98402 ZIP Code — Tacoma, WA

Pierce County, Washington

ZIP code 98402 is located in Tacoma, Washington, within Pierce County. It covers approximately 1.18 square miles and serves a population of 7,088 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Pacific (PT) timezone, served by area code 253.

About ZIP code 98402

The housing stock consists of a significant share of large multi-unit buildings. Most homes were built in the pre-1940, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $534,500. Renters make up the majority at 78%, typical of denser urban areas.

Median household income is $57,486. Poverty affects 24% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 22% of households reflects economic stress in the area.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 27 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 45% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Notable community characteristics include disability rates above the national average at 24%.

Overall, ZIP code 98402 reflects a community defined by economic challenges above the national average and elevated reliance on food assistance.

7,088

population

1.18

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Pacific (PT)

timezone

98402 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 98402

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 98402. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Tacoma	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

98403 Tacoma (0.4 mi) 98416 Tacoma (0.8 mi) 98405 Tacoma (1 mi) 98431 Tacoma (1.2 mi) 98481 Tacoma (1.2 mi) 98493 Tacoma (1.2 mi) 98471 Tacoma (1.2 mi) 98413 Tacoma (1.4 mi) 98406 Tacoma (2.1 mi) 98418 Tacoma (2.8 mi) 98407 Tacoma (2.9 mi) 98421 Tacoma (3.2 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	7,088
Population density	6,007 / sq mi
State FIPS	53
County FIPS	053

Geography
Land area	1.18 sq mi
Water area	0.21 sq mi
Latitude	47.2627
Longitude	-122.4657
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	44.4%	31.0%	31.7%
$50k – $100k	29.9%	33.3%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	21.8%	28.4%	27.1%
Over $200k	4.0%	7.3%	10.6%

Demographics & statistics

7,088

Population

6,007

People per sq mi

35.9

Median age

$57,486

Median household income

$47,533

Per capita income

$534,500

Median home value

$1,385

Median monthly rent

22.2%

Home ownership

23.6%

Poverty rate

9.7%

Unemployment

1,336

Housing units

44.9%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

15–19

359

20–24

361

1,087

25–34

1,090

509

35–44

511

418

45–54

420

191

55–59

191

194

60–64

194

265

65–74

266

257

75–84

257

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	305	4.3%
18 and over	6,783	95.7%
65 and over	1,101	15.5%
Median age	35.9 years

Race & ethnicity

White 63%

Two or more races 10.1%

Black or African American 9.2%

Asian 6.9%

Hispanic or Latino 5.1%

American Indian / Alaska Native 2.8%

Other race 2.2%

Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.8%

Group	Count	%
White	4,703	63%
Two or more races	755	10.1%
Black or African American	687	9.2%
Asian	516	6.9%
Hispanic or Latino	379	5.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native	209	2.8%
Other race	161	2.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	57	0.8%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	44.4%	31.0%	31.7%
$50k – $100k	29.9%	33.3%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	21.8%	28.4%	27.1%
Over $200k	4.0%	7.3%	10.6%

Under $10k 11.9%

$10k–$15k 9.3%

$15k–$25k 7.1%

$25k–$35k 6.1%

$35k–$50k 10.6%

$50k–$75k 16.6%

$75k–$100k 10.4%

$100k–$150k 11.5%

$150k–$200k 10.8%

$200k+ 5.7%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	11.9%
$10k–$15k	9.3%
$15k–$25k	7.1%
$25k–$35k	6.1%
$35k–$50k	10.6%
$50k–$75k	16.6%
$75k–$100k	10.4%
$100k–$150k	11.5%
$150k–$200k	10.8%
$200k+	5.7%
Median income	$57,486

Housing

Home values

$50k–$100k 1.0%

$200k–$300k 14.8%

$300k–$500k 29.9%

$500k–$1M 54.3%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$534,500
Median rent / month	$1,385
Owner occupied	22.2%
Renter occupied	77.8%
Vacant	9.6%
Single-family detached	4.7%
Large apartment buildings	84.1%
Mobile homes	0.0%
Median rooms	2.7
Avg household size (owned)	1.75

