98409 ZIP Code — Tacoma, WA

Pierce County, Washington

ZIP code 98409 is located in Tacoma, Washington, within Pierce County. It covers approximately 7.14 square miles and serves a population of 28,645 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Pacific (PT) timezone, served by area code 253.

About ZIP code 98409

The housing stock consists of a mix of housing types. Most homes were built in the pre-1940, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $330,600. Renters make up the majority at 56%, typical of denser urban areas.

Median household income is $65,245. SNAP benefit usage at 21% 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 29 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 19% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Notable community characteristics include a notable veteran presence at 12% of civilians, above the national average of 7%.

Overall, ZIP code 98409 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, a strong veteran community, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

28,645

population

7.14

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Pacific (PT)

timezone

98409 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 98409

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 98409. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Tacoma	Acceptable
Tacoma	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

98418 Tacoma (1.4 mi) 98408 Tacoma (1.6 mi) 98405 Tacoma (2.4 mi) 98404 Tacoma (3 mi) 98493 Tacoma (3.1 mi) 98431 Tacoma (3.1 mi) 98481 Tacoma (3.1 mi) 98471 Tacoma (3.1 mi) 98413 Tacoma (3.2 mi) 98466 Tacoma (3.4 mi) 98402 Tacoma (3.4 mi) 98416 Tacoma (3.4 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	28,645
Population density	4,012 / sq mi
State FIPS	53
County FIPS	053

Geography
Land area	7.14 sq mi
Water area	0.01 sq mi
Latitude	47.2137
Longitude	-122.4729
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	40.3%	31.0%	31.7%
$50k – $100k	41.4%	33.3%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	15.9%	28.4%	27.1%
Over $200k	2.4%	7.3%	10.6%

Demographics & statistics

28,645

Population

4,012

People per sq mi

30.8

Median age

$65,245

Median household income

$34,196

Per capita income

$330,600

Median home value

$1,478

Median monthly rent

43.9%

Home ownership

13.9%

Poverty rate

5.0%

Unemployment

5,434

Housing units

19.3%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

1,190

Under 5

1,170

729

5–9

717

853

10–14

839

905

15–19

889

1,745

20–24

1,715

2,916

25–34

2,868

1,854

35–44

1,823

1,560

45–54

1,534

729

55–59

716

628

60–64

618

883

65–74

868

317

75–84

312

135

85+

132

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	6,606	23.1%
18 and over	22,039	76.9%
65 and over	2,647	9.2%
Median age	30.8 years

Race & ethnicity

White 52.3%

Two or more races 13.6%

Black or African American 13.5%

Asian 8.1%

Hispanic or Latino 6.9%

Other race 3.3%

American Indian / Alaska Native 1.2%

Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.1%

Group	Count	%
White	16,090	52.3%
Two or more races	4,189	13.6%
Black or African American	4,139	13.5%
Asian	2,503	8.1%
Hispanic or Latino	2,112	6.9%
Other race	1,015	3.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native	382	1.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	327	1.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	40.3%	31.0%	31.7%
$50k – $100k	41.4%	33.3%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	15.9%	28.4%	27.1%
Over $200k	2.4%	7.3%	10.6%

Under $10k 4.4%

$10k–$15k 3.6%

$15k–$25k 7.5%

$25k–$35k 7.7%

$35k–$50k 12.3%

$50k–$75k 21.2%

$75k–$100k 14.7%

$100k–$150k 17.3%

$150k–$200k 5.4%

$200k+ 5.9%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	4.4%
$10k–$15k	3.6%
$15k–$25k	7.5%
$25k–$35k	7.7%
$35k–$50k	12.3%
$50k–$75k	21.2%
$75k–$100k	14.7%
$100k–$150k	17.3%
$150k–$200k	5.4%
$200k+	5.9%
Median income	$65,245

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 5.4%

$50k–$100k 1.0%

$100k–$150k 1.6%

$150k–$200k 5.7%

$200k–$300k 25.3%

$300k–$500k 53.2%

$500k–$1M 6.9%

$1M+ 0.9%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$330,600
Median rent / month	$1,478
Owner occupied	43.9%
Renter occupied	56.1%
Vacant	2.7%
Single-family detached	51.2%
Large apartment buildings	15.7%
Mobile homes	0.3%
Median rooms	4.5
Avg household size (owned)	2.69

