98444 ZIP Code — Tacoma, WA

Pierce County, Washington

ZIP code 98444 is located in Tacoma, Washington, within Pierce County. It covers approximately 6.95 square miles and serves a population of 35,366 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Pacific (PT) timezone, served by area code 253.

About ZIP code 98444

The housing stock consists of a mix of housing types. Most homes were built in the 1970s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $326,000. Renters make up the majority at 56%, typical of denser urban areas.

Median household income is $60,855. SNAP benefit usage at 22% 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 31 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 16% 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 98444 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, a strong veteran community, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

35,366

population

6.95

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Pacific (PT)

timezone

98444 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 98444

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 98444. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Tacoma	Acceptable
Tacoma	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

98447 Tacoma (0.4 mi) 98445 Tacoma (2.1 mi) 98499 Lakewood (2.8 mi) 98439 Lakewood (3.6 mi) 98408 Tacoma (3.6 mi) 98446 Tacoma (3.8 mi) 98409 Tacoma (4.7 mi) 98404 Tacoma (4.8 mi) 98498 Lakewood (5.2 mi) 98418 Tacoma (5.3 mi) 98443 Tacoma (5.5 mi) 98467 University Place (5.6 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	35,366
Population density	5,089 / sq mi
State FIPS	53
County FIPS	053

Geography
Land area	6.95 sq mi
Water area	0.04 sq mi
Latitude	47.1467
Longitude	-122.4516
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	48.2%	31.0%	31.7%
$50k – $100k	36.3%	33.3%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	14.7%	28.4%	27.1%
Over $200k	0.9%	7.3%	10.6%

Demographics & statistics

35,366

Population

5,089

People per sq mi

33.8

Median age

$60,855

Median household income

$28,526

Per capita income

$326,000

Median home value

$1,427

Median monthly rent

44.5%

Home ownership

15.6%

Poverty rate

6.1%

Unemployment

6,618

Housing units

15.5%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

1,300

Under 5

1,249

1,229

5–9

1,181

1,175

10–14

1,128

1,003

15–19

963

1,517

20–24

1,458

3,133

25–34

3,010

2,554

35–44

2,453

2,277

45–54

2,187

947

55–59

910

848

60–64

814

1,128

65–74

1,083

709

75–84

682

218

85+

210

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	8,365	23.7%
18 and over	27,001	76.3%
65 and over	4,030	11.4%
Median age	33.8 years

Race & ethnicity

White 40%

Black or African American 15.3%

Two or more races 13.5%

Hispanic or Latino 11.1%

Asian 9.3%

Other race 6.2%

Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 3.7%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.9%

Group	Count	%
White	15,924	40%
Black or African American	6,087	15.3%
Two or more races	5,371	13.5%
Hispanic or Latino	4,433	11.1%
Asian	3,685	9.3%
Other race	2,474	6.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	1,467	3.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native	358	0.9%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	48.2%	31.0%	31.7%
$50k – $100k	36.3%	33.3%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	14.7%	28.4%	27.1%
Over $200k	0.9%	7.3%	10.6%

Under $10k 4.4%

$10k–$15k 3.6%

$15k–$25k 7.9%

$25k–$35k 9.1%

$35k–$50k 15.0%

$50k–$75k 21.8%

$75k–$100k 15.5%

$100k–$150k 13.8%

$150k–$200k 6.1%

$200k+ 2.8%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	4.4%
$10k–$15k	3.6%
$15k–$25k	7.9%
$25k–$35k	9.1%
$35k–$50k	15.0%
$50k–$75k	21.8%
$75k–$100k	15.5%
$100k–$150k	13.8%
$150k–$200k	6.1%
$200k+	2.8%
Median income	$60,855

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 8.4%

$50k–$100k 0.8%

$100k–$150k 2.0%

$150k–$200k 5.7%

$200k–$300k 25.3%

$300k–$500k 50.7%

$500k–$1M 6.3%

$1M+ 0.8%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$326,000
Median rent / month	$1,427
Owner occupied	44.5%
Renter occupied	55.5%
Vacant	6.2%
Single-family detached	49.1%
Large apartment buildings	10.1%
Mobile homes	5.5%
Median rooms	4.9
Avg household size (owned)	2.81

