27938 ZIP Code — Gatesville, NC

Gates County, North Carolina

ZIP code 27938 is located in Gatesville, North Carolina, within Gates County. It covers approximately 51.08 square miles and serves a population of 1,764 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 252.

About ZIP code 27938

The housing stock consists of a higher-than-average concentration of mobile homes. Most homes were built in the 1990s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $112,100. Owner-occupancy is high at 88%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $58,281. 37% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is service, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. An above-average commute of 41 minutes suggests many residents work outside the immediate area.

College attainment at 7% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Notable community characteristics include a notable veteran presence at 12% of civilians, above the national average of 7%; and disability rates above the national average at 29%.

Overall, ZIP code 27938 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, a strong veteran community, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

1,764

population

51.08

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

27938 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 27938

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 27938. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Gatesville	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

27946 Hobbsville (4.8 mi) 27942 Harrellsville (6.7 mi) 27979 Sunbury (8.1 mi) 27935 Eure (8.7 mi) 27922 Cofield (8.9 mi) 27937 Gates (9.1 mi) 27980 Tyner (10.1 mi) 27926 Corapeake (10.6 mi) 27919 Belvidere (12.1 mi) 27986 Winton (12.5 mi) 23438 Suffolk (14.9 mi) 27924 Colerain (16.5 mi)

Demographics updated 06/2026

Population
Total population	1,764
Population density	35 / sq mi
State FIPS	37
County FIPS	073

Geography
Land area	51.08 sq mi
Water area	2.68 sq mi
Latitude	36.3780
Longitude	-76.7128
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	252

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 06/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	70.3%	52.3%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	24.2%	29.5%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	3.8%	16.3%	19.1%
Over $200k	1.8%	1.9%	6.0%

Demographics & statistics

1,764

Population

People per sq mi

53.4

Median age

$58,281

Median household income

$25,895

Per capita income

$112,100

Median home value

$1,076

Median monthly rent

88.3%

Home ownership

13.9%

Poverty rate

7.9%

Unemployment

772

Housing units

6.8%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

15–19

20–24

25–34

35–44

114

45–54

102

55–59

206

60–64

184

65–74

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	196	11.1%
18 and over	1,568	88.9%
65 and over	326	18.5%
Median age	53.4 years

Race & ethnicity

White 40.5%

Black or African American 40.4%

Hispanic or Latino 9.4%

Two or more races 9.4%

Asian 0.3%

Group	Count	%
White	789	40.5%
Black or African American	787	40.4%
Hispanic or Latino	182	9.4%
Two or more races	182	9.4%
Asian	6	0.3%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	70.3%	52.3%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	24.2%	29.5%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	3.8%	16.3%	19.1%
Over $200k	1.8%	1.9%	6.0%

Under $10k 0.5%

$10k–$15k 9.9%

$15k–$25k 9.7%

$25k–$35k 8.2%

$35k–$50k 19.6%

$50k–$75k 18.3%

$75k–$100k 19.2%

$100k–$150k 13.5%

$150k–$200k 0.8%

$200k+ 0.3%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	0.5%
$10k–$15k	9.9%
$15k–$25k	9.7%
$25k–$35k	8.2%
$35k–$50k	19.6%
$50k–$75k	18.3%
$75k–$100k	19.2%
$100k–$150k	13.5%
$150k–$200k	0.8%
$200k+	0.3%
Median income	$58,281

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 37.8%

$50k–$100k 7.5%

$100k–$150k 28.6%

$150k–$200k 11.1%

$200k–$300k 8.2%

$300k–$500k 6.7%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$112,100
Median rent / month	$1,076
Owner occupied	88.3%
Renter occupied	11.7%
Vacant	12.2%
Single-family detached	37.1%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	59.5%
Median rooms	5.2
Avg household size (owned)	2.21

