28659 ZIP Code — North Wilkesboro, NC

Wilkes County, North Carolina

ZIP code 28659 is located in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, within Wilkes County. It covers approximately 100.63 square miles and serves a population of 21,460 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 336.

About ZIP code 28659

The housing stock consists of a higher-than-average concentration of mobile homes. Most homes were built in the 1980s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $141,100. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 66%.

Median household income is $50,351. Poverty affects 19% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 20% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 45% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 25 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 16% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (24%) compared to national benchmarks.

Overall, ZIP code 28659 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, economic challenges above the national average, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

21,460

population

100.63

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

28659 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 28659

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 28659. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
North Wilkesboro	Acceptable
North Wilkesboro	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

28656 North Wilkesboro (4.8 mi) 28669 Roaring River (5.2 mi) 28697 Wilkesboro (5.7 mi) 28670 Ronda (7.8 mi) 28654 Moravian Falls (8.3 mi) 28635 Hays (12 mi) 28689 Union Grove (12 mi) 28685 Traphill (13 mi) 28649 Mc Grady (13.5 mi) 28651 Millers Creek (13.9 mi) 27020 Hamptonville (14.3 mi) 28642 Jonesville (14.4 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	21,460
Population density	213 / sq mi
State FIPS	37
County FIPS	193

Geography
Land area	100.63 sq mi
Water area	0.01 sq mi
Latitude	36.1683
Longitude	-81.0633
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	55.9%	56.2%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	31.3%	29.4%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	10.1%	12.0%	19.1%
Over $200k	2.7%	2.5%	6.0%

Demographics & statistics

21,460

Population

213

People per sq mi

43.5

Median age

$50,351

Median household income

$26,613

Per capita income

$141,100

Median home value

$732

Median monthly rent

65.8%

Home ownership

18.8%

Poverty rate

8.2%

Unemployment

6,612

Housing units

15.7%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

501

Under 5

487

710

5–9

689

573

10–14

557

649

15–19

630

762

20–24

739

1,111

25–34

1,078

1,397

35–44

1,356

1,618

45–54

1,570

693

55–59

673

661

60–64

641

1,370

65–74

1,330

637

75–84

619

208

85+

201

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	4,302	20.0%
18 and over	17,158	80.0%
65 and over	4,365	20.3%
Median age	43.5 years

Race & ethnicity

White 79.4%

Two or more races 6.4%

Hispanic or Latino 6.4%

Black or African American 5.2%

Other race 2.2%

Asian 0.2%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	18,210	79.4%
Two or more races	1,477	6.4%
Hispanic or Latino	1,465	6.4%
Black or African American	1,186	5.2%
Other race	509	2.2%
Asian	52	0.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native	26	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	55.9%	56.2%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	31.3%	29.4%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	10.1%	12.0%	19.1%
Over $200k	2.7%	2.5%	6.0%

Under $10k 6.6%

$10k–$15k 7.0%

$15k–$25k 9.5%

$25k–$35k 10.8%

$35k–$50k 15.5%

$50k–$75k 21.0%

$75k–$100k 14.1%

$100k–$150k 11.3%

$150k–$200k 2.2%

$200k+ 2.2%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	6.6%
$10k–$15k	7.0%
$15k–$25k	9.5%
$25k–$35k	10.8%
$35k–$50k	15.5%
$50k–$75k	21.0%
$75k–$100k	14.1%
$100k–$150k	11.3%
$150k–$200k	2.2%
$200k+	2.2%
Median income	$50,351

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 8.4%

$50k–$100k 18.0%

$100k–$150k 29.2%

$150k–$200k 15.2%

$200k–$300k 16.2%

$300k–$500k 9.6%

$500k–$1M 3.3%

$1M+ 0.2%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$141,100
Median rent / month	$732
Owner occupied	65.8%
Renter occupied	34.2%
Vacant	8.3%
Single-family detached	65.9%
Large apartment buildings	2.7%
Mobile homes	20.6%
Median rooms	5.3
Avg household size (owned)	2.43

