98502 ZIP Code, Olympia, WA
98502 is a ZIP code in Olympia, Washington in Thurston County. It covers 63 square miles of land. The closest ZIP codes are 98505, 98506 and 98512. 35,398 people live here in 14,791 households. With about 558 people per square mile it is lightly settled, and owners and renters are mixed (57% own). Median household income is $92,207, close to the Washington median of $98,141.
Quick facts
- Mailing city: Olympia, WA
- County: Thurston County
- Land area: 63 sq mi
- Population: 35,398
- Median household income: $92,207
- Carrier routes: 22 (16,010 homes)
Key figures
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Residents | 35,398 |
| Households | 14,791 |
| Median household income | $92,207 |
| Income per person | $49,344 |
| Median age | 40.6 |
| Homeowners | 57.4% |
| Median home value | $537,200 |
| Median rent | $1,689 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 52.0% |
| Average commute (minutes) | 23.1 |
| Households with kids under 18 | 26.0% |
| Moved in the past year | 14.9% |
| Below the poverty line | 13.3% |
| Broadband internet | 93.4% |
| Speak a non-English language at home | 10.0% |
Household income
| % of households | Value |
|---|---|
| <$10K | 6.1% |
| $10–15K | 3.0% |
| $15–25K | 4.8% |
| $25–35K | 4.2% |
| $35–50K | 8.2% |
| $50–75K | 15.5% |
| $75–100K | 13.0% |
| $100–150K | 21.1% |
| $150–200K | 11.9% |
| $200K+ | 12.3% |
Age
| % of all residents | Value |
|---|---|
| <10 | 10.8% |
| 10–19 | 10.9% |
| 20–24 | 5.5% |
| 25–34 | 15.2% |
| 35–44 | 15.2% |
| 45–54 | 10.0% |
| 55–64 | 11.8% |
| 65–74 | 11.8% |
| 75+ | 8.8% |
Tenure
| % of housing units | Value |
|---|---|
| Owned, with mortgage | 37.2% |
| Owned outright | 17.6% |
| Rented | 39.7% |
| Vacant | 5.5% |
Type of building
| % of housing units | Value |
|---|---|
| Detached house | 59.3% |
| Townhome | 5.6% |
| 2–4 units | 10.0% |
| 5–19 units | 10.9% |
| 20+ units | 10.4% |
| Mobile / other | 3.9% |
Businesses in 98502
1,090 business establishments with 13,319 employees (ZIP Codes Business Patterns 2023).
- Health Care and Social Assistance: 209
- Retail Trade: 178
- Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services: 157
- Other Services (except Public Administration): 103
- Accommodation and Food Services: 84
- Construction: 80
- Finance and Insurance: 68
- Real Estate and Rental and Leasing: 60
EDDM carrier routes
98502 has 22 USPS carrier routes with 16,010 residential and 978 business mailboxes. Open the EDDM route map.
Carrier routes in 98502
98502 has 22 USPS carrier routes (17 city (C), 5 rural (R)) with 16,010 residential and 978 business mailboxes. Routes range from 457 homes (C070) to 1,319 homes (C085); the median route has 651 homes. The Census counted 14,791 households in 98502 (2020–2024 average); USPS counts current mailboxes, including new and vacant homes.
| Homes per route | Routes |
|---|---|
| 1–249 | 0 |
| 250–499 | 3 |
| 500–749 | 11 |
| 750–999 | 5 |
| 1,000–1,499 | 3 |
| 1,500+ | 0 |
Best routes in 98502 for…
Most businesses
For B2B offers: office supplies, cleaning, IT, catering and commercial services.
- Route C076 — USPS business mailboxes 231, 867 homes
- Route C078 — USPS business mailboxes 169, 868 homes
- Route C084 — USPS business mailboxes 151, 672 homes
- Route C094 — USPS business mailboxes 124, 532 homes
- Route C096 — USPS business mailboxes 74, 1,062 homes
Select these 5 routes on the route map
Every carrier route in 98502
| Route | Type | Homes | Businesses | Est. median income | Est. owners | Est. families with kids | Est. moved in past year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C070 | City | 457 | 16 | $70,047 | — | — | — |
| C071 | City | 518 | 43 | $94,510 | — | — | — |
| C074 | City | 552 | 3 | $112,789 | — | — | — |
| C075 | City | 482 | 0 | $183,354 | — | — | — |
| C076 | City | 867 | 231 | $50,760 | — | — | — |
| C078 | City | 868 | 169 | $50,760 | — | — | — |
| C079 | City | 542 | 1 | $150,000 | — | — | — |
| C083 | City | 680 | 9 | $102,302 | — | — | — |
| C084 | City | 672 | 151 | $50,760 | — | — | — |
| C085 | City | 1,319 | 12 | $70,047 | — | — | — |
| C087 | City | 892 | 23 | $88,199 | — | — | — |
| C090 | City | 852 | 12 | $116,295 | — | — | — |
| C091 | City | 469 | 19 | $70,047 | — | — | — |
| C092 | City | 929 | 10 | $150,000 | — | — | — |
| C094 | City | 532 | 124 | $70,047 | — | — | — |
| C095 | City | 1,269 | 10 | $50,760 | — | — | — |
| C096 | City | 1,062 | 74 | $108,584 | — | — | — |
| R001 | Rural | 665 | 1 | $108,005 | — | — | — |
| R014 | Rural | 636 | 5 | $131,949 | — | — | — |
| R020 | Rural | 546 | 2 | $113,014 | — | — | — |
| R027 | Rural | 600 | 41 | $89,477 | — | — | — |
| R031 | Rural | 601 | 22 | $104,673 | — | — | — |
Income, owners, families and movers are estimates for each route (how we estimate them); mailbox counts are current USPS figures. Open 98502 on the EDDM route map.
