ZIP Code 98403 — Tacoma city, WA Demographics & Data

ZIP code 98403 covers Tacoma, WA in Pierce County with a population of about 8,586.

At a glance, the area shows median age of 38.4 (near the U.S. median).

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 university of puget sound (1.0 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 98403 is about $86,179 — about 15% above the U.S. median ($75,149).

On socioeconomic markers, US5 shows a poverty rate of 7.4%; unemployment rate near 2.8%; 64.4% of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher (about 30.7 points above the national share (33.7%)).

Labor and commute patterns include leading industry context around Professional services, Education, and Healthcare; about 20.8% of workers reporting work-from-home (about 5.6 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 $737,100 — about 112% above the U.S. median home value ($348,079).

Housing tenure and rents show median gross rent around $1,306 (about 12% above the U.S. median rent ($1,163)), and owner-occupancy near 40.0% (about 25.4 points below the national owner-occupancy rate (65.4%)).

To comfortably buy a median-priced home in ZIP 98403 in Tacoma, WA, a household would need roughly $203,000 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 $4,735. That is about 136% above the local median household income ($86,179), 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 461 for ZIP 98403 (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.