ZIP Code 98626 — Kelso city, WA Demographics & Data

ZIP code 98626 covers Kelso, WA in Cowlitz County with a population of about 26,948.

At a glance, the area shows median age of 40.4 versus a U.S. median of about 38.9.

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

Median household income in ZIP 98626 is about $70,058 — about 7% below the U.S. median ($75,149).

On socioeconomic markers, US5 shows a poverty rate of 12.6%; unemployment rate near 7.1%; 14.8% of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher (about 18.9 points below the national share (33.7%)).

Labor and commute patterns include leading industry context around Healthcare, Manufacturing, and Retail trade; about 5.7% of workers reporting work-from-home (about 9.5 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 $339,800 — about even with the U.S. median home value ($348,079).

Housing tenure and rents show median gross rent around $904 (about 22% below the U.S. median rent ($1,163)), and owner-occupancy near 68.2% (about 2.8 points above the national owner-occupancy rate (65.4%)).

To comfortably buy a median-priced home in ZIP 98626 in Kelso, WA, a household would need roughly $94,000 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 $2,183. That is about 34% above the local median household income ($70,058), 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 Kelso city, WA as Relatively Moderate (composite score 90.3), which is among the highest nationally. The strongest component scores on US5 are flood (88.3) and wildfire (61.3). 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 Kelso city, WA show little to no average snow and around 48.1 inches of annual precipitation.

IRS migration statistics show a net inflow of about 1,447 for ZIP 98626 (Kelso 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.