Postal Codes

98531 ZIP Code

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ZIP code 98531 covers Centralia, Washington, with a population of about 27,356 and a median household income of $61,963.

Population
27,356212 per square mile
Median age
38.4about the US average
Median household income
$61,96335% below the Washington median
Poverty rate
17%4.6 points above the US average
Typical home value
$399,474up 16.1% in five years
Median rent
$1,06837% below the Washington median
Degree or higher
21.1%13.9 points below the US average
Homeownership
64.9%about the US average
Time zone
Pacific UTC-08:00observes daylight saving time
Businesses
712

Where 98531 is

Centralia, Washington — the area the Census Bureau draws for this ZIP code. ZIP codes are sets of delivery routes rather than areas, so this is the Census approximation of one, not a Postal Service boundary.

People and households

American Community Survey 2019–2023 five-year estimates

Population27,356
Median age38.4
Family households60.5%
Born outside the US9%
Speaks a language other than English at home17.3%
White (non-Hispanic)74%
Black (non-Hispanic)0.8%
Asian (non-Hispanic)1.1%
Hispanic or Latino19.3%
Veterans7.7%
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$61,963
Income per person$30,234
Poverty rate17%
Households on SNAP or cash assistance23.3%

Household income distribution

Under $10k5.7%
$10–15k4.8%
$15–20k4.4%
$20–25k4.9%
$25–30k6.3%
$30–35k5.1%
$35–40k2.8%
$40–45k3.8%
$45–50k4.1%
$50–60k6.7%
$60–75k9.6%
$75–100k14.8%
$100–125k9.3%
$125–150k7.0%
$150–200k5.6%
$200k or more5.0%

Income as declared to the IRS

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

Tax returns filed11,920
Mean adjusted gross income$61,726
Returns declaring $200,000 or more2.9%
Returns, under $25k26.8%
Returns, $25k–$50k29.9%
Returns, $50k–$75k17.5%
Returns, $75k–$100k10.3%
Returns, $100k–$200k12.6%
Returns, $200k or more2.9%
Housing

American Community Survey 2019–2023 five-year estimates

Median home value$285,700
Median gross rent$1,068
Rent as a share of household income31.7%
Owner-occupied64.9%
Vacant homes4.4%
Median year built1976

What the homes are

Detached house58.2%
Attached house3.8%
2 to 4 units8.9%
5 to 19 units4.6%
20 or more units7.8%
Mobile home16.5%
Boat, RV or van0.2%
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$399,474as of 2026-07
Typical home value, 1 yearup 0.7%
Typical home value, 5 yearsup 16.1%
Typical home value, 10 yearsup 139.1%
Typical asking rent$1,300as of 2026-07
Typical asking rent, 1 yearup 6.8%
Typical home value since 2000
200020132026$399,474$103,545

$103,545 in 2000 to $399,474 in 2026.

Work, commuting and education

American Community Survey 2019–2023 five-year estimates

Unemployment rate4.9%
Bachelor's degree or higher21.1%
High school diploma or higher87.7%
Works from home5.6%
Drives to work alone73.1%
Takes public transport1%
Commutes 45 minutes or more17.8%
Health

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

Obesity39.5% 6.1 pts above the national average of 33.4%
Diagnosed diabetes12.2% same as the national average of 12%
Currently smokes15% 1.8 pts above the national average of 13.2%
High blood pressure35.5% 1.4 pts above the national average of 34.1%
Fair or poor general health22.2% 1.9 pts above the national average of 20.3%
No health insurance (18–64)11.4% same as the national average of 11.3%
Depression27.3% 5.4 pts above the national average of 21.9%
No leisure-time physical activity23.8% 1.6 pts below the national average of 25.4%
Arthritis29.8% 4.7 pts above the national average of 25.1%
Binge drinking16% same as the national average of 16%
Taking blood pressure medication72.9% 1.8 pts below the national average of 74.7%
Cancer (non-skin)8.9% 1.2 pts above the national average of 7.7%
Current asthma11.6% 1.2 pts above the national average of 10.4%
Coronary heart disease7.1% 0.9 pts above the national average of 6.2%
Routine check-up in past year67.3% 9.4 pts below the national average of 76.7%
Cholesterol screening80.7% 5.2 pts below the national average of 85.9%
Cognitive disability17.4% 2.6 pts above the national average of 14.8%
Colorectal screening62.2% 2.1 pts below the national average of 64.3%
COPD7.8% 1.2 pts above the national average of 6.6%
Visited a dentist56.6% 4.7 pts below the national average of 61.3%
Any disability35% 4.3 pts above the national average of 30.7%
Hearing disability8.8% 2.1 pts above the national average of 6.7%
High cholesterol37.6% 1.4 pts above the national average of 36.2%
Independent living disability9.9% 1.5 pts above the national average of 8.4%
Mammography use66% 9.9 pts below the national average of 75.9%
Poor mental health (14+ days)18.9% 2.1 pts above the national average of 16.8%
Mobility disability15.5% 1.5 pts above the national average of 14%
Poor physical health (14+ days)16.6% 3.1 pts above the national average of 13.5%
Self-care disability4.6% 0.6 pts above the national average of 4%
Sleeps under 7 hours37.6% 1.2 pts above the national average of 36.4%
Stroke4% 0.6 pts above the national average of 3.4%
All natural teeth lost14.8% 1.8 pts above the national average of 13%
Vision disability5.9% same as the national average of 5.6%
Business and employment

