Postal Codes

98121 ZIP Code

Advertisement

English Español

ZIP code 98121 covers Seattle, Washington, with a population of about 20,904 and a median household income of $148,974.

Population
20,90447,134 per square mile
Median age
33.35.4 points below the US average
Median household income
$148,9741.6× the Washington median
Poverty rate
8.7%3.7 points below the US average
Typical home value
$544,576down 12.6% in five years
Median rent
$2,3291.4× the Washington median
Degree or higher
77.8%42.8 points above the US average
Homeownership
25.2%39.8 points below the US average
Time zone
Pacific UTC-08:00observes daylight saving time
Businesses
1,225

Where 98121 is

Seattle, Washington — the point the Postal Service gives for this ZIP code. A ZIP code is a set of delivery routes rather than an area, so this marks its centre, not its boundary.

People and households

American Community Survey 2019–2023 five-year estimates

Population20,904
Median age33.3
Family households28.9%
Born outside the US40.1%
Speaks a language other than English at home40.8%
White (non-Hispanic)47.3%
Black (non-Hispanic)3.2%
Asian (non-Hispanic)34.4%
Hispanic or Latino7.9%
Veterans2.4%
Population by age
MaleFemale0-45-910-1415-1920-2425-3435-4445-5455-6465-7475-8485+
Income and poverty

American Community Survey 2019–2023 five-year estimates

Median household income$148,974
Income per person$114,783
Poverty rate8.7%
Households on SNAP or cash assistance9%

Household income distribution

Under $10k3.9%
$10–15k4.4%
$15–20k2.1%
$20–25k2.9%
$25–30k4.2%
$30–35k3.2%
$35–40k2.8%
$40–45k0.7%
$45–50k0.7%
$50–60k3.1%
$60–75k4.0%
$75–100k5.5%
$100–125k7.4%
$125–150k5.5%
$150–200k13.4%
$200k or more36.3%

Income as declared to the IRS

Filed returns rather than survey responses, so this counts tax units and not households.

Tax returns filed13,310
Mean adjusted gross income$193,323
Returns declaring $200,000 or more28.4%
Returns, under $25k9.1%
Returns, $25k–$50k11.3%
Returns, $50k–$75k11.4%
Returns, $75k–$100k9.5%
Returns, $100k–$200k30.4%
Returns, $200k or more28.4%
Housing

American Community Survey 2019–2023 five-year estimates

Median home value$796,600
Median gross rent$2,329
Rent as a share of household income23.7%
Owner-occupied25.2%
Vacant homes12.4%
Median year built2004

What the homes are

Detached house1.6%
Attached house0.2%
2 to 4 units0.9%
5 to 19 units1.4%
20 or more units95.9%
Home values and rents today

Zillow Home Value Index and Zillow Observed Rent Index, courtesy of Zillow. Monthly and current, where the Census figures above are a five-year average and are capped at $2,000,000.

Typical home value$544,576as of 2026-07
Typical home value, 1 yeardown 5.4%
Typical home value, 5 yearsdown 12.6%
Typical home value, 10 yearsup 2.5%
Typical asking rent$2,700as of 2026-07
Typical asking rent, 1 yeardown 2.5%
Typical asking rent, 5 yearsup 7%
Typical asking rent, 10 yearsup 21.6%
Typical home value since 2000
200020132026$716,584$324,670

$324,670 in 2000 to $544,576 in 2026.

Typical asking rent
201520202026$2,768$2,133

$2,133 in 2015 to $2,700 in 2026.

Work, commuting and education

American Community Survey 2019–2023 five-year estimates

Unemployment rate4.1%
Bachelor's degree or higher77.8%
High school diploma or higher97.7%
Works from home41.8%
Drives to work alone15.5%
Takes public transport8.1%
Commutes 45 minutes or more10.3%
Health

CDC PLACES 2025 release, model-based estimates. These are modelled small-area estimates for adults, not counts of diagnosed cases.

Obesity20.3% 13.1 pts below the national average of 33.4%
Diagnosed diabetes4.8% 7.2 pts below the national average of 12%
Currently smokes5.5% 7.7 pts below the national average of 13.2%
High blood pressure19.7% 14.4 pts below the national average of 34.1%
Fair or poor general health9.5% 10.8 pts below the national average of 20.3%
No health insurance (18–64)5.7% 5.6 pts below the national average of 11.3%
Depression23.2% 1.3 pts above the national average of 21.9%
No leisure-time physical activity10.8% 14.6 pts below the national average of 25.4%
Arthritis12.9% 12.2 pts below the national average of 25.1%
Binge drinking19.4% 3.4 pts above the national average of 16%
Taking blood pressure medication58.1% 16.6 pts below the national average of 74.7%
Cancer (non-skin)4.4% 3.3 pts below the national average of 7.7%
Current asthma8.9% 1.5 pts below the national average of 10.4%
Coronary heart disease2.5% 3.7 pts below the national average of 6.2%
Routine check-up in past year65.5% 11.2 pts below the national average of 76.7%
Cholesterol screening82.7% 3.2 pts below the national average of 85.9%
Cognitive disability10% 4.8 pts below the national average of 14.8%
Colorectal screening68.3% 4 pts above the national average of 64.3%
COPD2.2% 4.4 pts below the national average of 6.6%
Visited a dentist71.4% 10.1 pts above the national average of 61.3%
Any disability16.5% 14.2 pts below the national average of 30.7%
Hearing disability3.1% 3.6 pts below the national average of 6.7%
High cholesterol27.6% 8.6 pts below the national average of 36.2%
Independent living disability4.1% 4.3 pts below the national average of 8.4%
Mammography use78% 2.1 pts above the national average of 75.9%
Poor mental health (14+ days)14.3% 2.5 pts below the national average of 16.8%
Mobility disability4.4% 9.6 pts below the national average of 14%
Poor physical health (14+ days)7.4% 6.1 pts below the national average of 13.5%
Self-care disability1.6% 2.4 pts below the national average of 4%
Sleeps under 7 hours28.9% 7.5 pts below the national average of 36.4%
Stroke1.4% 2 pts below the national average of 3.4%
All natural teeth lost4.8% 8.2 pts below the national average of 13%
Vision disability2.5% 3.1 pts below the national average of 5.6%
Advertisement
Business and employment

Census ZIP Code Business Patterns 2022

Business establishments1,225
People employed31,192
Annual payroll$3,694,202,000
Natural hazard risk

FEMA National Risk Index, estimated for this ZIP code from census tract data — the NRI is not published per ZIP.

