02879 ZIP Code — Wakefield, RI

Washington County, Rhode Island

ZIP code 02879 is located in Wakefield, Rhode Island, within Washington County. It covers approximately 39.49 square miles and serves a population of 22,369 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 401.

About ZIP code 02879

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the pre-1940, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $468,300. Owner-occupancy is high at 78%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $112,409. The poverty rate of 5% is below the national average. 44% 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 27 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is high — 58% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher, well above the national average of 33%.

Overall, ZIP code 02879 reflects a community defined by a highly educated population, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

22,369

population

39.49

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

02879 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 02879

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 02879. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Wakefield	Acceptable
Wakefield	Acceptable
Wakefield	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

02875 Shannock (5.7 mi) 02892 West Kingston (6.4 mi) 02813 Charlestown (6.9 mi) 02812 Carolina (7.1 mi) 02874 Saunderstown (7.2 mi) 02877 Slocum (7.6 mi) 02894 Wood River Junction (8.9 mi) 02898 Wyoming (9.5 mi) 02835 Jamestown (10.3 mi) 02822 Exeter (10.6 mi) 02808 Bradford (10.7 mi) 02832 Hope Valley (11.2 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	22,369
Population density	566 / sq mi
State FIPS	44
County FIPS	009

Geography
Land area	39.49 sq mi
Water area	6.17 sq mi
Latitude	41.4277
Longitude	-71.5364
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	401

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	26.0%	28.0%	37.1%
$50k – $100k	26.3%	27.6%	29.1%
$100k – $200k	37.3%	33.3%	26.1%
Over $200k	10.4%	11.1%	7.7%

Demographics & statistics

22,369

Population

566

People per sq mi

49.0

Median age

$112,409

Median household income

$56,957

Per capita income

$468,300

Median home value

$1,268

Median monthly rent

77.9%

Home ownership

4.7%

Poverty rate

6.6%

Unemployment

9,746

Housing units

58.4%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

387

Under 5

410

632

5–9

671

450

10–14

478

590

15–19

626

552

20–24

585

1,195

25–34

1,268

1,205

35–44

1,280

1,036

45–54

1,100

1,014

55–59

1,077

884

60–64

939

1,622

65–74

1,722

942

75–84

1,000

341

85+

363

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	3,705	16.6%
18 and over	18,664	83.4%
65 and over	5,990	26.8%
Median age	49.0 years

Race & ethnicity

White 89.9%

Two or more races 2.6%

Hispanic or Latino 2.2%

Black or African American 1.5%

Asian 1.5%

Other race 1.2%

American Indian / Alaska Native 1.1%

Group	Count	%
White	20,578	89.9%
Two or more races	590	2.6%
Hispanic or Latino	513	2.2%
Black or African American	338	1.5%
Asian	336	1.5%
Other race	271	1.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native	256	1.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	26.0%	28.0%	37.1%
$50k – $100k	26.3%	27.6%	29.1%
$100k – $200k	37.3%	33.3%	26.1%
Over $200k	10.4%	11.1%	7.7%

Under $10k 3.0%

$10k–$15k 1.9%

$15k–$25k 5.3%

$25k–$35k 4.6%

$35k–$50k 6.2%

$50k–$75k 14.6%

$75k–$100k 10.3%

$100k–$150k 22.2%

$150k–$200k 15.6%

$200k+ 16.3%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	3.0%
$10k–$15k	1.9%
$15k–$25k	5.3%
$25k–$35k	4.6%
$35k–$50k	6.2%
$50k–$75k	14.6%
$75k–$100k	10.3%
$100k–$150k	22.2%
$150k–$200k	15.6%
$200k+	16.3%
Median income	$112,409

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 1.1%

$50k–$100k 0.8%

$100k–$150k 2.5%

$150k–$200k 1.7%

$200k–$300k 10.3%

$300k–$500k 41.4%

$500k–$1M 35.4%

$1M+ 7.0%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$468,300
Median rent / month	$1,268
Owner occupied	77.9%
Renter occupied	22.1%
Vacant	19.4%
Single-family detached	81.1%
Large apartment buildings	4.6%
Mobile homes	2.9%
Median rooms	5.9
Avg household size (owned)	2.42

