ZipCodeLook
98230

Zip code 98230: Blaine, Washington

Residential delivery areaWhatcom CountyPacific Time
Population
18,744
Median household income
$87K
U.S. $81K
Median home value
$500K
U.S. $333K
Median rent
$1,365/mo
U.S. $1,413
Median age
45.6
U.S. 38.9
Land area
43 sq mi
441 people/sq mi

Boundary is the Census Bureau's ZIP Code Tabulation Area, which closely tracks the postal delivery area.

About 98230

98230 is a small-town zip code in Blaine, Washington (Whatcom County), covering 43 sq mi of land. About 18,744 people live here, or 441 per square mile. The median resident is 45.6 years old, compared with 38.9 nationally.

The median household earns $86,623 a year, close to the national median of $80,734. 9.4% of residents live below the poverty line (U.S.: 12.5%). A typical home is valued at $499,800, or 5.8 years of median household income (U.S.: 4.1 years), which makes homes relatively expensive for local earners. 80% of occupied homes are lived in by their owners, and renters pay a median of $1,365 a month.

32% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher (U.S.: 36%). Commuters average 23.3 minutes each way, and 17% of workers work from home. The most common jobs among working residents are in management; office and administrative support; and transportation and moving goods. 15% of them are self-employed (U.S.: 10%).

How 98230 compares

Sorted from highest to lowest national percentile

The percentile is the share of Americans who live in a zip code with a lower value, so the 50th percentile is typical. Rank 1 is the highest value in the state. Both include zip codes with at least 100 residents. Strengths and weaknesses mark measures in the best or worst fifth nationally, where higher or lower is clearly better (income, poverty, education, commute, broadband, insurance and similar). Measures like age or density are left unmarked.

People

Age

Median age
45.6
Under 18
20.2%
65 and over
26.3%

Race and ethnicity

  • White76%
  • Black2%
  • Hispanic8%
  • Asian4%
  • Native American0.8%
  • Pacific Islander0.9%
  • Other0.3%
  • Multiracial7%
Diversity index
40.7
U.S. 61.4
Foreign-born
13.3%
U.S. 14.1%
Born in state
46.1%

Language spoken at home (households)

English only
88%
Spanish
4%
Other Indo-European
6%
Asian / Pacific
2%
Other
0.3%

Households

Households
7,976
Average household size
2.3
Family households
64.8%
Married couples
51.5%
Living alone
30.8%
Veterans (of adults)
10.4%
Male / female
51% / 49%

Income and poverty

Household income distribution

<$25k
13%
$25–50k
17%
$50–75k
12%
$75–100k
17%
$100–150k
22%
$150–200k
9%
$200k+
10%

Median household income

98230
$86,623
Whatcom Co.
$81,784
Washington
$98,141
United States
$80,734
Per capita income
$46,519
U.S. $44,673
Poverty rate
9.4%
U.S. 12.5%
Households earning $150K+
18.8%
U.S. 23%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.444
U.S. 0.483

Housing

Median home value

98230
$499,800
Whatcom Co.
$585,800
Washington
$564,600
United States
$332,700

Median gross rent

98230
$1,365
Whatcom Co.
$1,555
Washington
$1,760
United States
$1,413

Types of housing

Single-family
78%
2–4 units
4%
5–19 units
6%
20+ units
1%
Mobile home
9%
Boat, RV, van
0.6%
Housing units
9,615
Owner-occupied
79.6%
Vacant
17%
Median year built
1993
Median rooms
5.6
Renters paying 30%+ of income
50.8%
Renters paying 50%+ of income
29.2%
Home value to income
5.8× (U.S. 4.1×)

Work and commute

How people get to work

Drove alone
75%
Carpooled
6%
Transit
0.1%
Walked
0.7%
Bicycle
0%
Worked from home
17%
Other
0.9%

Commute time (one way)

<10 min
13%
10–19
32%
20–29
24%
30–44
22%
45–59
3%
60+
6%
Average commute
23.3 min
U.S. 26.4 min
Unemployment
4.4%
U.S. 5.2%
In labor force
54.8%
U.S. 63.5%

Jobs and careers

What employed residents do, wherever they work

Occupations

Management
13%
Office and admin
11%
Transportation and moving
10%
Healthcare
9%
Construction and repair
8%
Production
7%
Police and fire
6%
Sales
6%
Business and finance
5%
Food service
5%
Education
5%
Engineering and science
4%
Cleaning and personal care
4%
Computer and math
3%
Legal and social services
2%
Arts, media and sports
2%
Farming, fishing and forestry
0.3%

Industries

Manufacturing
14%
Health care and social assistance
13%
Construction
9%
Education
9%
Retail
8%
Restaurants and hotels
8%
Public administration
8%
Professional and technical services
6%
Transportation, warehousing and utilities
5%
Finance, insurance and real estate
5%
Other services
5%
Agriculture and mining
4%
Admin, support and management
4%
Wholesale
2%
Arts and recreation
0.8%
Information
0.5%
Median earnings per worker
$54,759
U.S. $49,666
Self-employed
15%
U.S. 10%
Government workers
19.8%
U.S. 14.5%
Nonprofit workers
5.9%
U.S. 8.8%

Median earnings by type of work

Type of work98230U.S.
Management, business, science and arts$74,395$74,888
Service$38,623$26,804
Sales and office$44,595$40,476
Construction and maintenance$59,859$49,199
Production and transportation$51,583$39,989

Education, internet and health coverage

Highest education (adults 25+)

No diploma
6%
High school
24%
Some college
27%
Associate's
11%
Bachelor's
20%
Graduate
12%
High school graduate or higher
94.1%
Bachelor's degree or higher
31.9%
Graduate or professional degree
12.4%
Households with broadband
90.2%
Cable, fiber or DSL
78.4%
No internet access
8.5%
Without health insurance
4.3%
Limited-English households
1.1%

Geography

City (USPS)
Blaine
Center point
48.9535° N, 122.7050° W
Land area
43 sq mi
Water area
4.7 sq mi
Time zone
Pacific Time (UTC-8, UTC-7 in summer)
Zip type
Residential delivery area

Cities and towns within this zip

  • Birch Bay (unincorporated)40% of zip
  • Blaine13% of zip

Census places overlapping the zip's area. Mail may use a different city name than the municipality.

Zip codes near 98230

ZipCityDistanceIncome
98231Blaine · PO box3.4 mi—
98240Custer3.8 mi$110,116
98248Ferndale7.1 mi$91,060
98264Lynden11 mi$103,638
98281Point Roberts16 mi$78,125
98225Bellingham16 mi$63,941
98226Bellingham17 mi$79,375
98227Bellingham · PO box17 mi—
98228Bellingham · PO box17 mi—
98276Nooksack18 mi$97,159
98262Lummi Island18 mi$83,000
98247Everson18 mi$88,724

Zip codes like 98230 elsewhere

Matched on income, home values, age, density, education, housing and commuting

Questions about 98230

What city is zip code 98230?

98230 is assigned to Blaine, Washington. The city name is the one the Postal Service prefers for mail addressed to this zip code.

What county is 98230 in?

98230 is in Whatcom County, Washington.

What is the population of 98230?

About 18,744 people live in 98230, according to the Census Bureau's American Community Survey.

What time zone is 98230 in?

98230 is in Pacific Time.

What is the median household income in 98230?

The median household income in 98230 is $86,623.

What zip codes are near 98230?

The closest zip codes to 98230 are 98231, 98240, 98248, 98264, 98281.

Demographic figures are 2020–2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates for ZIP Code Tabulation Area 98230, from the U.S. Census Bureau. Small areas have wide margins of error. How we build these numbers.