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	4.0%
2000–2009	11.0%
1990–1999	14.7%
1980–1989	16.3%
1970–1979	17.8%
1960–1969	13.6%
1950–1959	11.0%
1940–1949	6.9%
1939 or earlier	4.8%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	2.7%
1 bedroom	15.7%
2 bedrooms	38.0%
3 bedrooms	32.2%
4 bedrooms	9.8%
5+ bedrooms	1.6%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	8.1%
1 vehicle	35.8%
2 vehicles	36.4%
3 or more	19.7%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	19.6%
Electricity	75.8%
Propane / LP gas	1.6%
Fuel oil	0.9%
Wood	0.7%
No fuel used	0.8%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	4,835	37.4%
Cohabiting couple	1,472	11.4%
Male householder, no spouse	2,791	21.6%
Female householder, no spouse	3,842	29.7%
Households with children under 18	4,453	34.4%
Households with seniors (65+)	2,985	23.1%
Average household size	2.70

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	42.0%	35.9%
Married	42.0%	39.3%
Separated	1.7%	1.9%
Widowed	1.7%	8.6%
Divorced	12.6%	14.3%

Education

Less than 9th grade 5.8%

Some HS, no diploma 7.2%

HS graduate 37.9%

Some college, no degree 23.8%

Associate's degree 9.9%

Bachelor's degree 11.8%

Graduate / professional 3.7%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	87.0%
Bachelor's or higher	15.5%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	309	4.0%
Kindergarten	553	7.2%
Elementary school	3,514	45.7%
High school	1,676	21.8%
College / grad school	1,641	21.3%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 22.7%

Retail trade 14.4%

Arts, food & hospitality 11.0%

Professional & management 10.1%

Construction 9.1%

Transportation & utilities 9.1%

Manufacturing 9.0%

Public administration 3.7%

Other services 3.5%

Wholesale trade 3.3%

Finance & real estate 2.6%

Information 0.9%

Agriculture & mining 0.4%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	18.7%
Service	27.1%
Sales & office	20.3%
Natural resources & construction	14.7%
Production & transportation	19.2%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	80.3%
Government	16.3%
Self-employed	3.4%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	72.1%
Carpool	13.1%
Public transit	3.2%
Walk	4.4%
Work from home	5.6%
Other means	1.5%
Avg commute (minutes)	31.0

Poverty

All people 15.6%

Under 18 years 22.4%

18 and over 13.4%

Married-couple families 8.7%

Female-led households 19.3%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	25.0%
Retirement income	18.9%
Supplemental Security	7.2%
Cash public assistance	9.0%
Food stamps / SNAP	22.4%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	34.6%
High blood pressure	32.7%
High cholesterol	31.0%
Diabetes	9.6%
Heart disease	4.9%
Stroke	2.8%
Asthma	11.5%
Arthritis	21.4%
Kidney disease	2.6%
Pulmonary disease	6.0%
Cancer	4.8%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	18.3%
Binge drinking	15.9%
No physical activity	25.0%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	35.3%
Depression	25.9%
Fair or poor health	16.3%
Poor mental health	17.9%
Poor physical health	11.4%
No health insurance	15.3%
Visited doctor (checkup)	67.8%
Visited dentist	56.7%
Cholesterol screening	82.0%
Teeth loss	15.3%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	3,125	11.7%

Disability	%
Any disability	16.7%
Under 18	4.4%
18–64 years	16.4%
65 and over	44.9%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	57.9%
Public insurance	44.6%
No insurance	10.5%
Uninsured under 19	4.3%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	32,817	92.8%
Spanish	5,183	15.8%
Other Indo-European	1,782	5.4%
Asian & Pacific Islander	363	1.1%
Other languages	2,319	7.1%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	27,771	78.5%
Born in same state	26,127	73.9%
Born in different state	15,735	44.5%
Foreign born	1,644	4.6%
Naturalized citizen	7,595	21.5%
Not a US citizen	3,364	44.3%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	2,274	6.4%
French	1,584	4.5%
Arab	1,245	3.5%
Polish	1,083	3.1%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	279	0.8%
German	239	0.7%
Irish	62	0.2%
Dutch	60	0.2%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	36.6%
Internet access	95.5%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 98444

What city is ZIP code 98444 in?

ZIP code 98444 is primarily assigned to Tacoma, Washington.

What county is ZIP code 98444 in?

ZIP code 98444 falls within Pierce County, Washington.

Is ZIP code 98444 mostly rentals?

56% of occupied units in ZIP code 98444 are renter-occupied.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 98444?

16% of residents in ZIP code 98444 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

Does ZIP code 98444 have a large veteran population?

12% of civilians in ZIP code 98444 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 98444?

The median home value in ZIP code 98444 is $326,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 98444 in?

ZIP code 98444 observes the PST timezone.