ZIP Code 98266 — Peaceful Valley CDP, WA Demographics & Data

ZIP code 98266 covers Peaceful Valley, WA in Whatcom County with a population of about 4,198.

At a glance, the area shows median age of 42.4 versus a U.S. median of about 38.9.

It sits in telephone area codes 360, 564; U.S. House district WA-2; the SEATTLE - TACOMA media market.

Median household income in ZIP 98266 is about $53,115 — about 29% below the U.S. median ($75,149).

On socioeconomic markers, US5 shows a poverty rate of 18.1%; unemployment rate near 8.0%; 12.0% of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher (about 21.7 points below the national share (33.7%)).

Labor and commute patterns include leading industry context around Retail trade, Construction, and Healthcare; about 9.7% of workers reporting work-from-home (about 5.5 points below the U.S. share (15.2%)); a mean commute of about 180.0 minutes (U.S. average near 26.8).

Median home value is about $358,300 — about 3% above the U.S. median home value ($348,079).

Housing tenure and rents show median gross rent around $961 (about 17% below the U.S. median rent ($1,163)), and owner-occupancy near 74.3% (about 8.9 points above the national owner-occupancy rate (65.4%)).

To comfortably buy a median-priced home in ZIP 98266 in Peaceful Valley, WA, a household would need roughly $99,000 in annual income under a 20% down, 30-year loan at 6.8% (illustrative), keeping housing costs near 28% of income. Estimated monthly PITI is about $2,302. That is about 86% above the local median household income ($53,115), so the median earner would likely stretch or need a larger down payment. Rates, taxes, insurance, and HOA fees vary — treat this as a planning estimate, not a lender quote.

FEMA’s National Risk Index rates natural-hazard risk for Peaceful Valley CDP, WA as Relatively Moderate (composite score 91.0), which is among the highest nationally. The strongest component scores on US5 are flood (88.9) and wildfire (61.7). These scores are county-linked NRI values published for planning context — all ZIP codes in the same county share the same composite score on US5. Useful when comparing insurance and disaster exposure across areas, not a substitute for a parcel-level flood or fire determination.

Climate normals for Peaceful Valley CDP, WA show little to no average snow and around 49.9 inches of annual precipitation.

IRS migration statistics show a net inflow of about 225 for ZIP 98266 (Peaceful Valley CDP, WA) on US5’s published series — a signal of people/tax filers moving in relative to those leaving. Inflows often track job growth, housing demand, or lifestyle migration; treat the figure as a directional indicator rather than a precise headcount.