Rochester is a community in Thurston County, Washington, home to about 5,834 people across 8.5 square miles. Its ZIP code is 98579.
Homes sold for a median of $300 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a balanced market.
Mostly Rochester; also Grand Mound
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Rochester. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
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| Nearest major airport | Seattle–Tacoma International Airport (SEA)55 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Olympia Regional Airport (OLM)12 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Seattle, WA64 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Rochester; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Rochester had 6,064 residents in the 2020 census, up 232% since 2000.
It’s the 185th largest of 628 towns in Washington by population.
Thurston County grew from 9,927 residents in 1900 to 294,793 in 2020.
Thurston County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 78°F in summer, and winter lows average 34°F. About 41.4 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Centralia, WA weather station (8 miles away).
86,664 jobs at 6,656 businesses in Thurston County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
22 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Rochester.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 1 |
|---|---|
| Dentists | 1 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 8 |
| Mental health providers | 9 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 1 |
| Chiropractors | 2 |
| Pharmacies | 2 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Parks (1 nearby)
Grocery stores
Pharmacies
Counts are within about 2 miles of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Established in 1852.
Source: Wikidata (wikidata.org), the free knowledge base; people are listed by place of birth.
Public schools here are run by Rochester School District. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rochester Primary SchoolRochester | Pre-K–2 | 488 | Public | 1.7 mi |
| Grand Mound ElementaryRochester | 3–5 | 507 | Public | 1.7 mi |
| Rochester Middle SchoolRochester | 6–8 | 535 | Public | 2.4 mi |
| H.e.a.r.t. High SchoolRochester | 9–12 | 37 | Alternative Education | 2.7 mi |
| Rochester High SchoolRochester | 9–12 | 608 | Public | 1.4 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Shares ZIP codes with Grand Mound.
Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.