Census ZIP Code Business Patterns 2022

Business establishments712
People employed9,844
Annual payroll$470,886,000
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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 89.7% of US census tracts
FEMA ratingRelatively Low to Very High across the 12 census tracts this ZIP code covers
Expected annual loss89.1 out of 100
Community resilience38.9 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.

Volcanic activity93.3Relatively Low at its worst in this ZIP code
Earthquake92Very High at its worst in this ZIP code
Landslide91.1Relatively High at its worst in this ZIP code
River flooding90.5Very High at its worst in this ZIP code
Wildfire73.6Relatively Low at its worst in this ZIP code
Avalanche71.1Relatively Moderate at its worst in this ZIP code
Heat wave68.9Relatively Moderate at its worst in this ZIP code
Winter weather37.5Relatively Moderate at its worst in this ZIP code
Strong wind32.8Relatively Low at its worst in this ZIP code
Ice storm31.4Relatively Low at its worst in this ZIP code
Lightning28.9Relatively Low at its worst in this ZIP code
Tornado21.2Relatively Low at its worst in this ZIP code
Drought17.1Very Low at its worst in this ZIP code
Hail15.2Very Low at its worst in this ZIP code
Cold wave2.1Very 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$61,963$94,952$78,538
Income per person$30,234$51,493$43,289
Poverty rate17%9.9%12.4%
Median home value$285,700$519,800$303,400
Median gross rent$1,068$1,682$1,348
Homeownership64.9%63.9%65%
Bachelor's degree or higher21.1%38.8%35%
Unemployment rate4.9%5%5.2%
Works from home5.6%17.7%13.5%
Born outside the US9%15.1%13.9%
Median age38.438.238.7
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 stationCENTRALIA, WA US1.2 km away
Rain in a year42 in

Average high and low by month

January46.1°F / 34.2°F5.85 in rain
February49.5°F / 33.9°F4.24 in rain
March54.1°F / 35.9°F4.39 in rain
April59.5°F / 39.1°F3.24 in rain
May66.6°F / 44.4°F2.44 in rain
June71.1°F / 49.1°F1.53 in rain
July77.5°F / 52.9°F0.5 in rain
August78.2°F / 52.8°F0.84 in rain
September72.6°F / 48.4°F1.59 in rain
October61.1°F / 42.7°F4 in rain
November50.7°F / 37.1°F6.53 in rain
December45°F / 33.9°F6.44 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 supermarket15% of this ZIP code's area
Far from a supermarket21% of this ZIP code's area
No vehicle and far from a supermarket22% of this ZIP code's area
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%.

This ZIP code is served by 2 school districts, so the address decides which one, not the ZIP code.

Centralia School District91.1% of this ZIP code's land area
Rochester School District7.7% 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 vulnerability52more vulnerable than 52% of US census tracts
Socioeconomic status49more vulnerable than 49% of US census tracts
Household characteristics62more vulnerable than 62% of US census tracts
Racial and ethnic minority status28more vulnerable than 28% of US census tracts
Housing type and transport55more vulnerable than 55% of US census tracts
Walkability4.7 out of 20Least walkable
Nearby ZIP codes

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

98544 Galvin, WA5 km away
98532 Chehalis, WA9.6 km away
98530 Bucoda, WA10.9 km away
98579 Rochester, WA11.9 km away
98522 Adna, WA12.8 km away
98565 Napavine, WA17.3 km away
98589 Tenino, WA17.9 km away
98556 Littlerock, WA20.1 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.

Lewis County79.2% of this ZIP code's land area
Thurston County20.8% of this ZIP code's land area
Time zonePacific (UTC-08:00 standard)
Daylight saving timeObserved
Land area129.16 sq mi
Water area1.48 sq mi
Population density212 people per sq mi
Latitude, longitude46.7246, -122.9671

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.

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