Washington’s hottest ZIP codes in 2026 are clustered around the Seattle-Tacoma corridor, according to a recent migration report by MovingPlace. The company analyzed nearly 500,000 moves made in March to find which ZIP codes are attracting the most newcomers per capita. This metric is designed to spotlight places seeing unusually intense migration, even if they’re smaller neighborhoods.
Topping the list in Washington is Tacoma’s downtown core, ZIP code 98402, with 6.53 moves per capita. The area has become a magnet for people priced out of Seattle but still looking for city living, waterfront access, and an easier commute to major job centers. Median home prices there sit around $531,300, noticeably lower than much of the Seattle metro area.
Seattle claimed six spots in the state’s top 10, including downtown Seattle (98101) in second place behind downtown Tacoma. This zip code had 5.49 moves per capita. Despite the city’s high cost of living, people continue flocking to downtown for tech jobs, transit access, walkability, and the balance of urban life with easy access to Puget Sound and the mountains. The neighborhood remains especially popular with young professionals and remote workers.
Ranked at #3 is 98121, covering Belltown and parts of Denny Triangle, with 4.98 moves per capita. The neighborhood’s luxury apartments, nightlife, and proximity to employers like Amazon continue driving demand. Residents there also tend to be significantly wealthier than the national average, with median household income topping $152,000.
Outside of Seattle and Tacoma, the other hot zip codes in WA were in Black Diamond (a city 50 miles south of Seattle that was the fastest growing small city in King County in 2023), Vancouver (the fourth-most populous city in WA, located on the north bank of the Columbia River), and Ocean Park (a census-designated place on the Long Beach Peninsula).
The report also ranked the nation’s hottest ZIP codes by total move volume, and one Washington city made the cut: Redmond’s 98052 landed at No. 8 nationally with 227 moves. Home to Microsoft’s headquarters, Redmond appears to be riding another wave of tech-fueled migration into Seattle’s Eastside suburbs. Median household income there now exceeds $163,000, while median home prices have climbed past $1.1 million.
See the top 10 hottest WA zip codes below:
- 98402: Downtown Tacoma (6.53 moves per capita)
- 98101: Downtown Seattle (5.49 moves per capita)
- 98121: Seattle’s Belltown neighborhood (4.98 moves per capita)
- 98010: Black Diamond (4.88 moves per capita)
- 98109: Seattle’s South Lake Union, Uptown, and East Queen Anne neighborhoods (4.52 moves per capita)
- 98660: Vancouver (4.16 moves per capita)
- 98640: Ocean Park (4.11 moves per capita)
- 98107: Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood (4.09 moves per capita)
- 98104: Seattle’s Pioneer Square neighborhood (3.97 moves per capita)
- 98122: Seattle’s Central District, Capitol Hill, and Madrona neighborhoods (3.79 moves per capita)
