28635 ZIP Code — Hays, NC

Wilkes County, North Carolina

ZIP code 28635 is located in Hays, North Carolina, within Wilkes County. It covers approximately 56.75 square miles and serves a population of 3,346 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 336.

About ZIP code 28635

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 $120,300. Owner-occupancy is high at 92%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $41,123. 49% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with manufacturing as the leading industry. The average commute of 27 minutes is near the national average.

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

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (26%) compared to national benchmarks.

Overall, ZIP code 28635 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

3,346

population

56.75

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

28635 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 28635

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 28635. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Hays	Acceptable
Hays	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

28649 Mc Grady (4.7 mi) 28685 Traphill (5.4 mi) 28668 Roaring Gap (6.8 mi) 28651 Millers Creek (10 mi) 28627 Glade Valley (10 mi) 28675 Sparta (10.4 mi) 28669 Roaring River (10.6 mi) 28644 Laurel Springs (10.8 mi) 28683 Thurmond (11.8 mi) 28659 North Wilkesboro (12 mi) 28656 North Wilkesboro (12.2 mi) 28697 Wilkesboro (13.7 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	3,346
Population density	59 / sq mi
State FIPS	37
County FIPS	193

Geography
Land area	56.75 sq mi
Water area	0.00 sq mi
Latitude	36.3345
Longitude	-81.1237
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	59.3%	56.2%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	32.1%	29.4%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	8.6%	12.0%	19.1%
Over $200k	0.0%	2.5%	6.0%

Demographics & statistics

3,346

Population

People per sq mi

55.5

Median age

$41,123

Median household income

$24,867

Per capita income

$120,300

Median home value

$854

Median monthly rent

91.6%

Home ownership

13.3%

Poverty rate

1.8%

Unemployment

1,579

Housing units

6.6%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

105

5–9

10–14

15–19

20–24

25–34

175

35–44

160

154

45–54

141

186

55–59

169

248

60–64

227

266

65–74

242

150

75–84

137

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	616	18.4%
18 and over	2,730	81.6%
65 and over	900	26.9%
Median age	55.5 years

Race & ethnicity

White 84.2%

Hispanic or Latino 6.9%

Two or more races 6.5%

American Indian / Alaska Native 1.1%

Black or African American 0.9%

Other race 0.4%

Group	Count	%
White	3,024	84.2%
Hispanic or Latino	247	6.9%
Two or more races	235	6.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native	40	1.1%
Black or African American	33	0.9%
Other race	14	0.4%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	59.3%	56.2%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	32.1%	29.4%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	8.6%	12.0%	19.1%
Over $200k	0.0%	2.5%	6.0%

Under $10k 3.1%

$10k–$15k 6.3%

$15k–$25k 9.5%

$25k–$35k 11.5%

$35k–$50k 26.3%

$50k–$75k 14.7%

$75k–$100k 17.5%

$100k–$150k 7.5%

$150k–$200k 3.7%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	3.1%
$10k–$15k	6.3%
$15k–$25k	9.5%
$25k–$35k	11.5%
$35k–$50k	26.3%
$50k–$75k	14.7%
$75k–$100k	17.5%
$100k–$150k	7.5%
$150k–$200k	3.7%
Median income	$41,123

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 20.7%

$50k–$100k 15.9%

$100k–$150k 31.0%

$150k–$200k 13.9%

$200k–$300k 14.6%

$300k–$500k 1.4%

$500k–$1M 2.4%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$120,300
Median rent / month	$854
Owner occupied	91.6%
Renter occupied	8.4%
Vacant	15.8%
Single-family detached	65.0%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	34.4%
Median rooms	5.3
Avg household size (owned)	2.25

