28692 ZIP Code — Vilas, NC

Watauga County, North Carolina

ZIP code 28692 is located in Vilas, North Carolina, within Watauga County. It covers approximately 39.99 square miles and serves a population of 4,355 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 828.

About ZIP code 28692

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 $257,200. Owner-occupancy is high at 75%, well above the national average.

The gap between median ($44,824) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. 31% 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 26 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 39% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Overall, ZIP code 28692 reflects a community defined by high homeownership and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

4,355

population

39.99

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

28692 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 28692

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 28692. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Vilas	Acceptable
Vilas	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

28679 Sugar Grove (3 mi) 28698 Zionville (5.9 mi) 28604 Banner Elk (6.5 mi) 37691 Trade (7.2 mi) 28608 Boone (8.3 mi) 28607 Boone (9 mi) 28622 Elk Park (9.8 mi) 28684 Todd (11.1 mi) 37640 Butler (11.2 mi) 28605 Blowing Rock (11.2 mi) 37683 Mountain City (12.1 mi) 28615 Creston (16 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	4,355
Population density	109 / sq mi
State FIPS	37
County FIPS	189

Geography
Land area	39.99 sq mi
Water area	0.01 sq mi
Latitude	36.2784
Longitude	-81.8039
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	53.9%	52.9%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	28.8%	25.6%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	15.9%	15.8%	19.1%
Over $200k	1.4%	5.7%	6.0%

Demographics & statistics

4,355

Population

109

People per sq mi

43.5

Median age

$44,824

Median household income

$36,541

Per capita income

$257,200

Median home value

$1,178

Median monthly rent

75.1%

Home ownership

7.5%

Poverty rate

6.7%

Unemployment

2,538

Housing units

38.7%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

187

5–9

203

10–14

15–19

20–24

233

25–34

253

419

35–44

453

314

45–54

339

124

55–59

134

198

60–64

215

221

65–74

239

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	764	17.5%
18 and over	3,591	82.5%
65 and over	700	16.1%
Median age	43.5 years

Race & ethnicity

White 93.7%

Black or African American 2.3%

Asian 1.3%

Hispanic or Latino 1%

Other race 0.9%

Two or more races 0.6%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%

Group	Count	%
White	4,118	93.7%
Black or African American	103	2.3%
Asian	59	1.3%
Hispanic or Latino	42	1%
Other race	38	0.9%
Two or more races	28	0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native	9	0.2%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	53.9%	52.9%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	28.8%	25.6%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	15.9%	15.8%	19.1%
Over $200k	1.4%	5.7%	6.0%

Under $10k 2.3%

$10k–$15k 1.6%

$15k–$25k 13.1%

$25k–$35k 19.0%

$35k–$50k 15.8%

$50k–$75k 14.4%

$75k–$100k 13.0%

$100k–$150k 12.2%

$150k–$200k 5.5%

$200k+ 2.9%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	2.3%
$10k–$15k	1.6%
$15k–$25k	13.1%
$25k–$35k	19.0%
$35k–$50k	15.8%
$50k–$75k	14.4%
$75k–$100k	13.0%
$100k–$150k	12.2%
$150k–$200k	5.5%
$200k+	2.9%
Median income	$44,824

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 10.1%

$50k–$100k 2.9%

$100k–$150k 10.3%

$150k–$200k 3.4%

$200k–$300k 36.1%

$300k–$500k 26.9%

$500k–$1M 8.5%

$1M+ 1.9%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$257,200
Median rent / month	$1,178
Owner occupied	75.1%
Renter occupied	24.9%
Vacant	33.0%
Single-family detached	73.3%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	14.3%
Median rooms	5.2
Avg household size (owned)	2.15

