28665 ZIP Code — Purlear, NC

Wilkes County, North Carolina

ZIP code 28665 is located in Purlear, North Carolina, within Wilkes County. It covers approximately 64.78 square miles and serves a population of 2,780 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 336.

About ZIP code 28665

The housing stock consists of a higher-than-average concentration of mobile homes. Most homes were built in the 2000s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $150,900. Owner-occupancy is high at 81%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $43,393. Poverty affects 19% of residents, above the national average. 49% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

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 (24%) compared to national benchmarks.

Overall, ZIP code 28665 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, economic challenges above the national average, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

2,780

population

64.78

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

28665 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 28665

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 28665. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Purlear	Acceptable
Purlear	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

28651 Millers Creek (5.6 mi) 28624 Ferguson (7.5 mi) 28629 Glendale Springs (8.3 mi) 28618 Deep Gap (8.7 mi) 28626 Fleetwood (9 mi) 28606 Boomer (11.3 mi) 28649 Mc Grady (11.4 mi) 28694 West Jefferson (11.7 mi) 28697 Wilkesboro (12.6 mi) 28656 North Wilkesboro (12.6 mi) 28640 Jefferson (13.1 mi) 28635 Hays (15.6 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	2,780
Population density	43 / sq mi
State FIPS	37
County FIPS	193

Geography
Land area	64.78 sq mi
Water area	0.00 sq mi
Latitude	36.2168
Longitude	-81.3621
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	55.8%	56.2%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	29.5%	29.4%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	12.4%	12.0%	19.1%
Over $200k	2.3%	2.5%	6.0%

Demographics & statistics

2,780

Population

People per sq mi

45.8

Median age

$43,393

Median household income

$25,165

Per capita income

$150,900

Median home value

$625

Median monthly rent

80.6%

Home ownership

19.2%

Poverty rate

3.8%

Unemployment

1,355

Housing units

15.4%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

141

Under 5

159

5–9

10–14

15–19

20–24

262

25–34

294

116

35–44

131

184

45–54

207

55–59

108

115

60–64

130

163

65–74

183

112

75–84

125

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	400	14.4%
18 and over	2,380	85.6%
65 and over	598	21.5%
Median age	45.8 years

Race & ethnicity

White 98.4%

Two or more races 1.1%

Black or African American 0.5%

Group	Count	%
White	2,736	98.4%
Two or more races	30	1.1%
Black or African American	14	0.5%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	55.8%	56.2%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	29.5%	29.4%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	12.4%	12.0%	19.1%
Over $200k	2.3%	2.5%	6.0%

Under $10k 4.0%

$10k–$15k 3.7%

$15k–$25k 16.4%

$25k–$35k 19.5%

$35k–$50k 12.5%

$50k–$75k 14.6%

$75k–$100k 10.2%

$100k–$150k 13.7%

$150k–$200k 2.4%

$200k+ 3.1%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	4.0%
$10k–$15k	3.7%
$15k–$25k	16.4%
$25k–$35k	19.5%
$35k–$50k	12.5%
$50k–$75k	14.6%
$75k–$100k	10.2%
$100k–$150k	13.7%
$150k–$200k	2.4%
$200k+	3.1%
Median income	$43,393

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 12.5%

$50k–$100k 24.1%

$100k–$150k 13.0%

$150k–$200k 17.1%

$200k–$300k 15.8%

$300k–$500k 12.5%

$500k–$1M 5.0%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$150,900
Median rent / month	$625
Owner occupied	80.6%
Renter occupied	19.4%
Vacant	29.2%
Single-family detached	60.5%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	39.5%
Median rooms	5.4
Avg household size (owned)	2.44

