27217 ZIP Code — Burlington, NC

Alamance County, North Carolina

ZIP code 27217 is located in Burlington, North Carolina, within Alamance County. It covers approximately 123.21 square miles and serves a population of 40,036 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 336.

About ZIP code 27217

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1950s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $142,100. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 64%.

Median household income is $50,450. Poverty affects 19% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 21% of households reflects economic stress in the area.

The dominant occupation class is sales and office, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 27 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 15% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (23%) compared to national benchmarks.

Overall, ZIP code 27217 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, economic challenges above the national average, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

40,036

population

123.21

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

27217 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 27217

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 27217. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Burlington	Acceptable
Burlington	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

27244 Elon (6 mi) 27302 Mebane (8 mi) 27231 Cedar Grove (11.7 mi) 27258 Haw River (11.8 mi) 27249 Gibsonville (11.8 mi) 27314 Prospect Hill (11.8 mi) 27379 Yanceyville (12.3 mi) 27243 Efland (14.1 mi) 27215 Burlington (14.1 mi) 27214 Browns Summit (16.5 mi) 27253 Graham (16.9 mi) 27291 Leasburg (17 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	40,036
Population density	325 / sq mi
State FIPS	37
County FIPS	001

Geography
Land area	123.21 sq mi
Water area	3.60 sq mi
Latitude	36.2089
Longitude	-79.3791
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	336

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	55.6%	47.7%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	29.7%	30.5%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	13.9%	18.7%	19.1%
Over $200k	0.8%	3.1%	6.0%

Demographics & statistics

40,036

Population

325

People per sq mi

36.2

Median age

$50,450

Median household income

$23,610

Per capita income

$142,100

Median home value

$832

Median monthly rent

64.3%

Home ownership

18.8%

Poverty rate

6.9%

Unemployment

11,210

Housing units

15.0%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

1,267

Under 5

1,333

1,317

5–9

1,386

1,724

10–14

1,814

1,549

15–19

1,631

1,053

20–24

1,109

2,557

25–34

2,691

2,356

35–44

2,479

2,575

45–54

2,711

1,242

55–59

1,308

1,006

60–64

1,058

1,832

65–74

1,928

726

75–84

764

302

85+

318

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	10,866	27.1%
18 and over	29,170	72.9%
65 and over	5,870	14.7%
Median age	36.2 years

Race & ethnicity

White 41%

Black or African American 26.4%

Hispanic or Latino 14.7%

Other race 12.3%

Two or more races 5.1%

Asian 0.3%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%

Group	Count	%
White	19,215	41%
Black or African American	12,389	26.4%
Hispanic or Latino	6,887	14.7%
Other race	5,760	12.3%
Two or more races	2,399	5.1%
Asian	159	0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native	114	0.2%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	55.6%	47.7%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	29.7%	30.5%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	13.9%	18.7%	19.1%
Over $200k	0.8%	3.1%	6.0%

Under $10k 6.3%

$10k–$15k 4.8%

$15k–$25k 10.7%

$25k–$35k 12.7%

$35k–$50k 15.2%

$50k–$75k 18.5%

$75k–$100k 12.7%

$100k–$150k 14.4%

$150k–$200k 3.5%

$200k+ 1.2%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	6.3%
$10k–$15k	4.8%
$15k–$25k	10.7%
$25k–$35k	12.7%
$35k–$50k	15.2%
$50k–$75k	18.5%
$75k–$100k	12.7%
$100k–$150k	14.4%
$150k–$200k	3.5%
$200k+	1.2%
Median income	$50,450

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 12.1%

$50k–$100k 20.4%

$100k–$150k 20.7%

$150k–$200k 16.6%

$200k–$300k 20.1%

$300k–$500k 6.0%

$500k–$1M 3.2%

$1M+ 0.7%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$142,100
Median rent / month	$832
Owner occupied	64.3%
Renter occupied	35.7%
Vacant	12.2%
Single-family detached	70.7%
Large apartment buildings	0.3%
Mobile homes	16.2%
Median rooms	5.2
Avg household size (owned)	2.88

