Zip code 98579: Rochester, Washington
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
- Government workers25.6%95thU.S. 14.5% · WA 16%135th of 570 in WA
- 92ndStrengthU.S. 91% · WA 93.6%63rd of 563 in WA
- Veterans10.6%91stU.S. 6.2% · WA 7.8%174th of 571 in WA
- Homeownership rate80.2%79thU.S. 65.2% · WA 63.8%201st of 563 in WA
- 79thU.S. 51.1% · WA 49.9%99th of 541 in WA
- Median household income$99,41171stU.S. $80,734 · WA $98,141171st of 541 in WA
- Median home value$463,40071stU.S. $332,700 · WA $564,600257th of 536 in WA
- Average commute29.4 min71stU.S. 26.4 min · WA 26.6 min190th of 546 in WA
- Median age41.669thU.S. 38.9 · WA 38.3259th of 571 in WA
- Median earnings per worker$52,68663rdU.S. $49,666 · WA $59,959287th of 566 in WA
- Median gross rent$1,53258thU.S. $1,413 · WA $1,760214th of 475 in WA
- Work from home14.1%57thU.S. 15.1% · WA 19.8%278th of 570 in WA
- Poverty rate11.8%55thU.S. 12.5% · WA 9.9%206th of 563 in WA
- 55thU.S. 17.2% · WA 16.6%337th of 571 in WA
- Per capita income$38,14744thU.S. $44,673 · WA $53,744360th of 570 in WA
- 43rdU.S. 5.2% · WA 5.1%307th of 570 in WA
- Tech workers2.2%37thU.S. 3.8% · WA 6.7%312th of 570 in WA
- Diversity index38.233rdU.S. 61.4 · WA 56.5304th of 571 in WA
- Residents under 1819.6%28thU.S. 22% · WA 21.4%325th of 571 in WA
- 25thU.S. 14.1% · WA 15.4%377th of 571 in WA
- Uninsured rate4.1%23rdU.S. 8.4% · WA 6.3%392nd of 567 in WA
- 22ndU.S. 35.7% · WA 39.6%403rd of 571 in WA
- 22ndU.S. 10.1% · WA 7.3%439th of 563 in WA
- Population14,04821stU.S. 334,922,499 · WA 7,816,116209th of 571 in WA
- Population density149/sq mi17thU.S. 95/sq mi · WA 118/sq mi290th of 571 in WA
- 10thU.S. 10% · WA 9.6%461st of 570 in WA
- 5thStrengthU.S. 0.483 · WA 0.469462nd of 560 in WA
- 2ndU.S. 9.7% · WA 9.3%465th of 570 in WA
| Measure | 98579 | Thurston | WA | U.S. | National percentile | Rank in WA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Government workers | 25.6% | 29.8% | 16% | 14.5% | 135th of 570 | |
| Broadband accessStrength | 97% | 94.5% | 93.6% | 91% | 63rd of 563 | |
| Veterans | 10.6% | 12.6% | 7.8% | 6.2% | 174th of 571 | |
| Homeownership rate | 80.2% | 67.7% | 63.8% | 65.2% | 201st of 563 | |
| Rent-burdened renters | 58.6% | 55.4% | 49.9% | 51.1% | 99th of 541 | |
| Median household income | $99,411 | $96,563 | $98,141 | $80,734 | 171st of 541 | |
| Median home value | $463,400 | $480,300 | $564,600 | $332,700 | 257th of 536 | |
| Average commute | 29.4 min | 25.8 min | 26.6 min | 26.4 min | 190th of 546 | |
| Median age | 41.6 | 40 | 38.3 | 38.9 | 259th of 571 | |
| Median earnings per worker | $52,686 | $57,387 | $59,959 | $49,666 | 287th of 566 | |
| Median gross rent | $1,532 | $1,736 | $1,760 | $1,413 | 214th of 475 | |
| Work from home | 14.1% | 20.5% | 19.8% | 15.1% | 278th of 570 | |
| Poverty rate | 11.8% | 9.5% | 9.9% | 12.5% | 206th of 563 | |
| Residents 65 and older | 17.3% | 18.7% | 16.6% | 17.2% | 337th of 571 | |
| Per capita income | $38,147 | $46,136 | $53,744 | $44,673 | 360th of 570 | |
| Unemployment rate | 4.5% | 5.2% | 5.1% | 5.2% | 307th of 570 | |
| Tech workers | 2.2% | 4.6% | 6.7% | 3.8% | 312th of 570 | |
| Diversity index | 38.2 | 49.4 | 56.5 | 61.4 | 304th of 571 | |
| Residents under 18 | 19.6% | 20.9% | 21.4% | 22% | 325th of 571 | |
| Foreign-born residents | 4.3% | 8.3% | 15.4% | 14.1% | 377th of 571 | |
| Uninsured rate | 4.1% | 5% | 6.3% | 8.4% | 392nd of 567 | |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 20.6% | 38.5% | 39.6% | 35.7% | 403rd of 571 | |
| Housing vacancy | 4% | 5% | 7.3% | 10.1% | 439th of 563 | |
| Population | 14,048 | 299,067 | 7,816,116 | 334,922,499 | 209th of 571 | |
| Population density | 149/sq mi | 414/sq mi | 118/sq mi | 95/sq mi | 290th of 571 | |
| Self-employed workers | 6.1% | 8.5% | 9.6% | 10% | 461st of 570 | |
| Income inequality (Gini)Strength | 0.366 | 0.403 | 0.469 | 0.483 | 462nd of 560 | |
| Healthcare workers | 4.5% | 10.2% | 9.3% | 9.7% | 465th of 570 |
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
Race and ethnicity
- White78%
- Black0.9%
- Hispanic11%
- Asian2%
- Native American1%
- Pacific Islander0.8%
- Other0.9%
- Multiracial7%
Language spoken at home (households)
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
Median household income
Housing
Median home value
Median gross rent
Types of housing
- 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
Commute time (one way)
Jobs and careers
Occupations
Industries
Median earnings by type of work
| Type of work | 98579 | U.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+)
- 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
- State
- Washington
- County
- Thurston County
- 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
- Thurston County59% of land
- Lewis County41% of land
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
| Zip | City | Distance | IncomeMedian income |
|---|---|---|---|
| 98544 | Galvin, WA | 5.8 mi | — |
| 98556 | Littlerock, WA | 6.8 mi | — |
| 98568 | Oakville, WA | 9.8 mi | $84,531 |
| 98531 | Centralia, WA | 11 mi | $63,406 |
| 98522 | Adna, WA · PO box | 11 mi | — |
| 98532 | Chehalis, WA | 12 mi | $89,910 |
| 98530 | Bucoda, WA | 12 mi | $80,682 |
| 98512 | Olympia, WA | 12 mi | $101,530 |
| 98539 | Doty, WA | 13 mi | $87,625 |
| 98511 | Tumwater, WA · PO box | 13 mi | — |
| 98559 | Malone, WA | 15 mi | — |
| 98589 | Tenino, WA | 16 mi | $83,855 |
Zip codes like 98579 elsewhere
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.