98281 ZIP Code — Point Roberts, WA

Whatcom County, Washington

ZIP code 98281 is located in Point Roberts, Washington, within Whatcom County. It covers approximately 4.89 square miles and serves a population of 1,249 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Pacific (PT) timezone, served by area code 360/564.

About ZIP code 98281

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1960s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $375,300. Owner-occupancy is high at 86%, well above the national average.

The gap between median ($74,400) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. 33% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with retail trade as the leading industry. The average commute of 23 minutes is near the national average. Remote work is prevalent — 39% of workers work from home.

Educational attainment is high — 47% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher, well above the national average of 33%.

Overall, ZIP code 98281 reflects a community defined by high homeownership, a high rate of remote workers, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

1,249
population
4.89
sq mi land
Standard
ZIP type
Pacific (PT)
timezone
98281 ZIP code map
Cities in ZIP code 98281

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 98281. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City Status
Point Roberts Preferred
Nearby ZIP codes
98230 Blaine (17.2 mi)
Demographics updated 05/2026
Population
Total population 1,249
Population density 255 / sq mi
State FIPS 53
County FIPS 073
Geography
Land area 4.89 sq mi
Water area 0.43 sq mi
Latitude 48.9867
Longitude -123.0562
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 47.4% 37.7% 31.7%
$50k – $100k 23.2% 33.5% 30.6%
$100k – $200k 19.2% 23.7% 27.1%
Over $200k 10.2% 5.1% 10.6%

Demographics & statistics

1,249
Population
255
People per sq mi
56.9
Median age
$74,400
Median household income
$73,318
Per capita income
$375,300
Median home value
$1,043
Median monthly rent
85.6%
Home ownership
10.5%
Poverty rate
2.5%
Unemployment
1,967
Housing units
46.9%
Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female
3
Under 5
4
30
5–9
32
28
10–14
30
34
15–19
36
15
20–24
17
29
25–34
32
47
35–44
50
94
45–54
101
81
55–59
87
59
60–64
63
125
65–74
134
53
75–84
56
4
85+
5
← Male
Female →

Age summary

GroupCount%
Under 1815812.7%
18 and over1,09187.3%
65 and over37730.2%
Median age56.9 years

Race & ethnicity

White 90.6%
Two or more races 3.4%
Asian 2.6%
Hispanic or Latino 2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.9%
Other race 0.6%
GroupCount%
White1,15490.6%
Two or more races433.4%
Asian332.6%
Hispanic or Latino252%
American Indian / Alaska Native110.9%
Other race80.6%

Household income

Income range This ZIP County avg State avg
Under $50k 47.4% 37.7% 31.7%
$50k – $100k 23.2% 33.5% 30.6%
$100k – $200k 19.2% 23.7% 27.1%
Over $200k 10.2% 5.1% 10.6%
Under $10k 9.3%
$10k–$15k 0.9%
$15k–$25k 9.4%
$25k–$35k 5.8%
$35k–$50k 8.7%
$50k–$75k 16.8%
$75k–$100k 11.1%
$100k–$150k 15.3%
$150k–$200k 9.0%
$200k+ 13.8%
Range% of households
Under $10k9.3%
$10k–$15k0.9%
$15k–$25k9.4%
$25k–$35k5.8%
$35k–$50k8.7%
$50k–$75k16.8%
$75k–$100k11.1%
$100k–$150k15.3%
$150k–$200k9.0%
$200k+13.8%
Median income$74,400

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 5.2%
$50k–$100k 1.9%
$100k–$150k 7.0%
$150k–$200k 7.0%
$200k–$300k 19.2%
$300k–$500k 20.6%
$500k–$1M 23.6%
$1M+ 15.4%

Housing overview

MetricValue
Median home value$375,300
Median rent / month$1,043
Owner occupied85.6%
Renter occupied14.4%
Vacant67.6%
Single-family detached86.8%
Large apartment buildings0.6%
Mobile homes9.2%
Median rooms4.6
Avg household size (owned)1.84

Year built

Era%
2020 or later0.0%
2010–20194.8%
2000–200914.3%
1990–199915.8%
1980–198912.8%
1970–197911.3%
1960–196923.4%
1950–195911.0%
1940–19492.4%
1939 or earlier4.1%

Bedrooms

Size% of units
No bedroom (studio)1.8%
1 bedroom9.1%
2 bedrooms38.5%
3 bedrooms40.6%
4 bedrooms8.5%
5+ bedrooms1.5%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles% of households
No vehicle3.4%
1 vehicle38.2%
2 vehicles40.7%
3 or more17.7%