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	2.3%
2000–2009	8.8%
1990–1999	12.3%
1980–1989	21.8%
1970–1979	18.3%
1960–1969	12.7%
1950–1959	9.9%
1940–1949	6.3%
1939 or earlier	7.7%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	1.0%
1 bedroom	7.9%
2 bedrooms	25.0%
3 bedrooms	54.9%
4 bedrooms	9.4%
5+ bedrooms	1.8%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	7.0%
1 vehicle	29.5%
2 vehicles	34.5%
3 or more	29.0%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	1.3%
Electricity	76.5%
Propane / LP gas	8.3%
Fuel oil	8.9%
Wood	4.2%
No fuel used	0.6%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	4,196	47.5%
Cohabiting couple	831	9.4%
Male householder, no spouse	1,409	15.9%
Female householder, no spouse	2,399	27.2%
Households with children under 18	2,341	26.5%
Households with seniors (65+)	3,104	35.1%
Average household size	2.37

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	29.6%	21.4%
Married	50.9%	49.5%
Separated	1.8%	3.4%
Widowed	5.8%	11.8%
Divorced	11.9%	13.8%

Education

Less than 9th grade 5.1%

Some HS, no diploma 16.8%

HS graduate 31.5%

Some college, no degree 18.3%

Associate's degree 12.7%

Bachelor's degree 10.8%

Graduate / professional 4.9%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	78.1%
Bachelor's or higher	15.7%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	171	4.0%
Kindergarten	213	4.9%
Elementary school	2,036	47.2%
High school	923	21.4%
College / grad school	975	22.6%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 24.3%

Retail trade 15.6%

Manufacturing 14.4%

Transportation & utilities 9.3%

Arts, food & hospitality 8.2%

Construction 6.6%

Professional & management 6.0%

Other services 4.5%

Finance & real estate 3.0%

Public administration 2.9%

Wholesale trade 2.5%

Agriculture & mining 2.1%

Information 0.7%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	29.1%
Service	19.1%
Sales & office	19.2%
Natural resources & construction	9.0%
Production & transportation	23.5%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	80.5%
Government	13.5%
Self-employed	5.3%
Unpaid family workers	0.6%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	81.7%
Carpool	9.3%
Public transit	0.1%
Walk	1.5%
Work from home	6.5%
Other means	0.9%
Avg commute (minutes)	25.3

Poverty

All people 18.8%

Under 18 years 31.0%

18 and over 15.7%

Married-couple families 4.8%

Female-led households 42.8%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	45.0%
Retirement income	20.2%
Supplemental Security	9.0%
Cash public assistance	2.4%
Food stamps / SNAP	19.5%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	39.8%
High blood pressure	38.1%
High cholesterol	37.9%
Diabetes	13.0%
Heart disease	8.6%
Stroke	4.4%
Asthma	9.9%
Arthritis	30.4%
Kidney disease	3.9%
Pulmonary disease	10.5%
Cancer	7.2%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	24.4%
Binge drinking	14.9%
No physical activity	29.1%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	32.6%
Depression	25.3%
Fair or poor health	19.5%
Poor mental health	16.0%
Poor physical health	14.0%
No health insurance	21.4%
Visited doctor (checkup)	78.4%
Visited dentist	57.3%
Cholesterol screening	88.1%
Teeth loss	21.0%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	1,194	7.0%

Disability	%
Any disability	20.7%
Under 18	7.1%
18–64 years	20.0%
65 and over	36.5%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	54.7%
Public insurance	46.3%
No insurance	13.2%
Uninsured under 19	1.4%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	20,472	95.4%
Spanish	402	2.0%
Other Indo-European	402	2.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	20,450	95.3%
Born in same state	20,340	94.8%
Born in different state	16,581	77.3%
Foreign born	110	0.5%
Naturalized citizen	1,010	4.7%
Not a US citizen	367	36.3%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	6,393	29.8%
French	2,244	10.5%
Italian	1,520	7.1%
English	116	0.5%

Ancestry	Count	%
Irish	34	0.2%
Polish	29	0.1%
German	26	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	41.2%
Internet access	90.1%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 28659

What city is ZIP code 28659 in?

ZIP code 28659 is primarily assigned to North Wilkesboro, North Carolina.

What county is ZIP code 28659 in?

ZIP code 28659 falls within Wilkes County, North Carolina.

Does ZIP code 28659 have a large retiree population?

45% of households in ZIP code 28659 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 28659?

19% of residents in ZIP code 28659 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 28659?

The median home value in ZIP code 28659 is $141,100.

What is the population of ZIP code 28659?

ZIP code 28659 has an estimated population of 21,460 residents, with a density of 213 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 28659 in?

ZIP code 28659 observes the EST timezone.