ZIP Code 98368 — Port Townsend city, WA Demographics & Data

ZIP code 98368 covers Port Townsend, WA in Jefferson County with a population of about 17,401.

At a glance, the area shows median age of 59.5 versus a U.S. median of about 38.9.

It sits in telephone area codes 360, 564; U.S. House district WA-6; the SEATTLE - TACOMA media market.

Port Townsend, WA fits a retirement-oriented profile (high share of residents 65+ (40.1%)). Residents and relocators commonly research healthcare access, everyday amenities (dining, personal services), and housing costs rather than tech or campus life.

Median household income in ZIP 98368 is about $67,061 — about 11% below the U.S. median ($75,149).

On socioeconomic markers, US5 shows a poverty rate of 12.8%; unemployment rate near 10.3%; 50.8% of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher (about 17.1 points above the national share (33.7%)).

Labor and commute patterns include leading industry context around Healthcare, Retail trade, and Professional services; about 24.6% of workers reporting work-from-home (about 9.4 points above 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 $511,900 — about 47% above the U.S. median home value ($348,079).

Housing tenure and rents show median gross rent around $1,184 (about even with the U.S. median rent ($1,163)), and owner-occupancy near 75.6% (about 10.2 points above the national owner-occupancy rate (65.4%)).

To comfortably buy a median-priced home in ZIP 98368 in Port Townsend, WA, a household would need roughly $141,000 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 $3,288. That is about 110% above the local median household income ($67,061), 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 Port Townsend city, WA as Relatively Low (composite score 64.4), which is near the middle of the national distribution. The strongest component scores on US5 are flood (53.7) and wildfire (23.5). 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 Port Townsend city, WA show little to no average snow and around 19.1 inches of annual precipitation.

IRS migration statistics show a net inflow of about 935 for ZIP 98368 (Port Townsend city, 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.