28685 ZIP Code — Traphill, NC

Wilkes County, North Carolina

ZIP code 28685 is located in Traphill, North Carolina, within Wilkes County. It covers approximately 47.17 square miles and serves a population of 2,038 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 336.

About ZIP code 28685

The housing stock consists of a higher-than-average concentration of mobile homes. Most homes were built in the 1970s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $129,500. Owner-occupancy is high at 75%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $40,313. Poverty affects 31% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 29% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 44% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with retail trade as the leading industry. An above-average commute of 40 minutes suggests many residents work outside the immediate area.

College attainment at 5% 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. 18% of residents lack health insurance, above the national average.

Notable community characteristics include disability rates above the national average at 32%.

Overall, ZIP code 28685 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, economic challenges above the national average, high homeownership, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

2,038

population

47.17

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

28685 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 28685

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 28685. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Traphill	Acceptable
Traphill	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

28668 Roaring Gap (2.3 mi) 28635 Hays (5.4 mi) 28627 Glade Valley (6.2 mi) 28683 Thurmond (6.4 mi) 28676 State Road (9.3 mi) 28669 Roaring River (9.5 mi) 28649 Mc Grady (10.1 mi) 28621 Elkin (10.2 mi) 28675 Sparta (11.2 mi) 28670 Ronda (12.1 mi) 28623 Ennice (12.2 mi) 27017 Dobson (12.6 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	2,038
Population density	43 / sq mi
State FIPS	37
County FIPS	193

Geography
Land area	47.17 sq mi
Water area	0.00 sq mi
Latitude	36.3545
Longitude	-81.0302
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	68.0%	56.2%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	26.7%	29.4%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	5.3%	12.0%	19.1%
Over $200k	0.0%	2.5%	6.0%

Demographics & statistics

2,038

Population

People per sq mi

41.2

Median age

$40,313

Median household income

$20,383

Per capita income

$129,500

Median home value

$711

Median monthly rent

75.1%

Home ownership

31.0%

Poverty rate

14.4%

Unemployment

616

Housing units

5.3%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

15–19

20–24

183

25–34

246

35–44

159

45–54

215

55–59

60–64

65–74

75–84

128

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	448	22.0%
18 and over	1,590	78.0%
65 and over	390	19.1%
Median age	41.2 years

Race & ethnicity

White 89.5%

Two or more races 7.2%

Hispanic or Latino 2.3%

Asian 1.1%

Group	Count	%
White	1,866	89.5%
Two or more races	150	7.2%
Hispanic or Latino	47	2.3%
Asian	22	1.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	68.0%	56.2%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	26.7%	29.4%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	5.3%	12.0%	19.1%
Over $200k	0.0%	2.5%	6.0%

Under $10k 6.5%

$10k–$15k 4.0%

$15k–$25k 19.8%

$25k–$35k 13.7%

$35k–$50k 18.6%

$50k–$75k 13.1%

$75k–$100k 6.1%

$100k–$150k 12.7%

$150k–$200k 5.5%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	6.5%
$10k–$15k	4.0%
$15k–$25k	19.8%
$25k–$35k	13.7%
$35k–$50k	18.6%
$50k–$75k	13.1%
$75k–$100k	6.1%
$100k–$150k	12.7%
$150k–$200k	5.5%
Median income	$40,313

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 13.8%

$50k–$100k 20.6%

$100k–$150k 25.6%

$150k–$200k 7.2%

$200k–$300k 16.7%

$300k–$500k 10.5%

$500k–$1M 5.7%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$129,500
Median rent / month	$711
Owner occupied	75.1%
Renter occupied	24.9%
Vacant	9.0%
Single-family detached	66.6%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	33.4%
Median rooms	5.5
Avg household size (owned)	2.83