Heating fuel

Fuel type%
Utility gas2.2%
Electricity64.5%
Propane / LP gas28.4%
Fuel oil1.9%
Wood2.8%

Households & families

Household typeCount%
Married-couple family31346.9%
Cohabiting couple213.1%
Male householder, no spouse14021.0%
Female householder, no spouse19429.0%
Households with children under 1810916.3%
Households with seniors (65+)27441.0%
Average household size1.87

Marital status

StatusMaleFemale
Never married16.2%16.4%
Married65.3%54.9%
Separated1.7%7.0%
Widowed2.4%9.7%
Divorced14.4%11.9%

Education

Less than 9th grade 0.5%
Some HS, no diploma 4.1%
HS graduate 16.3%
Some college, no degree 24.9%
Associate's degree 7.4%
Bachelor's degree 29.3%
Graduate / professional 17.5%
Metric%
HS diploma or higher95.4%
Bachelor's or higher46.9%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

TypeCount%
Nursery / preschool00.0%
Kindergarten72.9%
Elementary school10945.6%
High school3113.0%
College / grad school9238.5%

Employment

Industry of employment

Retail trade 21.8%
Education & healthcare 14.5%
Professional & management 12.0%
Arts, food & hospitality 9.3%
Transportation & utilities 9.0%
Finance & real estate 8.1%
Manufacturing 7.7%
Construction 4.6%
Public administration 4.4%
Information 3.5%
Other services 2.7%
Wholesale trade 1.6%
Agriculture & mining 0.8%

Occupation

Category%
Management, business & arts51.2%
Service11.7%
Sales & office25.8%
Natural resources & construction3.5%
Production & transportation7.9%

Employment type

Type%
Private sector78.0%
Government6.6%
Self-employed15.3%
Unpaid family workers0.0%

Commute

Method%
Drive alone44.4%
Carpool6.2%
Public transit0.0%
Walk4.9%
Work from home38.9%
Other means5.7%
Avg commute (minutes)22.5

Poverty

All people 10.5%
Under 18 years 20.9%
18 and over 9.0%
Married-couple families 4.5%
Female-led households 100.0%

Income support

Source% of households
Social Security32.6%
Retirement income23.8%
Supplemental Security0.0%
Cash public assistance0.0%
Food stamps / SNAP2.1%

Health indicators

Condition%
Obesity29.0%
High blood pressure36.9%
High cholesterol37.7%
Diabetes11.4%
Heart disease7.7%
Stroke3.5%
Asthma10.4%
Arthritis31.3%
Kidney disease3.4%
Pulmonary disease7.4%
Cancer8.6%
Behavior / access%
Smoking14.8%
Binge drinking16.0%
No physical activity16.9%
Less than 7 hrs sleep27.1%
Depression26.0%
Fair or poor health14.1%
Poor mental health13.1%
Poor physical health11.5%
No health insurance8.2%
Visited doctor (checkup)73.3%
Visited dentist70.0%
Cholesterol screening92.4%
Teeth loss9.6%

Veterans & disability

VeteransCount%
Civilian veterans827.5%
Disability%
Any disability13.5%
Under 182.5%
18–64 years10.9%
65 and over23.1%

Health insurance coverage

Type%
Private insurance81.1%
Public insurance31.8%
No insurance6.9%
Uninsured under 194.8%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

LanguageCount%
English only1,24299.4%
Spanish393.1%
Other Indo-European231.9%
Asian & Pacific Islander110.9%
Other languages50.4%

Place of birth & citizenship

OriginCount%
Native born (US)77061.6%
Born in same state64551.6%
Born in different state19715.8%
Foreign born12510.0%
Naturalized citizen47938.4%
Not a US citizen23649.3%

Ancestry

AncestryCount%
French25620.5%
Italian877%
Arab816.5%
Polish423.4%
AncestryCount%
Irish241.9%
English100.8%
Dutch60.5%
German40.3%

Technology access

Metric% of households
Computer access53.5%
Internet access99.1%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 98281

What city is ZIP code 98281 in?

ZIP code 98281 is primarily assigned to Point Roberts, Washington.

What county is ZIP code 98281 in?

ZIP code 98281 falls within Whatcom County, Washington.

Does ZIP code 98281 have an older population?

30% of residents in ZIP code 98281 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

Is ZIP code 98281 mostly owner-occupied?

86% of occupied units in ZIP code 98281 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 98281?

47% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — well above the national average of ~33%, reflecting a highly educated population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 98281?

The median home value in ZIP code 98281 is $375,300.

What timezone is ZIP code 98281 in?

ZIP code 98281 observes the PST timezone.

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