99161 ZIP Code — Palouse, WA

Whitman County, Washington

ZIP code 99161 is located in Palouse, Washington, within Whitman County. It covers approximately 76.75 square miles and serves a population of 1,366 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Pacific (PT) timezone, served by area code 509.

About ZIP code 99161

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 $271,000. Owner-occupancy is high at 85%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $89,167. The poverty rate of 3% is below the national average. 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 22 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is high — 54% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher, well above the national average of 33%.

Overall, ZIP code 99161 reflects a community defined by a highly educated population, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

1,366

population

76.75

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Pacific (PT)

timezone

99161 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 99161

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 99161. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Palouse	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

99130 Garfield (7.4 mi) 83872 Viola (9.5 mi) 99164 Pullman (11.5 mi) 99163 Pullman (12.6 mi) 99128 Farmington (13.3 mi) 83844 Moscow (13.3 mi) 83855 Potlatch (13.3 mi) 99104 Belmont (13.5 mi) 99111 Colfax (14.1 mi) 99158 Oakesdale (15.6 mi) 83843 Moscow (16.4 mi) 83857 Princeton (16.5 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	1,366
Population density	18 / sq mi
State FIPS	53
County FIPS	075

Geography
Land area	76.75 sq mi
Water area	0.00 sq mi
Latitude	46.8929
Longitude	-117.1552
Timezone	Pacific (PT)
Area code	509

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	33.2%	55.9%	31.7%
$50k – $100k	28.7%	24.5%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	36.2%	15.6%	27.1%
Over $200k	2.0%	4.0%	10.6%

Demographics & statistics

1,366

Population

People per sq mi

48.1

Median age

$89,167

Median household income

$41,516

Per capita income

$271,000

Median home value

$682

Median monthly rent

85.0%

Home ownership

2.7%

Poverty rate

1.0%

Unemployment

575

Housing units

54.3%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

15–19

20–24

25–34

35–44

116

45–54

55–59

60–64

122

65–74

100

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	288	21.1%
18 and over	1,078	78.9%
65 and over	285	20.9%
Median age	48.1 years

Race & ethnicity

White 80.4%

Hispanic or Latino 6.3%

Other race 5.8%

Two or more races 3.4%

Asian 2.5%

American Indian / Alaska Native 1.6%

Group	Count	%
White	1,172	80.4%
Hispanic or Latino	92	6.3%
Other race	85	5.8%
Two or more races	50	3.4%
Asian	36	2.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native	23	1.6%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	33.2%	55.9%	31.7%
$50k – $100k	28.7%	24.5%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	36.2%	15.6%	27.1%
Over $200k	2.0%	4.0%	10.6%

Under $10k 4.8%

$10k–$15k 0.7%

$15k–$25k 7.0%

$25k–$35k 5.1%

$35k–$50k 8.1%

$50k–$75k 12.0%

$75k–$100k 18.3%

$100k–$150k 22.4%

$150k–$200k 15.1%

$200k+ 6.5%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	4.8%
$10k–$15k	0.7%
$15k–$25k	7.0%
$25k–$35k	5.1%
$35k–$50k	8.1%
$50k–$75k	12.0%
$75k–$100k	18.3%
$100k–$150k	22.4%
$150k–$200k	15.1%
$200k+	6.5%
Median income	$89,167

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 0.6%

$50k–$100k 5.8%

$100k–$150k 6.2%

$150k–$200k 12.0%

$200k–$300k 32.1%

$300k–$500k 37.1%

$500k–$1M 6.2%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$271,000
Median rent / month	$682
Owner occupied	85.0%
Renter occupied	15.0%
Vacant	13.9%
Single-family detached	79.5%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	11.5%
Median rooms	6.3
Avg household size (owned)	2.50

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	4.8%
2000–2009	9.2%
1990–1999	11.5%
1980–1989	4.8%
1970–1979	11.1%
1960–1969	3.3%
1950–1959	5.6%
1940–1949	2.7%
1939 or earlier	46.8%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	2.4%
1 bedroom	4.7%
2 bedrooms	23.9%
3 bedrooms	41.5%
4 bedrooms	21.1%
5+ bedrooms	6.4%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	1.8%
1 vehicle	22.9%
2 vehicles	29.8%
3 or more	45.6%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	48.6%
Electricity	33.1%
Fuel oil	4.8%
Wood	9.3%
No fuel used	0.4%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	336	59.2%
Cohabiting couple	43	7.6%
Male householder, no spouse	119	21.0%
Female householder, no spouse	70	12.3%
Households with children under 18	134	23.6%
Households with seniors (65+)	201	35.4%
Average household size	2.38