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	5.0%
2000–2009	8.9%
1990–1999	30.3%
1980–1989	19.2%
1970–1979	10.0%
1960–1969	11.4%
1950–1959	6.6%
1940–1949	2.3%
1939 or earlier	6.4%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	1.1%
1 bedroom	6.2%
2 bedrooms	28.0%
3 bedrooms	49.0%
4 bedrooms	12.0%
5+ bedrooms	3.7%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	7.4%
1 vehicle	24.9%
2 vehicles	35.8%
3 or more	31.9%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	0.9%
Electricity	37.8%
Propane / LP gas	22.6%
Fuel oil	32.1%
Wood	5.8%
No fuel used	0.8%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	1,116	54.7%
Cohabiting couple	97	4.8%
Male householder, no spouse	286	14.0%
Female householder, no spouse	540	26.5%
Households with children under 18	424	20.8%
Households with seniors (65+)	500	24.5%
Average household size	2.14

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	21.3%	23.3%
Married	64.9%	55.5%
Separated	0.5%	2.3%
Widowed	0.9%	6.8%
Divorced	12.4%	12.0%

Education

Less than 9th grade 2.1%

Some HS, no diploma 2.1%

HS graduate 34.8%

Some college, no degree 15.5%

Associate's degree 6.8%

Bachelor's degree 23.0%

Graduate / professional 15.8%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	95.8%
Bachelor's or higher	38.7%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	77	9.5%
Kindergarten	20	2.5%
Elementary school	446	55.2%
High school	116	14.4%
College / grad school	149	18.4%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 26.6%

Retail trade 13.9%

Arts, food & hospitality 13.4%

Professional & management 11.4%

Construction 7.6%

Transportation & utilities 6.6%

Other services 6.2%

Finance & real estate 4.6%

Public administration 4.1%

Manufacturing 3.0%

Agriculture & mining 2.7%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	41.3%
Service	16.9%
Sales & office	18.9%
Natural resources & construction	9.7%
Production & transportation	13.2%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	60.6%
Government	20.9%
Self-employed	18.4%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	84.7%
Carpool	4.6%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	1.2%
Work from home	9.0%
Other means	0.6%
Avg commute (minutes)	26.2

Poverty

All people 7.5%

Under 18 years 3.7%

18 and over 8.3%

Married-couple families 1.1%

Female-led households 60.6%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	30.8%
Retirement income	19.1%
Supplemental Security	0.8%
Cash public assistance	2.6%
Food stamps / SNAP	3.7%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	31.1%
High blood pressure	34.7%
High cholesterol	36.9%
Diabetes	10.6%
Heart disease	7.5%
Stroke	3.5%
Asthma	9.1%
Arthritis	27.4%
Kidney disease	3.3%
Pulmonary disease	8.0%
Cancer	7.1%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	18.8%
Binge drinking	15.7%
No physical activity	21.8%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	29.1%
Depression	24.0%
Fair or poor health	14.3%
Poor mental health	14.5%
Poor physical health	11.3%
No health insurance	15.7%
Visited doctor (checkup)	76.3%
Visited dentist	64.2%
Cholesterol screening	89.0%
Teeth loss	14.7%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	166	4.6%

Disability	%
Any disability	11.4%
Under 18	0.8%
18–64 years	9.5%
65 and over	30.6%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	66.5%
Public insurance	34.8%
No insurance	10.4%
Uninsured under 19	1.3%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	4,173	95.8%
Spanish	19	0.5%
Other Indo-European	5	0.1%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	4,262	97.9%
Born in same state	4,197	96.4%
Born in different state	2,763	63.4%
Foreign born	65	1.5%
Naturalized citizen	93	2.1%
Not a US citizen	67	72.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	899	20.6%
Arab	455	10.4%
Italian	403	9.3%
English	53	1.2%

Ancestry	Count	%
German	16	0.4%
Irish	16	0.4%
Dutch	15	0.3%
Polish	11	0.3%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	46.8%
Internet access	95.0%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 28692

What city is ZIP code 28692 in?

ZIP code 28692 is primarily assigned to Vilas, North Carolina.

What county is ZIP code 28692 in?

ZIP code 28692 falls within Watauga County, North Carolina.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 28692?

The median household income in ZIP code 28692 is $44,824, below the national median of ~$75,000.

What is the population of ZIP code 28692?

ZIP code 28692 has an estimated population of 4,355 residents, with a density of 109 people per square mile.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 28692?

The median home value in ZIP code 28692 is $257,200.

What timezone is ZIP code 28692 in?

ZIP code 28692 observes the EST timezone.