Separated	2.0%	2.4%
Widowed	2.5%	9.8%
Divorced	10.4%	19.2%

Education

Less than 9th grade 5.1%

Some HS, no diploma 10.0%

HS graduate 28.7%

Some college, no degree 26.1%

Associate's degree 10.2%

Bachelor's degree 12.9%

Graduate / professional 6.9%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	84.9%
Bachelor's or higher	19.8%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	150	2.0%
Kindergarten	524	7.0%
Elementary school	3,496	46.4%
High school	1,531	20.3%
College / grad school	1,830	24.3%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 20.6%

Retail trade 13.6%

Arts, food & hospitality 12.3%

Professional & management 11.5%

Transportation & utilities 9.0%

Other services 6.9%

Manufacturing 6.0%

Construction 5.7%

Public administration 5.5%

Finance & real estate 3.9%

Wholesale trade 3.2%

Agriculture & mining 1.1%

Information 0.5%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	25.0%
Service	25.8%
Sales & office	21.6%
Natural resources & construction	8.5%
Production & transportation	19.1%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	79.7%
Government	15.3%
Self-employed	5.0%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	71.6%
Carpool	14.9%
Public transit	3.8%
Walk	1.5%
Work from home	6.3%
Other means	1.9%
Avg commute (minutes)	29.0

Poverty

All people 15.6%

Under 18 years 19.8%

18 and over 14.4%

Married-couple families 1.4%

Female-led households 26.9%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	27.6%
Retirement income	21.9%
Supplemental Security	7.9%
Cash public assistance	7.5%
Food stamps / SNAP	21.0%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	36.0%
High blood pressure	36.4%
High cholesterol	33.2%
Diabetes	11.2%
Heart disease	6.0%
Stroke	3.4%
Asthma	11.5%
Arthritis	24.4%
Kidney disease	3.1%
Pulmonary disease	6.8%
Cancer	5.7%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	18.6%
Binge drinking	14.8%
No physical activity	26.7%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	35.2%
Depression	25.2%
Fair or poor health	18.3%
Poor mental health	17.1%
Poor physical health	12.5%
No health insurance	16.1%
Visited doctor (checkup)	69.5%
Visited dentist	55.9%
Cholesterol screening	84.0%
Teeth loss	15.2%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	3,464	13.4%

Disability	%
Any disability	19.1%
Under 18	9.6%
18–64 years	15.8%
65 and over	47.0%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	54.1%
Public insurance	50.5%
No insurance	10.8%
Uninsured under 19	2.1%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	32,309	94.5%
Spanish	3,454	10.7%
Other Indo-European	1,936	6.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander	7	0.0%
Other languages	1,400	4.3%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	28,064	82.0%
Born in same state	25,851	75.6%
Born in different state	14,439	42.2%
Foreign born	2,213	6.5%
Naturalized citizen	6,143	18.0%
Not a US citizen	3,049	49.6%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	3,061	8.9%
French	2,472	7.2%
Arab	1,208	3.5%
Polish	1,146	3.4%

Ancestry	Count	%
Dutch	222	0.6%
English	193	0.6%
German	108	0.3%
Irish	34	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	41.1%
Internet access	93.1%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 98499

What city is ZIP code 98499 in?

ZIP code 98499 is primarily assigned to Lakewood, Washington.

What county is ZIP code 98499 in?

ZIP code 98499 falls within Pierce County, Washington.

Is ZIP code 98499 mostly rentals?

66% of occupied units in ZIP code 98499 are renter-occupied.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 98499?

16% of residents in ZIP code 98499 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

Does ZIP code 98499 have a large veteran population?

13% of civilians in ZIP code 98499 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 98499?

The median home value in ZIP code 98499 is $371,300.

What timezone is ZIP code 98499 in?

ZIP code 98499 observes the PST timezone.