ZIP Code 98402 — Tacoma city, WA Demographics & Data

ZIP code 98402 covers Tacoma, WA in Pierce County with a population of about 7,500.

At a glance, the area shows median age of 34.6 versus a U.S. median of about 38.9.

It sits in telephone area code 253; U.S. House district WA-6; the SEATTLE - TACOMA media market.

Tacoma, WA sits in a university / college context (near northwest college of art & design (0.2 mi)). Expect stronger interest in student housing, rentals, walkability, transit, and a younger adult age mix versus typical suburban ZIPs.

Median household income in ZIP 98402 is about $54,712 — about 27% below the U.S. median ($75,149).

On socioeconomic markers, US5 shows a poverty rate of 24.6%; unemployment rate near 8.6%; 43.9% of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher (about 10.2 points above the national share (33.7%)).

Labor and commute patterns include leading industry context around Healthcare, Retail trade, and Professional services; about 22.2% of workers reporting work-from-home (about 7.0 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 $558,100 — about 60% above the U.S. median home value ($348,079).

Housing tenure and rents show median gross rent around $1,316 (about 13% above the U.S. median rent ($1,163)), and owner-occupancy near 20.0% (about 45.4 points below the national owner-occupancy rate (65.4%)).

To comfortably buy a median-priced home in ZIP 98402 in Tacoma, WA, a household would need roughly $154,000 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 $3,585. That is about 181% above the local median household income ($54,712), 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 Tacoma city, WA as Relatively High (composite score 98.5), which is among the highest nationally. The strongest component scores on US5 are flood (96.2) and wildfire (76.8). 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 Tacoma city, WA show little to no average snow and around 40.8 inches of annual precipitation.

IRS migration statistics show a net inflow of about 403 for ZIP 98402 (Tacoma 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.