27979 ZIP Code — Sunbury, NC

Gates County, North Carolina

ZIP code 27979 is located in Sunbury, North Carolina, within Gates County. It covers approximately 70.72 square miles and serves a population of 681 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 252.

About ZIP code 27979

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1950s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $174,700. Owner-occupancy is high at 85%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $54,554. The poverty rate of 2% is below the national average. 41% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is sales and office, with manufacturing as the leading industry. An above-average commute of 51 minutes suggests many residents work outside the immediate area.

College attainment at 10% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Overall, ZIP code 27979 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

681

population

70.72

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

27979 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 27979

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 27979. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Sunbury	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

27926 Corapeake (5.3 mi) 27946 Hobbsville (5.4 mi) 27938 Gatesville (8.1 mi) 27919 Belvidere (8.6 mi) 27980 Tyner (12.4 mi) 27976 South Mills (12.5 mi) 27937 Gates (13 mi) 27942 Harrellsville (14 mi) 23438 Suffolk (14.4 mi) 27935 Eure (15.7 mi) 27922 Cofield (16.9 mi) 27909 Elizabeth City (18.3 mi)

Demographics updated 06/2026

Population
Total population	681
Population density	10 / sq mi
State FIPS	37
County FIPS	073

Geography
Land area	70.72 sq mi
Water area	0.03 sq mi
Latitude	36.4214
Longitude	-76.5773
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	54.1%	52.3%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	31.0%	29.5%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	14.9%	16.3%	19.1%
Over $200k	0.0%	1.9%	6.0%

Demographics & statistics

681

Population

People per sq mi

56.0

Median age

$54,554

Median household income

$32,236

Per capita income

$174,700

Median home value

$590

Median monthly rent

85.1%

Home ownership

2.2%

Poverty rate

0.0%

Unemployment

395

Housing units

9.5%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

15–19

20–24

25–34

35–44

45–54

55–59

60–64

65–74

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	40	5.9%
18 and over	641	94.1%
65 and over	191	28.0%
Median age	56.0 years

Race & ethnicity

White 85.6%

Black or African American 12.3%

Two or more races 2.1%

Group	Count	%
White	583	85.6%
Black or African American	84	12.3%
Two or more races	14	2.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	54.1%	52.3%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	31.0%	29.5%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	14.9%	16.3%	19.1%
Over $200k	0.0%	1.9%	6.0%

$25k–$35k 17.5%

$35k–$50k 19.5%

$50k–$75k 48.7%

$75k–$100k 3.2%

$100k–$150k 9.6%

$150k–$200k 1.5%

Range	% of households
$25k–$35k	17.5%
$35k–$50k	19.5%
$50k–$75k	48.7%
$75k–$100k	3.2%
$100k–$150k	9.6%
$150k–$200k	1.5%
Median income	$54,554

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 5.1%

$50k–$100k 7.2%

$100k–$150k 7.9%

$150k–$200k 37.0%

$200k–$300k 25.7%

$300k–$500k 6.5%

$500k–$1M 10.6%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$174,700
Median rent / month	$590
Owner occupied	85.1%
Renter occupied	14.9%
Vacant	23.1%
Single-family detached	80.0%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	20.0%
Median rooms	6.0
Avg household size (owned)	2.11

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	7.2%
2000–2009	14.3%
1990–1999	6.1%
1980–1989	9.4%
1970–1979	18.4%
1960–1969	6.5%
1950–1959	22.0%
1940–1949	6.3%
1939 or earlier	9.9%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.0%
1 bedroom	0.0%
2 bedrooms	26.5%
3 bedrooms	66.6%
4 bedrooms	7.0%
5+ bedrooms	0.0%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	0.0%
1 vehicle	24.5%
2 vehicles	40.2%
3 or more	35.3%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	1.5%
Electricity	80.8%
Propane / LP gas	17.8%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	136	39.7%
Cohabiting couple	30	8.7%
Male householder, no spouse	88	25.7%
Female householder, no spouse	89	25.9%
Households with children under 18	35	10.2%
Households with seniors (65+)	165	48.1%
Average household size	1.99

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	22.7%	37.2%
Married	46.3%	39.6%
Separated	0.0%	0.0%
Widowed	4.9%	13.8%
Divorced	26.2%	9.4%

Education

Less than 9th grade 0.0%

Some HS, no diploma 7.7%

HS graduate 60.3%

Some college, no degree 12.3%

Associate's degree 10.2%

Bachelor's degree 4.6%

Graduate / professional 4.9%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	92.3%
Bachelor's or higher	9.5%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	12	27.3%
Kindergarten	0	0.0%
Elementary school	16	36.4%
High school	9	20.5%
College / grad school	7	15.9%

Employment

Industry of employment

Other services 18.4%

Manufacturing 17.5%

Education & healthcare 17.0%

Retail trade 15.6%

Construction 8.5%

Professional & management 7.6%

Public administration 6.4%

Transportation & utilities 4.4%

Agriculture & mining 3.9%

Finance & real estate 0.7%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	21.1%
Service	16.3%
Sales & office	28.0%
Natural resources & construction	10.8%
Production & transportation	23.7%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	83.7%
Government	10.1%
Self-employed	6.2%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	63.4%
Carpool	29.4%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	1.1%
Work from home	4.6%
Other means	1.4%
Avg commute (minutes)	51.4

Poverty

All people 2.2%

Under 18 years 0.0%

18 and over 2.3%

Married-couple families 0.0%

Female-led households 0.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	40.8%
Retirement income	38.2%
Supplemental Security	2.0%
Cash public assistance	8.7%
Food stamps / SNAP	6.7%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	38.9%
High blood pressure	40.3%
High cholesterol	36.3%
Diabetes	13.5%
Heart disease	7.5%
Stroke	4.1%
Asthma	9.5%
Arthritis	28.6%
Kidney disease	3.5%
Pulmonary disease	7.3%
Cancer	7.2%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	18.9%
Binge drinking	14.0%
No physical activity	25.1%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	35.5%
Depression	20.7%
Fair or poor health	15.8%
Poor mental health	13.8%
Poor physical health	11.2%
No health insurance	18.0%
Visited doctor (checkup)	81.2%
Visited dentist	62.1%
Cholesterol screening	91.5%
Teeth loss	15.9%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	20	3.1%

Disability	%
Any disability	17.0%
Under 18	0.0%
18–64 years	12.2%
65 and over	31.9%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	78.7%
Public insurance	42.9%
No insurance	8.1%
Uninsured under 19	0.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	661	97.1%
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)	670	98.4%
Born in same state	670	98.4%
Born in different state	344	50.5%
Foreign born	0	0.0%
Naturalized citizen	11	1.6%
Not a US citizen	11	100.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	197	28.9%
Italian	49	7.2%

Ancestry	Count	%
French	42	6.2%
English	3	0.4%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	50.4%
Internet access	100.0%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 27979

What city is ZIP code 27979 in?

ZIP code 27979 is primarily assigned to Sunbury, North Carolina.

What county is ZIP code 27979 in?

ZIP code 27979 falls within Gates County, North Carolina.

Does ZIP code 27979 have an older population?

28% of residents in ZIP code 27979 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 27979?

10% 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 27979 mostly owner-occupied?

85% of occupied units in ZIP code 27979 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

Does ZIP code 27979 have a large retiree population?

41% of households in ZIP code 27979 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What timezone is ZIP code 27979 in?

ZIP code 27979 observes the EST timezone.