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.4%
2010–2019	6.3%
2000–2009	10.7%
1990–1999	15.1%
1980–1989	10.6%
1970–1979	13.8%
1960–1969	14.6%
1950–1959	16.0%
1940–1949	4.6%
1939 or earlier	7.9%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.5%
1 bedroom	5.8%
2 bedrooms	33.0%
3 bedrooms	52.1%
4 bedrooms	6.2%
5+ bedrooms	2.4%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	6.0%
1 vehicle	28.6%
2 vehicles	35.8%
3 or more	29.5%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	37.3%
Electricity	52.8%
Propane / LP gas	7.5%
Fuel oil	0.8%
Wood	1.1%
No fuel used	0.2%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	6,225	43.4%
Cohabiting couple	936	6.5%
Male householder, no spouse	2,581	18.0%
Female householder, no spouse	4,587	32.0%
Households with children under 18	5,265	36.7%
Households with seniors (65+)	4,054	28.3%
Average household size	2.75

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	41.7%	37.1%
Married	45.3%	38.6%
Separated	1.9%	3.0%
Widowed	4.0%	8.8%
Divorced	7.1%	12.5%

Education

Less than 9th grade 8.8%

Some HS, no diploma 9.6%

HS graduate 34.2%

Some college, no degree 23.2%

Associate's degree 9.1%

Bachelor's degree 11.4%

Graduate / professional 3.6%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	81.6%
Bachelor's or higher	15.0%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	334	3.3%
Kindergarten	527	5.2%
Elementary school	4,852	48.0%
High school	2,762	27.3%
College / grad school	1,636	16.2%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 21.2%

Retail trade 15.3%

Manufacturing 15.0%

Construction 10.0%

Arts, food & hospitality 8.6%

Professional & management 8.3%

Transportation & utilities 5.5%

Other services 5.2%

Finance & real estate 4.1%

Wholesale trade 3.7%

Public administration 2.2%

Information 0.7%

Agriculture & mining 0.4%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	23.7%
Service	17.4%
Sales & office	23.8%
Natural resources & construction	12.9%
Production & transportation	22.1%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	85.2%
Government	8.6%
Self-employed	6.1%
Unpaid family workers	0.1%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	81.5%
Carpool	14.2%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.1%
Work from home	3.8%
Other means	0.4%
Avg commute (minutes)	26.7

Poverty

All people 18.8%

Under 18 years 27.1%

18 and over 15.7%

Married-couple families 6.7%

Female-led households 34.3%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	28.3%
Retirement income	26.2%
Supplemental Security	4.1%
Cash public assistance	4.9%
Food stamps / SNAP	21.2%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	40.9%
High blood pressure	40.7%
High cholesterol	34.5%
Diabetes	14.4%
Heart disease	7.6%
Stroke	4.5%
Asthma	10.3%
Arthritis	28.2%
Kidney disease	3.8%
Pulmonary disease	8.5%
Cancer	6.2%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	23.1%
Binge drinking	13.6%
No physical activity	30.6%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	34.7%
Depression	23.1%
Fair or poor health	20.3%
Poor mental health	15.8%
Poor physical health	13.3%
No health insurance	24.8%
Visited doctor (checkup)	79.9%
Visited dentist	54.4%
Cholesterol screening	88.7%
Teeth loss	21.7%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	1,532	5.3%

Disability	%
Any disability	12.9%
Under 18	1.6%
18–64 years	12.0%
65 and over	38.2%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	52.4%
Public insurance	43.1%
No insurance	14.0%
Uninsured under 19	4.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	37,436	93.5%
Spanish	3,781	10.1%
Other Indo-European	3,675	9.8%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	76	0.2%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	35,028	87.5%
Born in same state	34,854	87.1%
Born in different state	28,614	71.5%
Foreign born	174	0.4%
Naturalized citizen	5,008	12.5%
Not a US citizen	1,585	31.6%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	2,870	7.2%
Arab	2,540	6.3%
Italian	1,414	3.5%
English	206	0.5%
Irish	44	0.1%

Ancestry	Count	%
German	25	0.1%
Dutch	21	0.1%
Polish	20	0%
Norwegian	17	0%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	35.8%
Internet access	92.9%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 27217

What city is ZIP code 27217 in?

ZIP code 27217 is primarily assigned to Burlington, North Carolina.

What county is ZIP code 27217 in?

ZIP code 27217 falls within Alamance County, North Carolina.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 27217?

19% of residents in ZIP code 27217 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 27217?

The median home value in ZIP code 27217 is $142,100.

What is the population of ZIP code 27217?

ZIP code 27217 has an estimated population of 40,036 residents, with a density of 325 people per square mile.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 27217?

The median household income in ZIP code 27217 is $50,450, below the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 27217 in?

ZIP code 27217 observes the EST timezone.