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.7%
2010–2019	14.7%
2000–2009	24.5%
1990–1999	4.7%
1980–1989	4.9%
1970–1979	10.2%
1960–1969	7.6%
1950–1959	2.4%
1940–1949	2.4%
1939 or earlier	27.9%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	27.0%
1 bedroom	40.7%
2 bedrooms	27.4%
3 bedrooms	2.9%
4 bedrooms	0.4%
5+ bedrooms	1.6%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	23.8%
1 vehicle	55.9%
2 vehicles	18.3%
3 or more	2.0%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	12.9%
Electricity	79.9%
Propane / LP gas	1.2%
Fuel oil	0.4%
Wood	0.4%
No fuel used	3.9%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	786	19.3%
Cohabiting couple	393	9.6%
Male householder, no spouse	1,563	38.3%
Female householder, no spouse	1,337	32.8%
Households with children under 18	155	3.8%
Households with seniors (65+)	809	19.8%
Average household size	1.47

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	60.2%	42.7%
Married	23.9%	29.4%
Separated	0.7%	3.9%
Widowed	1.7%	4.8%
Divorced	13.4%	19.2%

Education

Less than 9th grade 2.2%

Some HS, no diploma 6.1%

HS graduate 22.3%

Some college, no degree 17.6%

Associate's degree 6.9%

Bachelor's degree 23.7%

Graduate / professional 21.2%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	91.7%
Bachelor's or higher	44.9%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	76	7.3%
Kindergarten	9	0.9%
Elementary school	84	8.1%
High school	44	4.2%
College / grad school	830	79.6%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 28.8%

Professional & management 16.6%

Arts, food & hospitality 11.1%

Retail trade 8.4%

Manufacturing 7.0%

Construction 6.4%

Public administration 5.3%

Transportation & utilities 5.2%

Wholesale trade 3.8%

Finance & real estate 3.5%

Information 2.7%

Other services 1.3%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	54.7%
Service	14.3%
Sales & office	18.7%
Natural resources & construction	6.7%
Production & transportation	5.6%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	69.4%
Government	25.5%
Self-employed	4.9%
Unpaid family workers	0.1%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	56.9%
Carpool	3.7%
Public transit	10.1%
Walk	7.2%
Work from home	19.1%
Other means	2.9%
Avg commute (minutes)	27.4

Poverty

All people 23.6%

Under 18 years 11.9%

18 and over 24.1%

Married-couple families 1.5%

Female-led households 32.2%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	18.7%
Retirement income	17.8%
Supplemental Security	7.5%
Cash public assistance	5.7%
Food stamps / SNAP	21.7%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	36.0%
High blood pressure	33.0%
High cholesterol	28.8%
Diabetes	9.2%
Heart disease	5.0%
Stroke	2.8%
Asthma	11.0%
Arthritis	20.3%
Kidney disease	2.6%
Pulmonary disease	5.7%
Cancer	4.6%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	18.2%
Binge drinking	17.9%
No physical activity	22.3%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	34.6%
Depression	25.2%
Fair or poor health	15.6%
Poor mental health	16.9%
Poor physical health	11.0%
No health insurance	13.4%
Visited doctor (checkup)	66.8%
Visited dentist	56.8%
Cholesterol screening	81.9%
Teeth loss	13.4%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	717	11.0%

Disability	%
Any disability	24.4%
Under 18	3.6%
18–64 years	23.5%
65 and over	34.1%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	63.5%
Public insurance	43.6%
No insurance	5.8%
Uninsured under 19	2.4%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	6,917	97.6%
Spanish	287	4.1%
Other Indo-European	104	1.5%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	183	2.6%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	6,426	90.7%
Born in same state	6,186	87.3%
Born in different state	2,502	35.3%
Foreign born	240	3.4%
Naturalized citizen	662	9.3%
Not a US citizen	398	60.1%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	788	11.1%
French	785	11.1%
Polish	261	3.7%
Arab	223	3.1%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	105	1.5%
Norwegian	30	0.4%
Dutch	28	0.4%
German	18	0.3%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	57.5%
Internet access	91.3%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 98402

What city is ZIP code 98402 in?

ZIP code 98402 is primarily assigned to Tacoma, Washington.

What county is ZIP code 98402 in?

ZIP code 98402 falls within Pierce County, Washington.

Is ZIP code 98402 mostly rentals?

78% of occupied units in ZIP code 98402 are renter-occupied.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 98402?

24% of residents in ZIP code 98402 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

Does ZIP code 98402 have a large veteran population?

11% of civilians in ZIP code 98402 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 98402?

The median home value in ZIP code 98402 is $534,500.

What timezone is ZIP code 98402 in?

ZIP code 98402 observes the PST timezone.