Housing data for ZIP code 98501

ZIP code 98501 has an estimated 48,067 residents and 20,717 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).

Most of its land lies in Tumwater, Thurston County.

38.3% of households rent.

The median gross rent is $1,697 (±$67) a month.

The median home value is $529,300 (±$19,284).

The median household income is $97,198 (±$4,432) a year.

Figures last updated on .

Residents
48,067 (±1,783)
Median gross rent
$1,697
Median home value
$529,300
Households that rent
38.3%

How ZIP code 98501 compares

Estimate (90% margin of error)
ZIP 98501TumwaterThurston CountyWashingtonUnited States
Residents48,067 (±1,783)26,956299,0677,816,116334,922,499
Housing units20,717 (±758)11,377125,1633,306,620143,775,355
Households that rent38.3% (±2.4 points)37.5%32.3%36.2%34.8%
Median gross rent$1,697 (±$67)$1,779$1,736$1,760$1,413
Median home value$529,300 (±$19,284)$472,200$480,300$564,600$332,700
Median household income$97,198 (±$4,432)$95,212$96,563$98,141$80,734
Median real estate taxes (a year)$4,687 (±$141)$4,292$4,209$4,556$3,119
Renters paying 30% or more of income52.4% (±6.7 points)49.8%55.4%49.9%51.1%
Built before 198042.9% (±3.9 points)33.6%33.7%43.4%49.7%
Average commute21.2 minutes (±1.6)21.3 minutes25.8 minutes26.6 minutes26.4 minutes
Households with broadband96.5% (±1.1 points)94.4%94.5%93.6%91.0%
Median age of residents39.5 years (±1.1)37.1 years40.0 years38.3 years38.9 years

In ZIP 98501, median gross rent is not measurably different from Thurston County ($1,736).

It is not measurably different from Washington ($1,760).

It is higher than the national figure ($1,413).

The median gross rent in ZIP code 98501 is not measurably different from Tumwater as a whole ($1,779).

Its median home value is higher than in Tumwater as a whole ($472,200).

Among the 12 ZIP codes in Thurston County with a published estimate, ZIP 98501 ranks 5 from highest to lowest median gross rent.

Among the 12 ZIP codes in Thurston County with a published estimate, ZIP 98501 ranks 3 from highest to lowest median home value.

Among the 12 ZIP codes in Thurston County with a published estimate, ZIP 98501 ranks 6 from highest to lowest median household income.

Rankings use the estimates alone; where margins of error overlap, neighboring ranks may not truly differ.

Rent in ZIP code 98501

Share of rented homes in each gross-rent range, 2020–2024
Monthly gross rentZIP 98501Thurston CountyWashingtonUnited States
Less than $5002.3% (±1.4 points)2.7%4.6%6.3%
$500 to $9997.1% (±2.7 points)8.3%10.4%20.2%
$1,000 to $1,49927.7% (±5.1 points)23.1%21.4%28.1%
$1,500 to $1,99932.9% (±5.0 points)33.7%26.2%21.1%
$2,000 to $2,49918.6% (±4.0 points)20.0%18.7%12.0%
$2,500 to $2,9999.0% (±2.8 points)8.3%9.1%5.5%
$3,000 or more2.5% (±1.1 points)4.0%9.5%6.8%

The most common range is $1,500 to $1,999, paid by 32.9% of renting households.

Rent by bedrooms in ZIP code 98501

Median gross rent by number of bedrooms, estimate (90% margin of error)
BedroomsCensus median
Studio$1,267 (±$490)
1 bedroom$1,359 (±$113)
2 bedrooms$1,751 (±$72)
3 bedrooms$2,322 (±$174)
4 bedrooms$2,619 (±$250)

Rent burden in ZIP code 98501

Renting households by gross rent as a percentage of household income, 2020–2024
Share of income spent on rentZIP 98501Thurston CountyWashingtonUnited States
Less than 15%7.2% (±2.6 points)9.0%12.4%12.6%
15% to 19.9%15.3% (±3.7 points)11.0%12.3%12.2%
20% to 24.9%10.7% (±2.6 points)13.2%13.3%12.6%
25% to 29.9%14.4% (±3.6 points)11.3%12.1%11.5%
30% to 34.9%11.4% (±3.7 points)11.6%9.8%9.2%
35% or more41.0% (±5.6 points)43.8%40.1%41.9%

52.4% (±6.7 points) of renting households in ZIP code 98501 spend 30% or more of their income on gross rent.

Home values in ZIP code 98501

Owner-occupied homes by value, 2020–2024
ValueZIP 98501Thurston CountyWashingtonUnited States
Less than $50,0001.7% (±0.9 points)3.0%2.9%5.3%
$50,000 to $99,9990.6% (±0.4 points)2.1%1.8%6.1%
$100,000 to $149,9991.1% (±0.8 points)1.7%1.7%6.8%
$150,000 to $199,9990.8% (±0.5 points)1.5%2.1%9.0%
$200,000 to $299,9992.9% (±1.2 points)6.5%7.0%17.8%
$300,000 to $499,99938.0% (±3.4 points)40.5%27.8%26.9%
$500,000 to $999,99952.4% (±3.4 points)40.2%40.8%20.9%
$1,000,000 or more2.4% (±1.0 points)4.6%15.9%7.1%

Value is the owner’s own estimate of what the home and lot would sell for, not a sale price or an assessment.

