ZIP Code 98532 — Chehalis city, WA Demographics & Data

ZIP code 98532 covers Chehalis, WA in Lewis County with a population of about 26,531.

At a glance, the area shows median age of 42.5 versus a U.S. median of about 38.9.

It sits in telephone area codes 360, 564; U.S. House district WA-3; the SEATTLE - TACOMA media market.

Median household income in ZIP 98532 is about $86,057 — about 15% above the U.S. median ($75,149).

On socioeconomic markers, US5 shows a poverty rate of 9.8%; unemployment rate near 5.5%; 23.6% of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher (about 10.1 points below the national share (33.7%)).

Labor and commute patterns include leading industry context around Retail trade, Healthcare, and Transportation; about 10.6% of workers reporting work-from-home (about 4.6 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 $381,700 — about 10% above the U.S. median home value ($348,079).

Housing tenure and rents show median gross rent around $919 (about 21% below the U.S. median rent ($1,163)), and owner-occupancy near 77.4% (about 12.0 points above the national owner-occupancy rate (65.4%)).

To comfortably buy a median-priced home in ZIP 98532 in Chehalis, WA, a household would need roughly $105,000 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 $2,452. That is about 22% above the local median household income ($86,057), 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 Chehalis city, WA as Relatively Moderate (composite score 89.7), which is elevated versus much of the country. The strongest component scores on US5 are flood (90.9) and wildfire (76.7). 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 Chehalis city, WA show little to no average snow and around 41.6 inches of annual precipitation.

IRS migration statistics show a net inflow of about 1,425 for ZIP 98532 (Chehalis 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.