28681 ZIP Code — Taylorsville, NC

Alexander County, North Carolina

ZIP code 28681 is located in Taylorsville, North Carolina, within Alexander County. It covers approximately 167.64 square miles and serves a population of 25,825 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 828.

About ZIP code 28681

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1990s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $166,500. Owner-occupancy is high at 81%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $59,309. 43% 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 25 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 (22%) compared to national benchmarks.

Overall, ZIP code 28681 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

25,825

population

167.64

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

28681 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 28681

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 28681. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Taylorsville	Acceptable
Taylorsville	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

28636 Hiddenite (8 mi) 28678 Stony Point (9.6 mi) 28654 Moravian Falls (10.8 mi) 28606 Boomer (11.7 mi) 28601 Hickory (12.1 mi) 28613 Conover (12.2 mi) 28610 Claremont (13 mi) 28630 Granite Falls (15 mi) 28697 Wilkesboro (15.5 mi) 28638 Hudson (16.4 mi) 28656 North Wilkesboro (17 mi) 28625 Statesville (17.4 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	25,825
Population density	154 / sq mi
State FIPS	37
County FIPS	003

Geography
Land area	167.64 sq mi
Water area	2.57 sq mi
Latitude	35.9165
Longitude	-81.2001
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	828

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	48.8%	48.3%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	31.1%	31.7%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	17.2%	16.7%	19.1%
Over $200k	2.9%	3.3%	6.0%

Demographics & statistics

25,825

Population

154

People per sq mi

44.3

Median age

$59,309

Median household income

$28,496

Per capita income

$166,500

Median home value

$721

Median monthly rent

81.3%

Home ownership

11.2%

Poverty rate

5.3%

Unemployment

9,463

Housing units

14.7%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

588

Under 5

565

691

5–9

664

917

10–14

880

676

15–19

650

808

20–24

777

1,511

25–34

1,451

1,505

35–44

1,446

1,862

45–54

1,788

989

55–59

951

959

60–64

921

1,534

65–74

1,474

837

75–84

804

294

85+

283

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	5,086	19.7%
18 and over	20,739	80.3%
65 and over	5,226	20.2%
Median age	44.3 years

Race & ethnicity

White 86.6%

Black or African American 5.3%

Two or more races 2.1%

Hispanic or Latino 1.8%

Other race 1.6%

American Indian / Alaska Native 1.4%

Asian 1.1%

Group	Count	%
White	22,768	86.6%
Black or African American	1,398	5.3%
Two or more races	554	2.1%
Hispanic or Latino	465	1.8%
Other race	428	1.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native	376	1.4%
Asian	301	1.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	48.8%	48.3%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	31.1%	31.7%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	17.2%	16.7%	19.1%
Over $200k	2.9%	3.3%	6.0%

Under $10k 3.9%

$10k–$15k 5.1%

$15k–$25k 10.0%

$25k–$35k 7.9%

$35k–$50k 13.5%

$50k–$75k 21.6%

$75k–$100k 12.9%

$100k–$150k 17.9%

$150k–$200k 4.1%

$200k+ 3.1%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	3.9%
$10k–$15k	5.1%
$15k–$25k	10.0%
$25k–$35k	7.9%
$35k–$50k	13.5%
$50k–$75k	21.6%
$75k–$100k	12.9%
$100k–$150k	17.9%
$150k–$200k	4.1%
$200k+	3.1%
Median income	$59,309

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 9.9%

$50k–$100k 16.0%

$100k–$150k 16.8%

$150k–$200k 17.0%

$200k–$300k 23.1%

$300k–$500k 10.9%

$500k–$1M 4.4%

$1M+ 1.9%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$166,500
Median rent / month	$721
Owner occupied	81.3%
Renter occupied	18.7%
Vacant	15.1%
Single-family detached	70.4%
Large apartment buildings	0.1%
Mobile homes	26.1%
Median rooms	5.5
Avg household size (owned)	2.52

