What city is 98597 in?

98597 is a Yelm, WA mailing address. By land area, 4% lies inside Yelm and 3% lies inside North Yelm; the rest is outside any Census-defined city or community.

What is the population of 98597?

About 26,669 people (±1,574), according to the Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-year estimates for 2020–2024. The 2020 Census counted 27,233.

What is the median household income in 98597?

$92,219 (±$5,919), 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 98597?

12 USPS carrier routes with 9,174 residential and 213 business mailboxes (9,386 in all), from the route data stored by EDDM2GO. An EDDM mailing can target any combination of these routes.

What ZIP codes are near 98597?

The closest, measured center to center: 98558 (7.1 mi, McKenna), 98576 (7.4 mi, Rainier), 98580 (9.9 mi, South Creek), 98533 (13.5 mi), 98589 (14.3 mi, Tenino) and 98513 (15.3 mi, Nisqually Indian Community).

98597 ZIP Code, Yelm, WA

98597 is a ZIP code in Yelm, Washington in Thurston County. It covers 111 square miles of land. The closest ZIP codes are 98558, 98576 and 98580. 26,669 people live here in 9,715 households. With about 240 people per square mile it is lightly settled, and most homes are owner-occupied (78%). Median household income is $92,219, close to the Washington median of $98,141.

Quick facts

Mailing city: Yelm, WA
County: Thurston County
Land area: 111 sq mi
Population: 26,669
Median household income: $92,219
Carrier routes: 12 (9,174 homes)

Key figures

Measure	Value
Residents	26,669
Households	9,715
Median household income	$92,219
Income per person	$39,279
Median age	36.7
Homeowners	78.2%
Median home value	$447,600
Median rent	$1,638
Bachelor's degree or higher	24.1%
Average commute (minutes)	36.2
Households with kids under 18	33.9%
Moved in the past year	14.2%
Below the poverty line	7.8%
Broadband internet	93.4%
Speak a non-English language at home	9.2%

Household income

% of households	Value
<$10K	4.9%
$10–15K	2.3%
$15–25K	3.0%
$25–35K	2.2%
$35–50K	6.1%
$50–75K	19.0%
$75–100K	17.4%
$100–150K	26.2%
$150–200K	11.1%
$200K+	7.7%

Age

% of all residents	Value
<10	13.3%
10–19	12.8%
20–24	7.0%
25–34	13.9%
35–44	15.3%
45–54	13.1%
55–64	11.9%
65–74	8.6%
75+	4.1%

Tenure

% of housing units	Value
Owned, with mortgage	57.1%
Owned outright	16.2%
Rented	20.3%
Vacant	6.4%

Type of building

% of housing units	Value
Detached house	76.5%
Townhome	2.2%
2–4 units	2.2%
5–19 units	2.0%
20+ units	2.6%
Mobile / other	14.5%

Businesses in 98597

394 business establishments with 3,654 employees (ZIP Codes Business Patterns 2023).

Construction: 82
Retail Trade: 55
Health Care and Social Assistance: 42
Accommodation and Food Services: 40
Other Services (except Public Administration): 40
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services: 31
Finance and Insurance: 22
Real Estate and Rental and Leasing: 19

EDDM carrier routes

98597 has 12 USPS carrier routes with 9,174 residential and 213 business mailboxes. Open the EDDM route map.

Carrier routes in 98597

98597 has 12 USPS carrier routes (12 rural (R)) with 9,174 residential and 213 business mailboxes. Routes range from 612 homes (R007) to 880 homes (R012); the median route has 759 homes. The Census counted 9,715 households in 98597 (2020–2024 average); USPS counts current mailboxes, including new and vacant homes.

Homes per route	Routes
1–249	0
250–499	0
500–749	4
750–999	8
1,000–1,499	0
1,500+	0

Best routes in 98597 for…

Most businesses

For B2B offers: office supplies, cleaning, IT, catering and commercial services.

Route R011 — USPS business mailboxes 88, 755 homes
Route R012 — USPS business mailboxes 40, 880 homes
Route R013 — USPS business mailboxes 30, 755 homes
Route R003 — USPS business mailboxes 28, 860 homes
Route R010 — USPS business mailboxes 9, 763 homes

Select these 5 routes on the route map

Every carrier route in 98597

Route	Type	Homes	Businesses	Est. median income	Est. owners	Est. families with kids	Est. moved in past year
R001	Rural	697	0	$81,570	—	—	—
R002	Rural	673	2	$88,630	—	—	—
R003	Rural	860	28	$99,875	—	—	—
R004	Rural	820	2	$91,120	—	—	—
R005	Rural	721	5	$151,569	—	—	—
R006	Rural	807	4	$91,120	—	—	—
R007	Rural	612	4	$88,630	—	—	—
R008	Rural	831	1	$84,027	—	—	—
R010	Rural	763	9	$90,342	—	—	—
R011	Rural	755	88	$90,342	—	—	—
R012	Rural	880	40	$99,875	—	—	—
R013	Rural	755	30	$151,569	—	—	—

Income, owners, families and movers are estimates for each route (how we estimate them); mailbox counts are current USPS figures. Open 98597 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

98558 — McKenna CDP, WA (7.1 mi)
98576 — Rainier city, WA (7.4 mi)
98580 — South Creek CDP, WA (9.9 mi)
98533 (13.5 mi)
98589 — Tenino city, WA (14.3 mi)
98513 — Nisqually Indian Community CDP, WA (15.3 mi)
98328 — Clear Lake CDP, WA (15.6 mi)
98387 — Spanaway CDP, WA (15.8 mi)

Areas that include 98597

Yelm, WA ZIP codes — 2 ZIP codes
North Yelm, WA ZIP codes — 1 ZIP code
Thurston County ZIP codes — 15 ZIP codes
Washington ZIP code data

Where it ranks

Mail every home in 98597

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) 98597, which approximates the USPS ZIP code area. Census figures: American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024.

Frequently asked questions

What city is 98597 in?: 98597 is a Yelm, WA mailing address. By land area, 4% lies inside Yelm and 3% lies inside North Yelm; the rest is outside any Census-defined city or community.
What county is 98597 in?: 98597 is in Thurston County.
What is the population of 98597?: About 26,669 people (±1,574), according to the Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-year estimates for 2020–2024. The 2020 Census counted 27,233.
What is the median household income in 98597?: $92,219 (±$5,919), 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 98597?: 12 USPS carrier routes with 9,174 residential and 213 business mailboxes (9,386 in all), from the route data stored by EDDM2GO. An EDDM mailing can target any combination of these routes.
What ZIP codes are near 98597?: The closest, measured center to center: 98558 (7.1 mi, McKenna), 98576 (7.4 mi, Rainier), 98580 (9.9 mi, South Creek), 98533 (13.5 mi), 98589 (14.3 mi, Tenino) and 98513 (15.3 mi, Nisqually Indian Community).

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.