Overall riskHigher than 72% of US census tracts
FEMA ratingRelatively Moderate to Relatively High across the 7 census tracts this ZIP code covers
Expected annual loss81.7 out of 100
Community resilience80.9 out of 100

By hazard

Score is out of 100 and is the area-weighted average across the census tracts this ZIP code covers. The rating beside it is the highest any one of those tracts carries.

Earthquake95.6Very High at its worst in this ZIP code
Volcanic activity82.2Very Low at its worst in this ZIP code
Tsunami48.1Relatively Moderate at its worst in this ZIP code
Heat wave39.9Relatively Low at its worst in this ZIP code
Winter weather32.7Relatively Low at its worst in this ZIP code
Landslide25.5Very Low at its worst in this ZIP code
Coastal flooding24.2Relatively Moderate at its worst in this ZIP code
Ice storm23.7Relatively Low at its worst in this ZIP code
Tornado14.1Very Low at its worst in this ZIP code
Wildfire11.8Very Low at its worst in this ZIP code
River flooding5.6Relatively Low at its worst in this ZIP code
Lightning4.6Very Low at its worst in this ZIP code
Strong wind0.7Very Low at its worst in this ZIP code
Hail0.3Very Low at its worst in this ZIP code
Compared with Washington and the United States

State and national columns are figures for those areas, not for this ZIP code. American Community Survey 2019–2023 five-year estimates

This ZIPWashingtonUnited States
Median household income$148,974$94,952$78,538
Income per person$114,783$51,493$43,289
Poverty rate8.7%9.9%12.4%
Median home value$796,600$519,800$303,400
Median gross rent$2,329$1,682$1,348
Homeownership25.2%63.9%65%
Bachelor's degree or higher77.8%38.8%35%
Unemployment rate4.1%5%5.2%
Works from home41.8%17.7%13.5%
Born outside the US40.1%15.1%13.9%
Median age33.338.238.7
Climate

NOAA US Climate Normals 1991-2020, from the nearest weather station with a full year of records. The station and its distance are named above, because a station forty kilometres away describes somewhere else.

Weather stationSEATTLE BOEING FLD, WA US10 km away
Rain in a year36 in

Average high and low by month

January48.6°F / 36.8°F5.21 in rain
February50.7°F / 36.8°F3.71 in rain
March54.8°F / 39.4°F3.94 in rain
April59.8°F / 43.6°F2.89 in rain
May66.5°F / 49.3°F1.98 in rain
June71.2°F / 54°F1.22 in rain
July77.3°F / 57.5°F0.56 in rain
August77.4°F / 58.1°F0.83 in rain
September71.7°F / 53.9°F1.37 in rain
October61°F / 46.4°F3.49 in rain
November53°F / 39.9°F5.8 in rain
December47.8°F / 36.2°F5.49 in rain
Access to food

USDA Food Access Research Atlas, estimated for this ZIP code from census tract data. Each figure is the share of the ZIP code's land area that falls in a tract carrying that flag.

Low income and far from a supermarketNone of this ZIP code
Far from a supermarketNone of this ZIP code
No vehicle and far from a supermarketNone of this ZIP code
School districts

NCES Geographic Relationship File 2025, which states the association between each district and each ZIP code tabulation area directly. Elementary and secondary districts can cover the same ground, so shares need not total 100%.

Seattle Public Schools100% of this ZIP code's land area
Community and walkability

CDC/ATSDR Social Vulnerability Index 2022 and the EPA National Walkability Index, both estimated for this ZIP code from census tract data. Vulnerability figures are national percentile ranks, not measurements.

Overall social vulnerability36more vulnerable than 36% of US census tracts
Socioeconomic status25more vulnerable than 25% of US census tracts
Household characteristics5more vulnerable than 5% of US census tracts
Racial and ethnic minority status67more vulnerable than 67% of US census tracts
Housing type and transport78more vulnerable than 78% of US census tracts
Walkability18 out of 20Most walkable
Nearby ZIP codes

The closest ZIP codes by centre point, which is not the same as sharing a border.

98141 Seattle, WA0.1 km away
98101 Seattle, WA1.1 km away
98170 Seattle, WA1.2 km away
98111 Seattle, WA1.4 km away
98114 Seattle, WA1.4 km away
98124 Seattle, WA1.4 km away
98129 Seattle, WA1.4 km away
98131 Seattle, WA1.4 km away
Location, counties and time zone

County shares from Census 2020 ZCTA relationship files. Time zone from the USDOT National Transportation Atlas, which renders the boundaries written into 49 CFR Part 71.

King County100% of this ZIP code's land area
Time zonePacific (UTC-08:00 standard)
Daylight saving timeObserved
Land area0.44 sq mi
Water area0.2 sq mi
Population density47,134 people per sq mi
Latitude, longitude47.6151, -122.3447

Figures are published for this ZIP code or its Census tabulation area unless a section says otherwise. Estimates whose margin of error made them unreliable are omitted rather than shown. Sources: US Census Bureau, CDC, IRS.

Advertisement