28636 ZIP Code — Hiddenite, NC

Alexander County, North Carolina

ZIP code 28636 is located in Hiddenite, North Carolina, within Alexander County. It covers approximately 57.78 square miles and serves a population of 4,926 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 704.

About ZIP code 28636

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 $148,500. Owner-occupancy is high at 75%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $65,371. Poverty affects 19% of residents, above the national average. 40% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is production, transportation, and material moving, with manufacturing as the leading industry. The average commute of 29 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 12% 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 28636 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, economic challenges above the national average, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

4,926

population

57.78

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

28636 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 28636

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 28636. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Hiddenite	Acceptable
Hiddenite	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

28678 Stony Point (6.7 mi) 28681 Taylorsville (8 mi) 28654 Moravian Falls (9.9 mi) 28625 Statesville (10 mi) 28689 Union Grove (10.8 mi) 28660 Olin (11.3 mi) 28610 Claremont (14.6 mi) 28697 Wilkesboro (15 mi) 28613 Conover (16 mi) 28659 North Wilkesboro (16.1 mi) 28656 North Wilkesboro (16.1 mi) 28634 Harmony (16.3 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	4,926
Population density	85 / sq mi
State FIPS	37
County FIPS	003

Geography
Land area	57.78 sq mi
Water area	0.16 sq mi
Latitude	35.9360
Longitude	-81.0600
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	704

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	55.1%	48.3%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	30.8%	31.7%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	12.4%	16.7%	19.1%
Over $200k	1.7%	3.3%	6.0%

Demographics & statistics

4,926

Population

People per sq mi

41.4

Median age

$65,371

Median household income

$28,177

Per capita income

$148,500

Median home value

$731

Median monthly rent

75.2%

Home ownership

18.5%

Poverty rate

8.9%

Unemployment

1,556

Housing units

11.8%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

126

Under 5

115

5–9

121

10–14

111

185

15–19

171

192

20–24

177

379

25–34

349

360

35–44

332

406

45–54

374

55–59

170

60–64

156

263

65–74

242

144

75–84

133

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	872	17.7%
18 and over	4,054	82.3%
65 and over	890	18.1%
Median age	41.4 years

Race & ethnicity

White 82.4%

Two or more races 11.3%

Black or African American 3.3%

Hispanic or Latino 2.4%

Other race 0.6%

Group	Count	%
White	4,159	82.4%
Two or more races	569	11.3%
Black or African American	169	3.3%
Hispanic or Latino	121	2.4%
Other race	29	0.6%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	55.1%	48.3%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	30.8%	31.7%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	12.4%	16.7%	19.1%
Over $200k	1.7%	3.3%	6.0%

Under $10k 2.1%

$10k–$15k 7.6%

$15k–$25k 9.2%

$25k–$35k 6.0%

$35k–$50k 14.9%

$50k–$75k 23.3%

$75k–$100k 13.6%

$100k–$150k 14.0%

$150k–$200k 7.5%

$200k+ 1.8%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	2.1%
$10k–$15k	7.6%
$15k–$25k	9.2%
$25k–$35k	6.0%
$35k–$50k	14.9%
$50k–$75k	23.3%
$75k–$100k	13.6%
$100k–$150k	14.0%
$150k–$200k	7.5%
$200k+	1.8%
Median income	$65,371

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 14.6%

$50k–$100k 13.5%

$100k–$150k 22.4%

$150k–$200k 3.8%

$200k–$300k 26.4%

$300k–$500k 6.5%

$500k–$1M 12.0%

$1M+ 0.8%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$148,500
Median rent / month	$731
Owner occupied	75.2%
Renter occupied	24.8%
Vacant	8.5%
Single-family detached	64.8%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	33.6%
Median rooms	5.6
Avg household size (owned)	2.55