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.9%
2010–2019	4.3%
2000–2009	9.2%
1990–1999	31.3%
1980–1989	14.1%
1970–1979	22.1%
1960–1969	6.5%
1950–1959	1.7%
1940–1949	4.9%
1939 or earlier	5.1%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.0%
1 bedroom	0.0%
2 bedrooms	31.8%
3 bedrooms	56.6%
4 bedrooms	9.8%
5+ bedrooms	1.8%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	6.6%
1 vehicle	27.6%
2 vehicles	34.5%
3 or more	31.3%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	3.5%
Electricity	54.4%
Propane / LP gas	14.7%
Fuel oil	5.8%
Wood	18.9%
No fuel used	1.0%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	993	69.4%
Cohabiting couple	25	1.7%
Male householder, no spouse	190	13.3%
Female householder, no spouse	223	15.6%
Households with children under 18	427	29.8%
Households with seniors (65+)	629	44.0%
Average household size	2.34

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	9.1%	12.0%
Married	76.2%	74.2%
Separated	0.0%	3.0%
Widowed	4.3%	8.1%
Divorced	10.4%	2.6%

Education

Less than 9th grade 9.4%

Some HS, no diploma 16.4%

HS graduate 34.5%

Some college, no degree 21.4%

Associate's degree 11.7%

Bachelor's degree 3.9%

Graduate / professional 2.7%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	74.1%
Bachelor's or higher	6.6%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	43	8.2%
Kindergarten	49	9.4%
Elementary school	298	57.0%
High school	81	15.5%
College / grad school	52	9.9%

Employment

Industry of employment

Manufacturing 35.3%

Education & healthcare 19.0%

Other services 13.7%

Retail trade 7.0%

Arts, food & hospitality 5.6%

Professional & management 4.7%

Wholesale trade 3.5%

Agriculture & mining 3.2%

Public administration 3.0%

Information 2.4%

Finance & real estate 1.4%

Construction 1.2%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	31.4%
Service	17.3%
Sales & office	18.4%
Natural resources & construction	13.1%
Production & transportation	19.7%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	79.8%
Government	7.0%
Self-employed	12.9%
Unpaid family workers	0.3%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	86.9%
Carpool	4.5%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	2.0%
Work from home	6.6%
Other means	0.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	27.2

Poverty

All people 13.3%

Under 18 years 24.4%

18 and over 11.0%

Married-couple families 3.4%

Female-led households 100.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	48.8%
Retirement income	27.1%
Supplemental Security	7.5%
Cash public assistance	4.6%
Food stamps / SNAP	14.3%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	39.8%
High blood pressure	36.7%
High cholesterol	37.4%
Diabetes	12.3%
Heart disease	8.2%
Stroke	4.1%
Asthma	10.1%
Arthritis	29.7%
Kidney disease	3.6%
Pulmonary disease	10.7%
Cancer	6.8%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	26.2%
Binge drinking	15.8%
No physical activity	28.3%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	32.7%
Depression	26.6%
Fair or poor health	19.0%
Poor mental health	16.8%
Poor physical health	14.0%
No health insurance	20.0%
Visited doctor (checkup)	77.4%
Visited dentist	57.2%
Cholesterol screening	87.2%
Teeth loss	21.0%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	164	6.0%

Disability	%
Any disability	19.2%
Under 18	4.4%
18–64 years	9.6%
65 and over	49.1%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	60.6%
Public insurance	50.9%
No insurance	4.6%
Uninsured under 19	1.4%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	3,166	94.6%
Spanish	9	0.3%
Other Indo-European	9	0.3%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	3,219	96.2%
Born in same state	3,219	96.2%
Born in different state	2,887	86.3%
Foreign born	0	0.0%
Naturalized citizen	127	3.8%
Not a US citizen	0	0.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	591	17.7%
French	309	9.2%

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	294	8.8%
Polish	94	2.8%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	42.8%
Internet access	84.3%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 28635

What city is ZIP code 28635 in?

ZIP code 28635 is primarily assigned to Hays, North Carolina.

What county is ZIP code 28635 in?

ZIP code 28635 falls within Wilkes County, North Carolina.

Is ZIP code 28635 mostly owner-occupied?

92% of occupied units in ZIP code 28635 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

Does ZIP code 28635 have an older population?

27% of residents in ZIP code 28635 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 28635?

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

Does ZIP code 28635 have a large retiree population?

49% of households in ZIP code 28635 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What timezone is ZIP code 28635 in?

ZIP code 28635 observes the EST timezone.