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.2%
2010–2019	6.0%
2000–2009	13.0%
1990–1999	12.5%
1980–1989	13.6%
1970–1979	12.6%
1960–1969	6.9%
1950–1959	11.1%
1940–1949	4.5%
1939 or earlier	19.6%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	1.3%
1 bedroom	9.6%
2 bedrooms	28.0%
3 bedrooms	41.8%
4 bedrooms	17.0%
5+ bedrooms	2.3%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	5.6%
1 vehicle	31.8%
2 vehicles	41.1%
3 or more	21.6%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	28.2%
Electricity	11.6%
Propane / LP gas	10.5%
Fuel oil	46.7%
Wood	2.5%
No fuel used	0.2%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	5,488	57.5%
Cohabiting couple	512	5.4%
Male householder, no spouse	1,253	13.1%
Female householder, no spouse	2,299	24.1%
Households with children under 18	2,228	23.3%
Households with seniors (65+)	4,255	44.5%
Average household size	2.32

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	26.8%	25.0%
Married	62.0%	54.6%
Separated	0.3%	0.3%
Widowed	2.6%	9.0%
Divorced	8.4%	11.2%

Education

Less than 9th grade 0.8%

Some HS, no diploma 4.3%

HS graduate 15.0%

Some college, no degree 14.2%

Associate's degree 7.3%

Bachelor's degree 31.9%

Graduate / professional 26.4%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	94.9%
Bachelor's or higher	58.4%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	379	8.0%
Kindergarten	216	4.5%
Elementary school	1,744	36.7%
High school	1,095	23.0%
College / grad school	1,323	27.8%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 32.4%

Professional & management 11.4%

Retail trade 10.0%

Manufacturing 9.4%

Arts, food & hospitality 7.8%

Public administration 6.2%

Finance & real estate 5.9%

Construction 5.4%

Other services 5.4%

Information 1.8%

Agriculture & mining 1.6%

Transportation & utilities 1.5%

Wholesale trade 1.1%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	56.7%
Service	15.0%
Sales & office	16.0%
Natural resources & construction	6.9%
Production & transportation	5.4%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	74.0%
Government	19.9%
Self-employed	6.1%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	77.8%
Carpool	5.4%
Public transit	2.4%
Walk	1.3%
Work from home	11.8%
Other means	1.4%
Avg commute (minutes)	27.3

Poverty

All people 4.7%

Under 18 years 5.5%

18 and over 4.6%

Married-couple families 0.7%

Female-led households 15.8%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	44.3%
Retirement income	36.3%
Supplemental Security	1.8%
Cash public assistance	1.7%
Food stamps / SNAP	6.5%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	24.3%
High blood pressure	31.7%
High cholesterol	32.1%
Diabetes	8.9%
Heart disease	6.2%
Stroke	2.7%
Asthma	11.2%
Arthritis	26.6%
Kidney disease	2.7%
Pulmonary disease	6.2%
Cancer	8.1%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	12.7%
Binge drinking	17.6%
No physical activity	16.0%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	29.9%
Depression	22.0%
Fair or poor health	10.4%
Poor mental health	12.9%
Poor physical health	8.8%
No health insurance	6.4%
Visited doctor (checkup)	83.5%
Visited dentist	77.8%
Cholesterol screening	93.1%
Teeth loss	8.4%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	1,290	6.9%

Disability	%
Any disability	11.7%
Under 18	2.3%
18–64 years	7.7%
65 and over	26.3%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	76.8%
Public insurance	40.0%
No insurance	1.9%
Uninsured under 19	0.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	21,572	96.4%
Spanish	354	1.6%
Other Indo-European	127	0.6%
Asian & Pacific Islander	173	0.8%
Other languages	54	0.3%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	21,396	95.7%
Born in same state	20,941	93.6%
Born in different state	13,095	58.5%
Foreign born	455	2.0%
Naturalized citizen	973	4.3%
Not a US citizen	739	76.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	5,639	25.2%
French	4,329	19.4%
German	956	4.3%
Arab	911	4.1%
Polish	269	1.2%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	196	0.9%
Irish	67	0.3%
Norwegian	63	0.3%
Dutch	62	0.3%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	42.7%
Internet access	94.7%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 02879

What city is ZIP code 02879 in?

ZIP code 02879 is primarily assigned to Wakefield, Rhode Island.

What county is ZIP code 02879 in?

ZIP code 02879 falls within Washington County, Rhode Island.

Does ZIP code 02879 have an older population?

27% of residents in ZIP code 02879 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 02879?

58% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — well above the national average of ~33%, reflecting a highly educated population.

Does ZIP code 02879 have a large retiree population?

44% of households in ZIP code 02879 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 02879?

The median home value in ZIP code 02879 is $468,300.

What timezone is ZIP code 02879 in?

ZIP code 02879 observes the EST timezone.