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	1.8%
2000–2009	30.1%
1990–1999	15.2%
1980–1989	12.7%
1970–1979	16.7%
1960–1969	11.9%
1950–1959	5.3%
1940–1949	5.7%
1939 or earlier	0.5%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.0%
1 bedroom	4.1%
2 bedrooms	28.1%
3 bedrooms	59.5%
4 bedrooms	5.4%
5+ bedrooms	2.9%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	4.1%
1 vehicle	26.9%
2 vehicles	35.0%
3 or more	34.0%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	1.7%
Electricity	76.8%
Propane / LP gas	9.8%
Fuel oil	9.4%
Wood	2.2%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	601	54.0%
Cohabiting couple	53	4.8%
Male householder, no spouse	200	18.0%
Female householder, no spouse	259	23.3%
Households with children under 18	306	27.5%
Households with seniors (65+)	425	38.2%
Average household size	2.50

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	33.7%	20.3%
Married	55.0%	49.4%
Separated	2.7%	6.4%
Widowed	4.5%	16.0%
Divorced	4.2%	7.9%

Education

Less than 9th grade 2.5%

Some HS, no diploma 15.7%

HS graduate 37.1%

Some college, no degree 21.0%

Associate's degree 8.3%

Bachelor's degree 10.2%

Graduate / professional 5.3%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	81.8%
Bachelor's or higher	15.4%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	0	0.0%
Kindergarten	0	0.0%
Elementary school	62	32.1%
High school	75	38.9%
College / grad school	56	29.0%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 20.3%

Retail trade 17.7%

Manufacturing 13.6%

Construction 12.1%

Arts, food & hospitality 9.5%

Other services 7.1%

Wholesale trade 5.6%

Agriculture & mining 4.8%

Public administration 3.1%

Professional & management 3.0%

Transportation & utilities 2.7%

Finance & real estate 0.4%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	24.0%
Service	14.9%
Sales & office	28.5%
Natural resources & construction	19.3%
Production & transportation	13.3%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	80.9%
Government	12.5%
Self-employed	5.4%
Unpaid family workers	1.2%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	73.0%
Carpool	14.9%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.7%
Work from home	11.3%
Other means	0.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	26.8

Poverty

All people 19.2%

Under 18 years 41.3%

18 and over 15.5%

Married-couple families 7.8%

Female-led households 32.5%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	48.5%
Retirement income	29.1%
Supplemental Security	3.5%
Cash public assistance	0.5%
Food stamps / SNAP	12.1%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	39.3%
High blood pressure	37.3%
High cholesterol	38.4%
Diabetes	12.3%
Heart disease	8.3%
Stroke	4.1%
Asthma	9.9%
Arthritis	30.5%
Kidney disease	3.7%
Pulmonary disease	10.3%
Cancer	7.2%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	24.3%
Binge drinking	15.4%
No physical activity	27.0%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	32.0%
Depression	26.0%
Fair or poor health	18.1%
Poor mental health	15.9%
Poor physical health	13.6%
No health insurance	18.4%
Visited doctor (checkup)	78.2%
Visited dentist	59.6%
Cholesterol screening	88.8%
Teeth loss	18.6%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	94	3.9%

Disability	%
Any disability	16.8%
Under 18	2.3%
18–64 years	14.2%
65 and over	34.3%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	60.0%
Public insurance	47.4%
No insurance	7.2%
Uninsured under 19	2.7%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	2,480	89.2%
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)	2,780	100.0%
Born in same state	2,780	100.0%
Born in different state	2,295	82.6%
Foreign born	0	0.0%
Naturalized citizen	0	0.0%
Not a US citizen	0	0.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	1,246	44.8%
French	341	12.3%
Italian	85	3.1%

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	19	0.7%
English	18	0.6%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	40.0%
Internet access	90.5%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 28665

What city is ZIP code 28665 in?

ZIP code 28665 is primarily assigned to Purlear, North Carolina.

What county is ZIP code 28665 in?

ZIP code 28665 falls within Wilkes County, North Carolina.

Does ZIP code 28665 have a large retiree population?

49% of households in ZIP code 28665 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 28665?

19% of residents in ZIP code 28665 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

Is ZIP code 28665 mostly owner-occupied?

81% of occupied units in ZIP code 28665 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 28665?

The median home value in ZIP code 28665 is $150,900.

What timezone is ZIP code 28665 in?

ZIP code 28665 observes the EST timezone.