98506 ZIP Code, Olympia, WA
98506 is a ZIP code in Olympia, Washington in Thurston County. It covers 22 square miles of land. The closest ZIP codes are 98516, 98505 and 98503. 18,497 people live here in 8,610 households. With about 824 people per square mile it is lightly settled, and owners and renters are mixed (66% own). Median household income is $91,596, close to the Washington median of $98,141; the median age is 48.4, older than most ZIP codes.
Quick facts
- Mailing city: Olympia, WA
- County: Thurston County
- Land area: 22 sq mi
- Population: 18,497
- Median household income: $91,596
- Carrier routes: 14 (9,055 homes)
Key figures
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Residents | 18,497 |
| Households | 8,610 |
| Median household income | $91,596 |
| Income per person | $53,973 |
| Median age | 48.4 |
| Homeowners | 66.3% |
| Median home value | $490,900 |
| Median rent | $1,461 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 50.8% |
| Average commute (minutes) | 24.1 |
| Households with kids under 18 | 17.7% |
| Moved in the past year | 11.5% |
| Below the poverty line | 12.0% |
| Broadband internet | 95.2% |
| Speak a non-English language at home | 10.2% |
Household income
| % of households | Value |
|---|---|
| <$10K | 8.4% |
| $10–15K | 2.0% |
| $15–25K | 6.1% |
| $25–35K | 6.0% |
| $35–50K | 7.2% |
| $50–75K | 13.4% |
| $75–100K | 11.2% |
| $100–150K | 25.7% |
| $150–200K | 8.6% |
| $200K+ | 11.5% |
Age
| % of all residents | Value |
|---|---|
| <10 | 7.8% |
| 10–19 | 9.3% |
| 20–24 | 2.9% |
| 25–34 | 9.7% |
| 35–44 | 15.2% |
| 45–54 | 12.9% |
| 55–64 | 14.0% |
| 65–74 | 17.7% |
| 75+ | 10.5% |
Tenure
| % of housing units | Value |
|---|---|
| Owned, with mortgage | 41.8% |
| Owned outright | 22.1% |
| Rented | 30.5% |
| Vacant | 5.5% |
Type of building
| % of housing units | Value |
|---|---|
| Detached house | 65.9% |
| Townhome | 3.2% |
| 2–4 units | 3.9% |
| 5–19 units | 10.8% |
| 20+ units | 12.2% |
| Mobile / other | 4.0% |
Businesses in 98506
618 business establishments with 9,373 employees (ZIP Codes Business Patterns 2023).
- Health Care and Social Assistance: 198
- Other Services (except Public Administration): 72
- Construction: 63
- Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services: 56
- Retail Trade: 46
- Accommodation and Food Services: 41
- Real Estate and Rental and Leasing: 33
- Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services: 32
EDDM carrier routes
98506 has 14 USPS carrier routes with 9,055 residential and 537 business mailboxes. Open the EDDM route map.
Carrier routes in 98506
98506 has 14 USPS carrier routes (9 city (C), 5 rural (R)) with 9,055 residential and 537 business mailboxes. Routes range from 183 homes (C070) to 981 homes (C056); the median route has 635 homes. The Census counted 8,610 households in 98506 (2020–2024 average); USPS counts current mailboxes, including new and vacant homes.
| Homes per route | Routes |
|---|---|
| 1–249 | 1 |
| 250–499 | 1 |
| 500–749 | 9 |
| 750–999 | 3 |
| 1,000–1,499 | 0 |
| 1,500+ | 0 |
Best routes in 98506 for…
Most businesses
For B2B offers: office supplies, cleaning, IT, catering and commercial services.
- Route C068 — USPS business mailboxes 117, 870 homes
- Route C067 — USPS business mailboxes 102, 615 homes
- Route C059 — USPS business mailboxes 99, 863 homes
- Route C058 — USPS business mailboxes 94, 487 homes
- Route C070 — USPS business mailboxes 42, 183 homes
Select these 5 routes on the route map
Every carrier route in 98506
| Route | Type | Homes | Businesses | Est. median income | Est. owners | Est. families with kids | Est. moved in past year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C056 | City | 981 | 27 | $66,190 | — | — | — |
| C058 | City | 487 | 94 | $34,955 | — | — | — |
| C059 | City | 863 | 99 | $46,390 | — | — | — |
| C060 | City | 635 | 8 | $76,072 | — | — | — |
| C061 | City | 639 | 4 | $117,003 | — | — | — |
| C062 | City | 695 | 4 | $117,003 | — | — | — |
| C067 | City | 615 | 102 | $34,955 | — | — | — |
| C068 | City | 870 | 117 | $66,190 | — | — | — |
| C070 | City | 183 | 42 | $34,955 | — | — | — |
| R003 | Rural | 686 | 5 | $101,806 | — | — | — |
| R009 | Rural | 592 | 1 | $116,067 | — | — | — |
| R016 | Rural | 635 | 23 | $120,160 | — | — | — |
| R019 | Rural | 626 | 6 | $78,092 | — | — | — |
| R034 | Rural | 548 | 5 | $78,092 | — | — | — |
Income, owners, families and movers are estimates for each route (how we estimate them); mailbox counts are current USPS figures. Open 98506 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
- 98516 — Lacey city, WA (4.1 mi)
- 98505 (5.4 mi)
- 98503 — Lacey city, WA (6.9 mi)
- 98502 — Olympia city, WA (7.5 mi)
- 98351 — Longbranch CDP, WA (7.8 mi)
- 98501 — Tumwater city, WA (9 mi)
- 98303 — Anderson Island CDP, WA (9.3 mi)
- 98327 — DuPont city, WA (9.8 mi)
Areas that include 98506
- Olympia, WA ZIP codes — 6 ZIP codes
- Thurston County ZIP codes — 15 ZIP codes
- Washington ZIP code data
Where it ranks
- No. 4 of 12: highest median home value in Thurston County
- No. 1 of 12: highest median age in Thurston County
- No. 4 of 12: fastest population growth in Thurston County
- No. 4 of 6: highest median home value in Olympia, WA
- No. 3 of 6: highest share of owner-occupied homes in Olympia, WA
- No. 1 of 6: highest median age in Olympia, WA
- No. 3 of 6: fastest population growth in Olympia, WA
Mail every home in 98506
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) 98506, which approximates the USPS ZIP code area. Census figures: American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024.
Frequently asked questions
- What city is 98506 in?
- 98506 is a Olympia, WA mailing address. By land area, 15% lies inside Olympia; the rest is outside any Census-defined city or community.
- What county is 98506 in?
- 98506 is in Thurston County.
- What is the population of 98506?
- About 18,497 people (±1,125), according to the Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-year estimates for 2020–2024. The 2020 Census counted 19,198.
- What is the median household income in 98506?
- $91,596 (±$8,269), 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 98506?
- 14 USPS carrier routes with 9,055 residential and 537 business mailboxes (9,592 in all), from the route data stored by EDDM2GO. An EDDM mailing can target any combination of these routes.
- What ZIP codes are near 98506?
- The closest, measured center to center: 98516 (4.1 mi, Lacey), 98505 (5.4 mi), 98503 (6.9 mi, Lacey), 98502 (7.5 mi, Olympia), 98351 (7.8 mi, Longbranch) and 98501 (9 mi, Tumwater).
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.