ZIP Code 98579 — Rochester CDP, WA Demographics & Data

ZIP code 98579 covers Rochester, WA in Thurston County with a population of about 13,907.

At a glance, the area shows median age of 41.8 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 98579 is about $94,284 — about 25% above the U.S. median ($75,149).

On socioeconomic markers, US5 shows a poverty rate of 10.1%; unemployment rate near 4.0%; 19.1% of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher (about 14.6 points below the national share (33.7%)).

Labor and commute patterns include leading industry context around Retail trade, Public administration, and Manufacturing; about 14.0% of workers reporting work-from-home (about 1.2 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 $405,500 — about 16% above the U.S. median home value ($348,079).

Housing tenure and rents show median gross rent around $1,123 (about 3% below the U.S. median rent ($1,163)), and owner-occupancy near 82.1% (about 16.7 points above the national owner-occupancy rate (65.4%)).

To comfortably buy a median-priced home in ZIP 98579 in Rochester, WA, a household would need roughly $112,000 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 $2,605. That is about 19% above the local median household income ($94,284), 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 Rochester CDP, WA as Relatively High (composite score 94.5), which is among the highest nationally. The strongest component scores on US5 are flood (90.8) and wildfire (57.1). 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 Rochester CDP, WA show little to no average snow and around 41.6 inches of annual precipitation.

IRS migration statistics show a net inflow of about 747 for ZIP 98579 (Rochester CDP, 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.