How route demographics are estimated
Mailbox counts come from USPS; demographics are estimates
The number of homes and businesses on each carrier route is the current USPS EDDM count. The Census Bureau does not publish figures for carrier routes, so income, homeownership, ages, families, movers and housing age on a route are EDDM2GO estimates built from Census block groups (neighborhood areas of roughly 600 to 3,000 people).
How a route gets its figures: the block-group length-share method
We trace each route's streets every 25 meters and record which block group each stretch falls in. The route's homes are spread along its streets in proportion to length, so a route with 60% of its street length in one block group is assumed to have 60% of its homes there. Each block group then contributes its Census counts in proportion to the share of its housing units that sit on the route (capped at the whole block group). Medians are recalculated from the combined income, home-value and age brackets, the way the Census Bureau computes them, not averaged.
Margins of error
Census survey figures carry a margin of error at 90% confidence; we carry it through the calculation and show it as ±. Our margins treat the route-to-block-group split as exact, so the real uncertainty is larger. Routes with fewer than 100 estimated households, large margins, or streets we could not place are flagged.
Different years
USPS mailbox counts are current. Census figures are 5-year averages for 2020–2024, so a new subdivision may have more homes on the route today than the Census counted. Use the route figures to compare routes with each other, not as an exact head count.
Why some routes show identical figures
Two routes that run through the same block group get the same percentages and medians, because the Census publishes one set of figures for the whole block group. Their mailbox counts still differ, and those are exact.
Route and mailbox counts: USPS EDDM route data. Route demographics: EDDM2GO estimates from U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year block-group data (2020–2024) and 2024 cartographic block-group boundaries. This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Nearby ZIP codes
- 98505 (2.5 mi)
- 98506 — Olympia city, WA (7.5 mi)
- 98512 — Tumwater city, WA (8.9 mi)
- 98501 — Tumwater city, WA (10 mi)
- 98516 — Lacey city, WA (11.3 mi)
- 98503 — Lacey city, WA (11.6 mi)
- 98557 — McCleary city, WA (11.8 mi)
- 98584 — Skokomish CDP, WA (12.5 mi)
Areas that include 98502
- Olympia, WA ZIP codes — 6 ZIP codes
- Thurston County ZIP codes — 15 ZIP codes
- Washington ZIP code data
Where it ranks
- No. 2 of 12: highest median home value in Thurston County
- No. 4 of 12: highest share of residents who moved in during the past year in Thurston County
- No. 5 of 12: highest median age in Thurston County
- No. 5 of 6: highest median household income in Olympia, WA
- No. 2 of 6: highest median home value in Olympia, WA
- No. 5 of 6: highest share of households with children in Olympia, WA
- No. 3 of 6: highest share of residents who moved in during the past year in Olympia, WA
- No. 4 of 6: lowest median age in Olympia, WA
- No. 2 of 6: highest median age in Olympia, WA
Mail every home in 98502
Route counts on this page price as Full Service 6.5 × 9 postcards: we print, bundle by carrier route and hand the mailing to USPS. Prefer to take it to the Post Office yourself? Print only costs less and you pay postage at drop-off.
EDDM guides
ZIP code statistics describe the Census ZIP Code Tabulation Area (ZCTA) 98502, which approximates the USPS ZIP code area. Census figures: American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024.
Frequently asked questions
- What city is 98502 in?
- 98502 is a Olympia, WA mailing address. By land area, 10% lies inside Olympia; the rest is outside any Census-defined city or community.
- What county is 98502 in?
- 98502 is in Thurston County.
- What is the population of 98502?
- About 35,398 people (±1,840), according to the Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-year estimates for 2020–2024. The 2020 Census counted 35,698.
- What is the median household income in 98502?
- $92,207 (±$5,812), compared with $98,141 for Washington as a whole. Half the households in the ZIP code earn more and half earn less.
- How many carrier routes and mailboxes are in 98502?
- 22 USPS carrier routes with 16,010 residential and 978 business mailboxes (16,990 in all), from the route data stored by EDDM2GO. An EDDM mailing can target any combination of these routes.
- What ZIP codes are near 98502?
- The closest, measured center to center: 98505 (2.5 mi), 98506 (7.5 mi, Olympia), 98512 (8.9 mi, Tumwater), 98501 (10 mi, Tumwater), 98516 (11.3 mi, Lacey) and 98503 (11.6 mi, Lacey).
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.