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	12.0%
2000–2009	19.1%
1990–1999	28.6%
1980–1989	16.2%
1970–1979	6.2%
1960–1969	3.7%
1950–1959	3.8%
1940–1949	3.1%
1939 or earlier	7.3%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.0%
1 bedroom	0.0%
2 bedrooms	19.1%
3 bedrooms	69.0%
4 bedrooms	8.4%
5+ bedrooms	3.6%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	1.3%
1 vehicle	15.2%
2 vehicles	57.0%
3 or more	26.5%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	7.3%
Electricity	71.7%
Propane / LP gas	16.8%
Fuel oil	0.5%
Wood	0.1%
No fuel used	3.6%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	419	55.5%
Cohabiting couple	44	5.8%
Male householder, no spouse	61	8.1%
Female householder, no spouse	231	30.6%
Households with children under 18	171	22.6%
Households with seniors (65+)	226	29.9%
Average household size	2.25

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	32.8%	16.7%
Married	55.1%	52.4%
Separated	1.0%	2.9%
Widowed	1.5%	17.9%
Divorced	9.6%	10.1%

Education

Less than 9th grade 1.4%

Some HS, no diploma 2.5%

HS graduate 50.0%

Some college, no degree 33.2%

Associate's degree 6.0%

Bachelor's degree 3.5%

Graduate / professional 3.3%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	96.1%
Bachelor's or higher	6.8%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	10	5.4%
Kindergarten	3	1.6%
Elementary school	110	59.8%
High school	46	25.0%
College / grad school	15	8.2%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 30.2%

Professional & management 22.3%

Manufacturing 9.0%

Retail trade 8.8%

Construction 5.2%

Wholesale trade 5.1%

Other services 4.9%

Agriculture & mining 3.6%

Finance & real estate 3.5%

Transportation & utilities 3.4%

Public administration 2.2%

Arts, food & hospitality 1.6%

Information 0.2%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	19.9%
Service	40.2%
Sales & office	13.1%
Natural resources & construction	9.1%
Production & transportation	17.8%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	67.7%
Government	11.9%
Self-employed	20.4%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	91.8%
Carpool	5.6%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.6%
Work from home	1.2%
Other means	0.7%
Avg commute (minutes)	40.6

Poverty

All people 13.9%

Under 18 years 10.7%

18 and over 14.3%

Married-couple families 2.6%

Female-led households 0.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	37.0%
Retirement income	18.3%
Supplemental Security	4.1%
Cash public assistance	2.4%
Food stamps / SNAP	4.8%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	40.3%
High blood pressure	43.0%
High cholesterol	36.1%
Diabetes	14.9%
Heart disease	7.9%
Stroke	4.5%
Asthma	9.7%
Arthritis	29.9%
Kidney disease	3.8%
Pulmonary disease	7.5%
Cancer	7.3%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	19.0%
Binge drinking	13.0%
No physical activity	26.6%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	36.6%
Depression	20.0%
Fair or poor health	17.0%
Poor mental health	13.6%
Poor physical health	11.7%
No health insurance	18.5%
Visited doctor (checkup)	82.4%
Visited dentist	60.9%
Cholesterol screening	92.0%
Teeth loss	17.0%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	181	11.5%

Disability	%
Any disability	28.5%
Under 18	0.5%
18–64 years	24.9%
65 and over	63.8%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	61.7%
Public insurance	45.6%
No insurance	8.4%
Uninsured under 19	0.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	1,730	98.1%
Spanish	0	0.0%
Other Indo-European	0	0.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	1,680	95.2%
Born in same state	1,680	95.2%
Born in different state	1,011	57.3%
Foreign born	0	0.0%
Naturalized citizen	84	4.8%
Not a US citizen	0	0.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	115	6.5%
Arab	107	6.1%

Ancestry	Count	%
French	102	5.8%
Irish	36	2%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	42.8%
Internet access	87.4%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 27938

What city is ZIP code 27938 in?

ZIP code 27938 is primarily assigned to Gatesville, North Carolina.

What county is ZIP code 27938 in?

ZIP code 27938 falls within Gates County, North Carolina.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 27938?

7% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — below the national average of ~33%, consistent with a trades-oriented local economy.

Is ZIP code 27938 mostly owner-occupied?

88% of occupied units in ZIP code 27938 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

Does ZIP code 27938 have a large veteran population?

12% of civilians in ZIP code 27938 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

Does ZIP code 27938 have a large retiree population?

37% of households in ZIP code 27938 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What timezone is ZIP code 27938 in?

ZIP code 27938 observes the EST timezone.