Downtown Tacoma's 98402 ZIP code drew more movers per capita than any other ZIP code in Washington state in August, outpacing every Seattle neighborhood on the list.

The ranking comes from MovingPlace, a moving-data firm that tracks millions of residential relocations nationwide. The Tacoma News Tribune first reported the Washington state results Oct. 16, based on MovingPlace's September 2026 report covering August moves.

Five of the state's top 10 ZIP codes were in Seattle, including South Lake Union (98109), Belltown (98121), downtown Seattle (98101), Ballard (98107) and the Central District/Capitol Hill area (98122). None topped Tacoma's downtown core.

The top three Washington ZIP codes each recorded more than nine moves per 1,000 residents in August, according to the News Tribune. Nationally, 98402 ranked 48th with 9.9 moves per 1,000 residents, according to MovingPlace's report.

It is not the first time 98402 has led the state. In March, the same ZIP code topped Washington's list with 6.53 moves per 1,000 residents, according to Secret Seattle, which reported on the March data. The August rate of 9.9 represents a significant jump.

One caveat: MovingPlace counts all moves with a destination in a ZIP code, including relocations within the same ZIP. The metric captures total moving activity, not strictly newcomers arriving from elsewhere.

Housing and rent context

The News Tribune described the 98402 area as having "a mix of historic architecture and modern living spaces." The downtown housing stock ranges from Victorian and Craftsman homes along the hillside to newer condos and townhomes, according to the real estate site MoveToTacoma.

Tacoma's citywide median rent sits at $1,670 a month, compared with $2,088 in Seattle, a gap of $418, according to Apartment List's October 2026 report. On the Eastside, Bellevue runs $2,440 and Kirkland $2,460.

Median home values in the 98402 area were about $531,300 as of the March data, according to Secret Seattle. That figure sits well below much of the Seattle metro.

National picture

Nearly 900,000 moves took place across the United States in August, MovingPlace reported. The national leaders were Aurora, Colo. (17.7 moves per 1,000 residents) and Fort Leavenworth, Kan. (17.1). No Washington ZIP code cracked the national top 47.

A MovingPlace representative said in an Oct. 12 news release that the per-capita approach "allows smaller or less densely populated areas with unusually high migration activity to stand out as truly hot ZIP codes."

MovingPlace's next monthly report will show whether 98402 holds the top spot through the fall moving season.