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.6%
2010–2019	11.2%
2000–2009	12.2%
1990–1999	12.4%
1980–1989	10.5%
1970–1979	8.5%
1960–1969	5.4%
1950–1959	6.4%
1940–1949	7.9%
1939 or earlier	24.8%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	6.5%
1 bedroom	14.2%
2 bedrooms	42.4%
3 bedrooms	25.5%
4 bedrooms	9.9%
5+ bedrooms	1.4%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	9.5%
1 vehicle	32.3%
2 vehicles	36.4%
3 or more	21.8%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	26.1%
Electricity	70.5%
Propane / LP gas	0.6%
Fuel oil	0.5%
Wood	1.7%
No fuel used	0.4%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	4,057	34.9%
Cohabiting couple	1,496	12.9%
Male householder, no spouse	2,586	22.2%
Female householder, no spouse	3,493	30.0%
Households with children under 18	3,415	29.4%
Households with seniors (65+)	2,096	18.0%
Average household size	2.43

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	48.3%	41.8%
Married	38.2%	35.7%
Separated	2.7%	3.2%
Widowed	1.4%	6.3%
Divorced	9.4%	13.0%

Education

Less than 9th grade 5.2%

Some HS, no diploma 7.8%

HS graduate 30.0%

Some college, no degree 26.2%

Associate's degree 11.5%

Bachelor's degree 14.6%

Graduate / professional 4.7%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	87.1%
Bachelor's or higher	19.3%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	463	6.5%
Kindergarten	224	3.2%
Elementary school	2,447	34.4%
High school	1,454	20.5%
College / grad school	2,521	35.5%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 20.2%

Arts, food & hospitality 11.7%

Retail trade 11.0%

Manufacturing 10.0%

Transportation & utilities 9.1%

Professional & management 8.5%

Other services 7.8%

Public administration 7.3%

Construction 5.3%

Finance & real estate 4.4%

Wholesale trade 3.7%

Information 0.6%

Agriculture & mining 0.4%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	25.9%
Service	25.0%
Sales & office	22.5%
Natural resources & construction	7.6%
Production & transportation	19.0%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	79.8%
Government	16.5%
Self-employed	3.4%
Unpaid family workers	0.3%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	71.8%
Carpool	11.4%
Public transit	5.1%
Walk	1.8%
Work from home	6.8%
Other means	3.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	28.7

Poverty

All people 13.9%

Under 18 years 22.3%

18 and over 11.5%

Married-couple families 5.4%

Female-led households 15.9%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	22.1%
Retirement income	14.0%
Supplemental Security	7.9%
Cash public assistance	6.4%
Food stamps / SNAP	21.0%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	35.2%
High blood pressure	31.5%
High cholesterol	29.1%
Diabetes	8.6%
Heart disease	4.5%
Stroke	2.6%
Asthma	11.6%
Arthritis	20.5%
Kidney disease	2.4%
Pulmonary disease	5.5%
Cancer	4.7%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	18.0%
Binge drinking	16.8%
No physical activity	23.1%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	35.4%
Depression	26.2%
Fair or poor health	15.0%
Poor mental health	17.8%
Poor physical health	10.8%
No health insurance	14.2%
Visited doctor (checkup)	67.4%
Visited dentist	58.7%
Cholesterol screening	83.1%
Teeth loss	14.0%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	2,528	11.9%

Disability	%
Any disability	15.4%
Under 18	5.9%
18–64 years	15.0%
65 and over	42.9%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	58.8%
Public insurance	44.4%
No insurance	7.9%
Uninsured under 19	2.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	26,285	91.8%
Spanish	1,870	7.1%
Other Indo-European	476	1.8%
Asian & Pacific Islander	348	1.3%
Other languages	1,021	3.9%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	25,360	88.5%
Born in same state	24,752	86.4%
Born in different state	14,904	52.0%
Foreign born	608	2.1%
Naturalized citizen	3,285	11.5%
Not a US citizen	1,921	58.5%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	2,212	7.7%
French	1,742	6.1%
Polish	795	2.8%
Arab	741	2.6%
German	264	0.9%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	213	0.7%
Dutch	142	0.5%
Irish	41	0.1%
Norwegian	22	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	40.6%
Internet access	96.4%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 98409

What city is ZIP code 98409 in?

ZIP code 98409 is primarily assigned to Tacoma, Washington.

What county is ZIP code 98409 in?

ZIP code 98409 falls within Pierce County, Washington.

Is ZIP code 98409 mostly rentals?

56% of occupied units in ZIP code 98409 are renter-occupied.

Does ZIP code 98409 have a large veteran population?

12% of civilians in ZIP code 98409 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 98409?

The median home value in ZIP code 98409 is $330,600.

What is the population of ZIP code 98409?

ZIP code 98409 has an estimated population of 28,645 residents, with a density of 4,011 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 98409 in?

ZIP code 98409 observes the PST timezone.