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	29.2%	12.6%
Married	54.3%	68.8%
Separated	0.0%	0.0%
Widowed	0.8%	3.4%
Divorced	15.7%	15.2%

Education

Less than 9th grade 0.0%

Some HS, no diploma 0.3%

HS graduate 14.0%

Some college, no degree 22.0%

Associate's degree 9.3%

Bachelor's degree 31.2%

Graduate / professional 23.1%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	99.7%
Bachelor's or higher	54.3%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	48	12.9%
Kindergarten	22	5.9%
Elementary school	144	38.7%
High school	55	14.8%
College / grad school	103	27.7%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 42.9%

Manufacturing 14.7%

Construction 7.6%

Professional & management 6.4%

Public administration 5.0%

Retail trade 4.5%

Arts, food & hospitality 4.5%

Transportation & utilities 4.4%

Agriculture & mining 3.9%

Other services 3.2%

Wholesale trade 1.6%

Finance & real estate 0.7%

Information 0.6%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	59.2%
Service	10.3%
Sales & office	10.8%
Natural resources & construction	9.5%
Production & transportation	10.2%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	49.7%
Government	41.8%
Self-employed	7.1%
Unpaid family workers	1.3%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	65.0%
Carpool	12.8%
Public transit	2.0%
Walk	5.0%
Work from home	12.9%
Other means	2.4%
Avg commute (minutes)	21.9

Poverty

All people 2.7%

Under 18 years 0.0%

18 and over 3.4%

Married-couple families 0.0%

Female-led households 0.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	33.5%
Retirement income	21.3%
Supplemental Security	3.2%
Cash public assistance	0.9%
Food stamps / SNAP	7.0%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	31.5%
High blood pressure	31.3%
High cholesterol	33.9%
Diabetes	8.5%
Heart disease	6.3%
Stroke	2.9%
Asthma	10.6%
Arthritis	25.8%
Kidney disease	2.9%
Pulmonary disease	6.2%
Cancer	7.6%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	14.2%
Binge drinking	17.7%
No physical activity	16.8%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	27.6%
Depression	26.2%
Fair or poor health	12.0%
Poor mental health	14.3%
Poor physical health	10.2%
No health insurance	8.2%
Visited doctor (checkup)	70.5%
Visited dentist	73.1%
Cholesterol screening	90.5%
Teeth loss	9.1%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	118	10.9%

Disability	%
Any disability	14.1%
Under 18	1.4%
18–64 years	11.7%
65 and over	33.3%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	85.2%
Public insurance	27.3%
No insurance	1.5%
Uninsured under 19	0.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	1,334	97.7%
Spanish	9	0.7%
Other Indo-European	0	0.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander	9	0.7%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	1,339	98.0%
Born in same state	1,336	97.8%
Born in different state	666	48.8%
Foreign born	3	0.2%
Naturalized citizen	27	2.0%
Not a US citizen	15	55.6%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	332	24.3%
French	248	18.2%
Polish	92	6.7%

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	64	4.7%
English	44	3.2%
Dutch	6	0.4%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	41.6%
Internet access	95.1%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 99161

What city is ZIP code 99161 in?

ZIP code 99161 is primarily assigned to Palouse, Washington.

What county is ZIP code 99161 in?

ZIP code 99161 falls within Whitman County, Washington.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 99161?

54% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — well above the national average of ~33%, reflecting a highly educated population.

Is ZIP code 99161 mostly owner-occupied?

85% of occupied units in ZIP code 99161 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

Does ZIP code 99161 have a large veteran population?

11% of civilians in ZIP code 99161 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

What is the population of ZIP code 99161?

ZIP code 99161 has an estimated population of 1,366 residents, with a density of 18 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 99161 in?

ZIP code 99161 observes the PST timezone.