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	5.8%
2000–2009	8.8%
1990–1999	4.3%
1980–1989	23.9%
1970–1979	24.9%
1960–1969	12.1%
1950–1959	12.6%
1940–1949	3.8%
1939 or earlier	4.0%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	1.4%
1 bedroom	5.2%
2 bedrooms	34.4%
3 bedrooms	44.6%
4 bedrooms	13.4%
5+ bedrooms	1.0%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	2.6%
1 vehicle	35.5%
2 vehicles	36.5%
3 or more	25.4%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	3.7%
Electricity	45.7%
Propane / LP gas	15.3%
Fuel oil	11.7%
Wood	22.1%
No fuel used	1.4%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	297	41.0%
Cohabiting couple	83	11.5%
Male householder, no spouse	89	12.3%
Female householder, no spouse	255	35.2%
Households with children under 18	256	35.4%
Households with seniors (65+)	271	37.4%
Average household size	2.81

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	44.6%	23.0%
Married	37.5%	44.5%
Separated	3.5%	6.0%
Widowed	5.4%	11.0%
Divorced	9.0%	15.6%

Education

Less than 9th grade 5.2%

Some HS, no diploma 25.2%

HS graduate 34.4%

Some college, no degree 24.9%

Associate's degree 5.0%

Bachelor's degree 4.2%

Graduate / professional 1.1%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	69.6%
Bachelor's or higher	5.3%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	0	0.0%
Kindergarten	45	13.5%
Elementary school	188	56.5%
High school	95	28.5%
College / grad school	5	1.5%

Employment

Industry of employment

Retail trade 24.6%

Construction 13.4%

Education & healthcare 12.1%

Manufacturing 11.6%

Transportation & utilities 8.3%

Professional & management 6.7%

Finance & real estate 5.8%

Information 5.1%

Arts, food & hospitality 4.5%

Public administration 3.8%

Other services 3.1%

Wholesale trade 1.2%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	27.0%
Service	11.8%
Sales & office	26.9%
Natural resources & construction	19.8%
Production & transportation	14.5%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	74.0%
Government	12.6%
Self-employed	13.4%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	79.6%
Carpool	17.5%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	1.5%
Work from home	1.3%
Other means	0.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	40.3

Poverty

All people 31.0%

Under 18 years 36.4%

18 and over 29.4%

Married-couple families 7.1%

Female-led households 60.3%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	43.8%
Retirement income	20.6%
Supplemental Security	3.9%
Cash public assistance	1.7%
Food stamps / SNAP	28.6%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	39.0%
High blood pressure	37.7%
High cholesterol	38.7%
Diabetes	12.3%
Heart disease	8.4%
Stroke	4.0%
Asthma	9.5%
Arthritis	30.5%
Kidney disease	3.6%
Pulmonary disease	9.9%
Cancer	7.4%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	23.9%
Binge drinking	15.4%
No physical activity	26.8%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	32.1%
Depression	25.1%
Fair or poor health	17.3%
Poor mental health	15.4%
Poor physical health	13.1%
No health insurance	18.4%
Visited doctor (checkup)	78.4%
Visited dentist	60.7%
Cholesterol screening	89.3%
Teeth loss	18.0%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	33	2.1%

Disability	%
Any disability	32.0%
Under 18	22.5%
18–64 years	31.3%
65 and over	45.4%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	44.7%
Public insurance	49.6%
No insurance	17.7%
Uninsured under 19	0.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	1,939	95.1%
Spanish	22	1.1%
Other Indo-European	22	1.1%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	2,002	98.2%
Born in same state	2,002	98.2%
Born in different state	1,792	87.9%
Foreign born	0	0.0%
Naturalized citizen	36	1.8%
Not a US citizen	36	100.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	960	47.1%
Italian	65	3.2%
French	51	2.5%

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	22	1.1%
German	17	0.8%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	35.5%
Internet access	74.3%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 28685

What city is ZIP code 28685 in?

ZIP code 28685 is primarily assigned to Traphill, North Carolina.

What county is ZIP code 28685 in?

ZIP code 28685 falls within Wilkes County, North Carolina.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 28685?

31% of residents in ZIP code 28685 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 28685?

5% 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 28685 have a large retiree population?

44% of households in ZIP code 28685 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 28685?

The median home value in ZIP code 28685 is $129,500.

What timezone is ZIP code 28685 in?

ZIP code 28685 observes the EST timezone.