Population 18,705 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in ZIP 98903
Household size in ZIP 98903
| Period | ZIP 98903 | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.79 | 2.56 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.92 | 2.62 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.78 | 2.62 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.96 | 2.61 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.17 | +0.05 | −0.03 |
ZIP 98903 is a place of big households: 2.96 people per home on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. Numbers like that usually point to plenty of families with kids. Household size has climbed from 2.79 in 2006–10, even as the national average fell.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in ZIP 98903
| Period | ZIP 98903 | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.1 | 38.0 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 36.3 | 38.7 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 37.7 | 39.3 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 37.5 | 39.6 | 40.1 |
| Change | −2.5 | +1.6 | +2.3 |
The median resident of ZIP 98903 is 37.5 years old, a few years younger than the national median of 40.1. Since 2006–10, the median age has dropped from 40.1, even as the national median rose. Residents skew youngest in the center and oldest in the southwest.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in ZIP 98903
| Period | ZIP 98903 | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.0% | 10.9% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 12.8% | 10.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 12.1% | 10.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 12.1% | 10.1% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.9 pts | −0.8 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in eight households in ZIP 98903 (12.1%), close to the national share of 11.6%. Single parents are more common here than in Washington as a whole (10.1%). The single-parent share has edged down 0.9 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in ZIP 98903
Renters in ZIP 98903
| Period | ZIP 98903 | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 27.9% | 35.2% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 28.7% | 37.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 24.9% | 37.0% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 26.7% | 36.2% | 34.8% |
| Change | −1.2 pts | +1.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
Just over a quarter of households in ZIP 98903 rent their homes (26.7%), below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. Among homeowners, 45.0% have no mortgage at all, above the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the north; owners are most common in the southwest. Since 2006–10, the renter share has edged down 1.2 points, even as the national share rose.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in ZIP 98903
| Period | ZIP 98903 | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.3% | 9.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 11.2% | 9.2% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.2% | 8.2% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 5.3% | 7.6% | 9.6% |
| Change | −0.9 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Empty homes are scarce in ZIP 98903: just 5.3% sit vacant, compared with 9.6% nationally, a sign of a tight housing market. Vacancy is down 0.9 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in ZIP 98903
| Period | ZIP 98903 | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1977 | 1977 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1978 | 1979 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1978 | 1980 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1983 | 1984 | 1980 |
| Change | +6 | +6 | +6 |
The typical home in ZIP 98903 was built around 1983, about the same vintage as the country's housing overall (1980). The median year built has moved up from 1977 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the north, while the east has the oldest housing.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in ZIP 98903
| Period | ZIP 98903 | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $777 | $1,018 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $876 | $1,127 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $976 | $1,390 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,418 | $1,875 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$642 | +$858 | +$606 |
Rent in ZIP 98903 runs $1,418 a month at the median, utilities included, below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $642 a month since 2006–10, up 83%, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 27.3% of the typical renter's income, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Renters on a budget will find the lowest rents in the east; the highest are in the center.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in ZIP 98903
Bachelor's degrees in ZIP 98903
| Period | ZIP 98903 | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.3% | 31.0% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 13.1% | 32.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 17.0% | 35.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 21.7% | 38.8% | 35.6% |
| Change | +7.4 pts | +7.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in ZIP 98903 have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 21.7%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree is up 7.4 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country. College graduates are most concentrated in the southwest and least in the east.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in ZIP 98903
| Period | ZIP 98903 | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 75.5% | 89.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 72.9% | 90.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 77.4% | 91.0% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 79.9% | 91.9% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.4 pts | +2.4 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in five adults in ZIP 98903 never finished high school, well above the national share: only 79.9% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. The share with a diploma is up 4.4 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country. Only 16 of the 295 Washington ZIP codes with 5,000+ people have a lower share of high school graduates.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in ZIP 98903
| Period | ZIP 98903 | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.2% | 7.6% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 6.5% | 8.9% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.2% | 5.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.5% | 5.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.8 pts | −2.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in ZIP 98903 runs well above the national rate: 8.5% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4%. Only 19 of the 295 Washington ZIP codes with 5,000+ people have higher unemployment. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
ZIP 98903 compared with nearby ZIP codes
| ZIP code | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZIP 98903 | 2.96 | 37.5 | 12.1% | 26.7% | 5.3% | 1983 | $1,418 | 21.7% | 79.9% | 8.5% |
| ZIP 98902 | 2.80 | 35.1 | 21.9% | 49.0% | 6.0% | 1960 | $1,179 | 16.6% | 77.3% | 9.6% |
| ZIP 98908 | 2.64 | 38.3 | 13.3% | 30.4% | 5.1% | 1985 | $1,522 | 32.7% | 90.5% | 5.2% |
| ZIP 98901 | 2.79 | 33.7 | 18.9% | 50.0% | 8.1% | 1982 | $1,169 | 15.1% | 71.9% | 6.5% |
| ZIP 98939 | 3.61 | 43.1 | 12.4% | 33.3% | 11.5% | 1959 | $1,270 | 13.6% | 82.1% | 7.8% |
| ZIP 98942 | 2.59 | 37.5 | 11.3% | 26.1% | 5.8% | 1987 | $1,528 | 24.0% | 86.0% | 3.3% |
| ZIP 98923 | 2.55 | 50.1 | 23.0% | 45.8% | 5.3% | 1968 | $940 | 22.4% | 68.4% | 7.2% |
| ZIP 98951 | 3.55 | 30.0 | 22.4% | 39.8% | 5.8% | 1974 | $955 | 12.0% | 67.7% | 8.1% |
| ZIP 98936 | 3.22 | 32.7 | 8.2% | 19.4% | 12.0% | 1997 | $1,133 | 21.3% | 85.0% | 2.7% |
| ZIP 98933 | 3.34 | 34.5 | 16.5% | 36.1% | 6.7% | 1983 | $988 | 18.2% | 75.3% | 9.3% |
| ZIP 98921 | 3.96 | 18.6 | 15.2% | 49.5% | 3.2% | 1962 | $924 | 16.2% | 62.1% | 0.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Zip codes with similar populations: 02370, MA · 94595, CA · 92637, CA · 06443, CT · 06804, CT · 07086, NJ · 07834, NJ · 08033, NJ · 21211, MD · 19054, PA
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up ZIP 98903. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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