ZipCodeLook
98579

Zip code 98579: Rochester, Washington

Residential delivery areaThurston CountyPacific Time
Population
14,048
Median household income
$99K
U.S. $81K
Median home value
$463K
U.S. $333K
Median rent
$1,532/mo
U.S. $1,413
Median age
41.6
U.S. 38.9
Land area
94 sq mi
149 people/sq mi

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

About 98579

98579 is a small-town zip code in Rochester, Washington (Thurston County), covering 94 sq mi of land. About 14,048 people live here, or 149 per square mile. The median resident is 41.6 years old, compared with 38.9 nationally.

The median household earns $99,411 a year, 23% above the national median of $80,734. 11.8% of residents live below the poverty line (U.S.: 12.5%). A typical home is valued at $463,400, or 4.7 years of median household income (U.S.: 4.1 years), which makes homes about as affordable as the national average for local earners. 80% of occupied homes are lived in by their owners, and renters pay a median of $1,532 a month.

21% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher (U.S.: 36%). Commuters average 29.4 minutes each way, and 14% of workers work from home. The most common jobs among working residents are in office and administrative support; transportation and moving goods; and construction and repair.

How 98579 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
41.6
Under 18
19.6%
65 and over
17.3%

Race and ethnicity

  • White78%
  • Black0.9%
  • Hispanic11%
  • Asian2%
  • Native American1%
  • Pacific Islander0.8%
  • Other0.9%
  • Multiracial7%
Diversity index
38.2
U.S. 61.4
Foreign-born
4.3%
U.S. 14.1%
Born in state
60.4%

Language spoken at home (households)

English only
93%
Spanish
5%
Other Indo-European
1%
Asian / Pacific
0.7%
Other
0.4%

Households

Households
5,023
Average household size
2.8
Family households
70.6%
Married couples
54.7%
Living alone
19.2%
Veterans (of adults)
10.6%
Male / female
51% / 49%

Income and poverty

Household income distribution

<$25k
9%
$25–50k
18%
$50–75k
13%
$75–100k
11%
$100–150k
25%
$150–200k
15%
$200k+
9%

Median household income

98579
$99,411
Thurston Co.
$96,563
Washington
$98,141
United States
$80,734
Per capita income
$38,147
U.S. $44,673
Poverty rate
11.8%
U.S. 12.5%
Households earning $150K+
24.1%
U.S. 23%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.366
U.S. 0.483

Housing

Median home value

98579
$463,400
Thurston Co.
$480,300
Washington
$564,600
United States
$332,700

Median gross rent

98579
$1,532
Thurston Co.
$1,736
Washington
$1,760
United States
$1,413

Types of housing

Single-family
70%
2–4 units
0.8%
5–19 units
1%
20+ units
2%
Mobile home
25%
Boat, RV, van
0.8%
Housing units
5,234
Owner-occupied
80.2%
Vacant
4%
Median year built
1994
Median rooms
5.6
Renters paying 30%+ of income
58.6%
Renters paying 50%+ of income
35.2%
Home value to income
4.7× (U.S. 4.1×)

Work and commute

How people get to work

Drove alone
68%
Carpooled
8%
Transit
0%
Walked
0.8%
Bicycle
0%
Worked from home
14%
Other
9%

Commute time (one way)

<10 min
8%
10–19
17%
20–29
31%
30–44
27%
45–59
10%
60+
8%
Average commute
29.4 min
U.S. 26.4 min
Unemployment
4.5%
U.S. 5.2%
In labor force
59.4%
U.S. 63.5%

Jobs and careers

What employed residents do, wherever they work

Occupations

Office and admin
16%
Transportation and moving
13%
Construction and repair
12%
Management
9%
Sales
8%
Production
5%
Farming, fishing and forestry
5%
Healthcare
4%
Business and finance
4%
Food service
4%
Legal and social services
4%
Education
4%
Engineering and science
3%
Cleaning and personal care
3%
Computer and math
2%
Arts, media and sports
2%
Police and fire
0.4%

Industries

Public administration
16%
Retail
16%
Agriculture and mining
9%
Manufacturing
8%
Finance, insurance and real estate
7%
Health care and social assistance
7%
Construction
7%
Education
6%
Restaurants and hotels
5%
Admin, support and management
5%
Transportation, warehousing and utilities
4%
Professional and technical services
3%
Other services
3%
Arts and recreation
3%
Wholesale
1%
Information
0.4%
Median earnings per worker
$52,686
U.S. $49,666
Self-employed
6.1%
U.S. 10%
Government workers
25.6%
U.S. 14.5%
Nonprofit workers
4%
U.S. 8.8%

Median earnings by type of work

Type of work98579U.S.
Management, business, science and arts$76,833$74,888
Service$14,464$26,804
Sales and office$47,956$40,476
Construction and maintenance$56,509$49,199
Production and transportation$34,706$39,989

Education, internet and health coverage

Highest education (adults 25+)

No diploma
7%
High school
32%
Some college
28%
Associate's
12%
Bachelor's
15%
Graduate
5%
High school graduate or higher
92.9%
Bachelor's degree or higher
20.6%
Graduate or professional degree
5.2%
Households with broadband
97%
Cable, fiber or DSL
78.1%
No internet access
2.3%
Without health insurance
4.1%
Limited-English households
0%

Geography

City (USPS)
Rochester
Center point
46.7882° N, 123.1255° W
Land area
94 sq mi
Water area
0.5 sq mi
Time zone
Pacific Time (UTC-8, UTC-7 in summer)
Zip type
Residential delivery area

98579 spans 2 counties

Cities and towns within this zip

  • Rochester (unincorporated)9% of zip
  • Grand Mound (unincorporated)3% of zip

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

Zip codes near 98579

ZipCityDistanceIncome
98544Galvin5.8 mi—
98556Littlerock6.8 mi—
98568Oakville9.8 mi$84,531
98531Centralia11 mi$63,406
98522Adna · PO box11 mi—
98532Chehalis12 mi$89,910
98530Bucoda12 mi$80,682
98512Olympia12 mi$101,530
98539Doty13 mi$87,625
98511Tumwater · PO box13 mi—
98559Malone15 mi—
98589Tenino16 mi$83,855

Zip codes like 98579 elsewhere

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

Questions about 98579

What city is zip code 98579?

98579 is assigned to Rochester, Washington. The city name is the one the Postal Service prefers for mail addressed to this zip code.

What county is 98579 in?

98579 is mostly in Thurston County, but it extends into 1 other county.

What is the population of 98579?

About 14,048 people live in 98579, according to the Census Bureau's American Community Survey.

What time zone is 98579 in?

98579 is in Pacific Time.

What is the median household income in 98579?

The median household income in 98579 is $99,411.

What zip codes are near 98579?

The closest zip codes to 98579 are 98544, 98556, 98568, 98531, 98522.

Demographic figures are 2020–2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates for ZIP Code Tabulation Area 98579, from the U.S. Census Bureau. Small areas have wide margins of error. How we build these numbers.