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	6.0%
2000–2009	20.1%
1990–1999	21.9%
1980–1989	13.5%
1970–1979	16.0%
1960–1969	8.3%
1950–1959	2.7%
1940–1949	8.0%
1939 or earlier	3.4%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.4%
1 bedroom	3.2%
2 bedrooms	26.3%
3 bedrooms	47.5%
4 bedrooms	18.1%
5+ bedrooms	4.5%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	4.0%
1 vehicle	15.9%
2 vehicles	30.6%
3 or more	49.5%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	6.5%
Electricity	73.4%
Propane / LP gas	4.7%
Fuel oil	4.9%
Wood	10.3%
No fuel used	0.3%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	1,022	55.5%
Cohabiting couple	83	4.5%
Male householder, no spouse	299	16.2%
Female householder, no spouse	437	23.7%
Households with children under 18	556	30.2%
Households with seniors (65+)	666	36.2%
Average household size	2.67

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	30.6%	26.7%
Married	53.4%	50.5%
Separated	2.1%	2.8%
Widowed	0.0%	11.5%
Divorced	14.0%	8.5%

Education

Less than 9th grade 4.2%

Some HS, no diploma 13.7%

HS graduate 38.9%

Some college, no degree 18.9%

Associate's degree 12.5%

Bachelor's degree 8.8%

Graduate / professional 3.1%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	82.2%
Bachelor's or higher	11.8%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	14	2.1%
Kindergarten	20	3.0%
Elementary school	360	53.9%
High school	200	29.9%
College / grad school	74	11.1%

Employment

Industry of employment

Manufacturing 27.2%

Retail trade 14.0%

Education & healthcare 13.3%

Construction 10.9%

Other services 9.3%

Arts, food & hospitality 7.3%

Public administration 5.7%

Professional & management 5.0%

Agriculture & mining 3.0%

Wholesale trade 2.4%

Transportation & utilities 1.6%

Information 0.3%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	22.5%
Service	15.2%
Sales & office	15.4%
Natural resources & construction	12.4%
Production & transportation	34.4%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	72.7%
Government	14.9%
Self-employed	11.6%
Unpaid family workers	0.8%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	79.7%
Carpool	14.7%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.0%
Work from home	3.4%
Other means	2.2%
Avg commute (minutes)	29.1

Poverty

All people 18.5%

Under 18 years 30.7%

18 and over 16.0%

Married-couple families 10.2%

Female-led households 41.6%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	40.2%
Retirement income	19.7%
Supplemental Security	5.3%
Cash public assistance	2.0%
Food stamps / SNAP	7.2%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	34.6%
High blood pressure	33.6%
High cholesterol	35.2%
Diabetes	10.8%
Heart disease	7.1%
Stroke	3.4%
Asthma	9.4%
Arthritis	26.5%
Kidney disease	3.1%
Pulmonary disease	8.2%
Cancer	6.5%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	22.6%
Binge drinking	16.2%
No physical activity	24.4%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	33.0%
Depression	24.2%
Fair or poor health	15.4%
Poor mental health	15.3%
Poor physical health	11.8%
No health insurance	20.1%
Visited doctor (checkup)	76.7%
Visited dentist	60.8%
Cholesterol screening	88.5%
Teeth loss	16.6%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	273	6.7%

Disability	%
Any disability	17.5%
Under 18	8.6%
18–64 years	13.7%
65 and over	39.9%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	62.6%
Public insurance	41.2%
No insurance	13.6%
Uninsured under 19	7.7%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	4,685	95.1%
Spanish	148	3.2%
Other Indo-European	132	2.8%
Asian & Pacific Islander	16	0.3%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	4,844	98.3%
Born in same state	4,753	96.5%
Born in different state	3,445	69.9%
Foreign born	91	1.8%
Naturalized citizen	82	1.7%
Not a US citizen	15	18.3%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	1,089	22.1%
French	954	19.4%

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	571	11.6%
German	6	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	37.4%
Internet access	91.5%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 28636

What city is ZIP code 28636 in?

ZIP code 28636 is primarily assigned to Hiddenite, North Carolina.

What county is ZIP code 28636 in?

ZIP code 28636 falls within Alexander County, North Carolina.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 28636?

12% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — below the national average of ~33%, consistent with a trades-oriented local economy.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 28636?

19% of residents in ZIP code 28636 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

Does ZIP code 28636 have a large retiree population?

40% of households in ZIP code 28636 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 28636?

The median home value in ZIP code 28636 is $148,500.

What timezone is ZIP code 28636 in?

ZIP code 28636 observes the EST timezone.