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.3%
2010–2019	6.5%
2000–2009	13.5%
1990–1999	20.7%
1980–1989	15.4%
1970–1979	16.3%
1960–1969	9.6%
1950–1959	7.4%
1940–1949	5.4%
1939 or earlier	4.9%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	1.0%
1 bedroom	3.7%
2 bedrooms	26.0%
3 bedrooms	55.9%
4 bedrooms	12.2%
5+ bedrooms	1.1%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	3.2%
1 vehicle	17.9%
2 vehicles	34.6%
3 or more	44.2%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	3.1%
Electricity	78.9%
Propane / LP gas	5.4%
Fuel oil	6.4%
Wood	5.7%
No fuel used	0.3%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	5,454	57.1%
Cohabiting couple	652	6.8%
Male householder, no spouse	1,298	13.6%
Female householder, no spouse	2,144	22.5%
Households with children under 18	2,908	30.5%
Households with seniors (65+)	3,649	38.2%
Average household size	2.57

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	29.0%	23.2%
Married	54.3%	54.1%
Separated	1.7%	0.9%
Widowed	4.2%	12.2%
Divorced	10.8%	9.6%

Education

Less than 9th grade 5.1%

Some HS, no diploma 10.7%

HS graduate 38.6%

Some college, no degree 19.2%

Associate's degree 11.9%

Bachelor's degree 10.2%

Graduate / professional 4.4%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	84.3%
Bachelor's or higher	14.7%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	281	5.0%
Kindergarten	347	6.2%
Elementary school	2,434	43.4%
High school	1,170	20.9%
College / grad school	1,371	24.5%

Employment

Industry of employment

Manufacturing 25.7%

Education & healthcare 22.6%

Retail trade 10.9%

Transportation & utilities 8.2%

Construction 6.3%

Arts, food & hospitality 6.3%

Other services 5.7%

Public administration 4.8%

Professional & management 3.5%

Finance & real estate 1.8%

Agriculture & mining 1.7%

Information 1.4%

Wholesale trade 1.2%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	29.4%
Service	13.6%
Sales & office	17.0%
Natural resources & construction	10.7%
Production & transportation	29.3%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	76.8%
Government	17.5%
Self-employed	5.7%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	85.9%
Carpool	8.9%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	1.4%
Work from home	3.2%
Other means	0.6%
Avg commute (minutes)	25.0

Poverty

All people 11.2%

Under 18 years 16.4%

18 and over 9.9%

Married-couple families 3.2%

Female-led households 28.2%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	42.7%
Retirement income	21.8%
Supplemental Security	6.9%
Cash public assistance	1.1%
Food stamps / SNAP	9.5%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	34.5%
High blood pressure	34.7%
High cholesterol	35.5%
Diabetes	11.1%
Heart disease	7.4%
Stroke	3.6%
Asthma	9.3%
Arthritis	27.1%
Kidney disease	3.2%
Pulmonary disease	8.3%
Cancer	6.8%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	22.2%
Binge drinking	15.9%
No physical activity	24.2%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	33.0%
Depression	23.6%
Fair or poor health	15.4%
Poor mental health	14.9%
Poor physical health	11.8%
No health insurance	19.1%
Visited doctor (checkup)	77.1%
Visited dentist	61.1%
Cholesterol screening	88.9%
Teeth loss	16.8%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	1,236	6.0%

Disability	%
Any disability	17.6%
Under 18	3.2%
18–64 years	15.0%
65 and over	39.5%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	63.4%
Public insurance	40.7%
No insurance	8.7%
Uninsured under 19	2.9%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	24,672	95.5%
Spanish	320	1.3%
Other Indo-European	275	1.1%
Asian & Pacific Islander	17	0.1%
Other languages	28	0.1%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	25,236	97.7%
Born in same state	25,103	97.2%
Born in different state	19,797	76.7%
Foreign born	133	0.5%
Naturalized citizen	589	2.3%
Not a US citizen	394	66.9%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	7,606	29.5%
French	2,428	9.4%
Italian	2,409	9.3%
English	375	1.5%

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	119	0.5%
Irish	14	0.1%
German	5	0%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	37.0%
Internet access	88.3%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 28681

What city is ZIP code 28681 in?

ZIP code 28681 is primarily assigned to Taylorsville, North Carolina.

What county is ZIP code 28681 in?

ZIP code 28681 falls within Alexander County, North Carolina.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 28681?

15% 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 28681 have a large retiree population?

43% of households in ZIP code 28681 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Is ZIP code 28681 mostly owner-occupied?

81% of occupied units in ZIP code 28681 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 28681?

The median home value in ZIP code 28681 is $166,500.

What timezone is ZIP code 28681 in?

ZIP code 28681 observes the EST timezone.