The homes in ZIP code 98501

Housing units by units in structure, 2020–2024
Building typeZIP 98501Thurston CountyWashingtonUnited States
Single-family, detached65.6% (±2.1 points)66.9%61.9%61.3%
Single-family, attached (townhouse, rowhouse)4.6% (±1.3 points)4.3%4.4%6.2%
2 units3.3% (±1.1 points)2.5%2.3%3.4%
3 or 4 units3.6% (±1.0 points)3.1%3.5%4.3%
5 to 9 units3.6% (±1.1 points)3.6%4.3%4.5%
10 to 19 units6.1% (±1.6 points)3.8%4.9%4.3%
20 or more units10.6% (±1.7 points)7.4%13.0%10.3%
Mobile home2.7% (±0.7 points)8.1%5.5%5.6%
Boat, RV, van, etc.0.0% (±0.2 points)0.4%0.3%0.1%

When the homes in ZIP code 98501 were built

Housing units by year structure built, 2020–2024
Year builtZIP 98501Thurston CountyWashingtonUnited States
2020 or later4.1% (±1.0 points)2.6%2.3%2.0%
2010 to 201912.7% (±2.2 points)13.1%12.1%9.4%
2000 to 200914.5% (±2.1 points)18.9%15.1%13.6%
1990 to 199914.6% (±2.0 points)17.7%14.8%12.4%
1980 to 198911.2% (±1.5 points)13.9%12.4%12.9%
1970 to 197914.2% (±2.4 points)15.5%14.2%14.2%
1960 to 19699.4% (±1.8 points)6.8%8.7%9.9%
1950 to 19597.0% (±1.3 points)4.1%6.7%9.5%
1940 to 19494.6% (±1.4 points)2.7%4.2%4.4%
1939 or earlier7.7% (±1.5 points)4.6%9.6%11.7%

42.9% of the homes in ZIP code 98501 were built before 1980, so many fall under the federal lead-paint disclosure rules for homes built before 1978.

Heating fuel in ZIP code 98501

Occupied housing units by house heating fuel, 2020–2024
Fuel used mostZIP 98501Thurston CountyWashingtonUnited States
Utility gas41.6% (±2.8 points)31.2%33.0%46.5%
Fuel oil, kerosene, etc.0.3% (±0.3 points)0.4%1.3%3.9%
Electricity54.3% (±2.8 points)59.6%58.6%41.3%
Bottled or tank gas (propane)1.7% (±0.6 points)4.1%3.0%4.9%
Wood1.3% (±0.6 points)3.7%2.8%1.4%
Solar energy0.3% (±0.3 points)0.3%0.2%0.3%
Coal or coke0.0% (±0.2 points)0.0%0.0%0.1%
Other fuel0.2% (±0.2 points)0.3%0.4%0.5%
No fuel used0.2% (±0.4 points)0.5%0.6%1.2%

How people in ZIP code 98501 get to work

Workers 16 and over by means of transportation to work, 2020–2024
Means of transportationZIP 98501Thurston CountyWashingtonUnited States
Drove alone58.9% (±2.7 points)66.9%63.4%68.8%
Carpooled6.2% (±1.5 points)7.5%8.5%8.5%
Public transportation1.5% (±1.0 points)1.0%3.4%3.2%
Walked3.4% (±1.0 points)2.3%3.0%2.4%
Other means (bicycle, taxi, motorcycle)2.0% (±0.8 points)1.8%1.9%2.0%
Worked from home28.0% (±2.7 points)20.5%19.8%15.1%

Workers who live in ZIP code 98501 take an average of 21.2 minutes to get to work.

Places in ZIP code 98501

Places whose land overlaps this ZIP code, with the share of the ZIP’s land in each
PlaceShare of the ZIP’s land in this placeMedian gross rentHouseholds that rent
Tumwater25%$1,77937.5%
Olympia22%$1,59950.2%

A township or a New York town includes the villages inside it, so their shares can add up to more than the whole.

ZIP codes near 98501

Nearest ZIP codes with Census figures, by straight-line distance between their internal points
ZIP codeDistanceMedian gross rentMedian home valueMedian household incomeHouseholds that rent
985035.0 mi$1,746$438,100$89,00241.6%
985136.8 mi$1,967$470,700$113,05320.5%
985058.0 mi————
985128.3 mi$1,765$472,100$101,53027.6%
985069.0 mi$1,461$490,900$91,59633.7%
985169.3 mi$2,068$572,500$98,89234.4%
9850210.0 mi$1,689$537,200$92,20742.6%
9858911 mi$1,419$438,700$83,85517.8%

Crime reported to police in Tumwater

Most of ZIP code 98501 is policed by the Tumwater Police Department, which reported 283 violent and 1,489 property crimes per 100,000 residents to the FBI in 2025.

The FBI publishes crime by police department, not by ZIP code, so this is the department’s figure for the whole area it serves.

ZIP code 98501 is reported as ZIP Code Tabulation Area 98501: the Census Bureau’s area built from census blocks to match the ZIP code’s delivery area as closely as it can.

Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates).

Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.

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Questions about ZIP 98501

What is the median rent in ZIP code 98501?

The median gross rent in ZIP Code Tabulation Area 98501 is $1,697 (±$67) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

What is the median home value in ZIP code 98501?

The median value of owner-occupied homes in ZIP code 98501 is $529,300 (±$19,284) (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

What is the median household income in ZIP code 98501?

The median household income in ZIP code 98501 is $97,198 (±$4,432) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

What town is ZIP code 98501 in?

Most of ZIP code 98501’s land lies in Tumwater; it also covers Olympia.

Sources

To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for ZCTA5 98501 (zip code tabulation area:98501).

Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).

The API needs a free key.

Request a Census API key.

DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP04_0089E, DP04_0089M, DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.

Figures last updated on .

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