Watauga County, NC ZIP Codes
North Carolina (NC) · 8 ZIP codes · 7 cities
8
ZIP codes
54,234
population (2021)
+6.2%
pop change since 2010
37189
FIPS code
Watauga County ZIP code map
About Watauga County
Watauga County is located in North Carolina and contains 8 ZIP codes across 7 cities and communities.
The county's population was 54,234 as of 2021,
an increase of
6.2% from 51,079 in 2010.
The timezone is Central Time (observes DST).
The Federal Information Processing System (FIPS) code for Watauga County is 37189.
| Population | |
|---|---|
| 2021 population | 54,234 |
| 2010 population | 51,079 |
| Change | +6.2% |
| County details | |
|---|---|
| State | North Carolina |
| FIPS code | 37189 |
| Timezone | Central |
| Daylight saving | Yes |
Cities in Watauga County
ZIP codes for Watauga County, NC (8)
| ZIP code | City | County | Map |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28605 | Blowing Rock | Watauga | View map |
| 28607 | Boone | Watauga | View map |
| 28608 | Boone | Watauga | View map |
| 28618 | Deep Gap | Watauga | View map |
| 28679 | Sugar Grove | Watauga | View map |
| 28691 | Valle Crucis | Watauga | View map |
| 28692 | Vilas | Watauga | View map |
| 28698 | Zionville | Watauga | View map |
Demographics & statistics
57,849
Population
32.2
Median age
$50,275
Median household income
$31,613
Per capita income
$276,900
Median home value
$1,008
Median monthly rent
74.2%
Home ownership
13.1%
Poverty rate
5.3%
Unemployment
28,480
Housing units
38.8%
Bachelor's or higher
Age distribution
Male
Female
941
Under 5
852
1,113
5–9
1,007
1,032
10–14
934
4,228
15–19
3,828
5,694
20–24
5,155
3,155
25–34
2,856
2,775
35–44
2,513
2,966
45–54
2,685
1,631
55–59
1,477
1,889
60–64
1,711
3,014
65–74
2,728
1,441
75–84
1,304
483
85+
437
← Male
Female →
Age summary
| Group | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 7,131 | 15.5% |
| 18 and over | 50,718 | 84.5% |
| 65 and over | 9,407 | 19.7% |
| Median age | 32.2 years | |
Race & ethnicity
White
89.3%
Two or more races
3.4%
Hispanic or Latino
2.8%
Black or African American
1.8%
Asian
1.3%
Other race
0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.6%
| Group | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| White | 53,131 | 89.3% |
| Two or more races | 2,027 | 3.4% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 1,645 | 2.8% |
| Black or African American | 1,098 | 1.8% |
| Asian | 781 | 1.3% |
| Other race | 442 | 0.7% |
| American Indian / Alaska Native | 347 | 0.6% |
Household income
Under $10k
7.1%
$10k–$15k
3.4%
$15k–$25k
8.8%
$25k–$35k
10.0%
$35k–$50k
15.6%
$50k–$75k
15.4%
$75k–$100k
12.7%
$100k–$150k
14.7%
$150k–$200k
6.1%
$200k+
6.3%
| Range | % of households |
|---|---|
| Under $10k | 7.1% |
| $10k–$15k | 3.4% |
| $15k–$25k | 8.8% |
| $25k–$35k | 10.0% |
| $35k–$50k | 15.6% |
| $50k–$75k | 15.4% |
| $75k–$100k | 12.7% |
| $100k–$150k | 14.7% |
| $150k–$200k | 6.1% |
| $200k+ | 6.3% |
| Median income | $50,275 |
Housing
Home values
Under $50k
5.3%
$50k–$100k
3.5%
$100k–$150k
9.5%
$150k–$200k
9.9%
$200k–$300k
28.5%
$300k–$500k
27.3%
$500k–$1M
13.5%
$1M+
2.5%
Housing overview
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Median home value | $276,900 |
| Median rent / month | $1,008 |
| Owner occupied | 74.2% |
| Renter occupied | 25.8% |
| Vacant | 38.5% |
| Single-family detached | 71.9% |
| Large apartment buildings | 2.8% |
| Mobile homes | 10.0% |
| Median rooms | 5.6 |
| Avg household size (owned) | 2.30 |
Year built
| Era | % |
|---|---|
| 2020 or later | 0.2% |
| 2010–2019 | 5.4% |
| 2000–2009 | 18.0% |
| 1990–1999 | 19.7% |
| 1980–1989 | 19.3% |
| 1970–1979 | 14.9% |
| 1960–1969 | 7.2% |
| 1950–1959 | 5.7% |
| 1940–1949 | 2.9% |
| 1939 or earlier | 6.7% |
Bedrooms
| Size | % of units |
|---|---|
| No bedroom (studio) | 1.3% |
| 1 bedroom | 5.6% |
| 2 bedrooms | 29.2% |
| 3 bedrooms | 45.7% |
| 4 bedrooms | 14.3% |
| 5+ bedrooms | 3.8% |
Vehicles per household
| Vehicles | % of households |
|---|---|
| No vehicle | 4.0% |
| 1 vehicle | 29.7% |
| 2 vehicles | 40.5% |
| 3 or more | 25.9% |
Heating fuel
| Fuel type | % |
|---|---|
| Utility gas | 3.1% |
| Electricity | 44.1% |
| Propane / LP gas | 23.2% |
| Fuel oil | 19.6% |
| Wood | 9.3% |
| No fuel used | 0.4% |
Households & families
| Household type | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Married-couple family | 9,601 | 49.1% |
| Cohabiting couple | 1,260 | 4.8% |
| Male householder, no spouse | 5,036 | 20.9% |
| Female householder, no spouse | 6,387 | 25.1% |
| Households with children under 18 | 4,046 | 19.9% |
| Households with seniors (65+) | 6,535 | 32.9% |
| Average household size | 2.30 | |
Marital status
| Status | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Never married | 31.1% | 28.3% |
| Married | 51.4% | 50.5% |
| Separated | 1.3% | 1.3% |
| Widowed | 2.2% | 8.5% |
| Divorced | 14.1% | 11.3% |
Education
Less than 9th grade
3.2%
Some HS, no diploma
4.6%
HS graduate
25.1%
Some college, no degree
20.6%
Associate's degree
7.7%
Bachelor's degree
20.8%
Graduate / professional
18.1%
| Metric | % |
|---|---|
| HS diploma or higher | 92.2% |
| Bachelor's or higher | 38.8% |
School enrollment (ages 3–17)
| Type | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Nursery / preschool | 520 | 5.3% |
| Kindergarten | 346 | 4.2% |
| Elementary school | 3,187 | 35.2% |
| High school | 1,756 | 14.9% |
| College / grad school | 16,894 | 40.4% |
Employment
Industry of employment
Education & healthcare
25.4%
Retail trade
16.2%
Arts, food & hospitality
15.6%
Professional & management
8.4%
Construction
8.2%
Manufacturing
4.9%
Finance & real estate
4.9%
Public administration
4.4%
Transportation & utilities
3.9%
Other services
3.5%
Agriculture & mining
2.2%
Wholesale trade
1.2%
Information
1.2%
Occupation
| Category | % |
|---|---|
| Management, business & arts | 37.5% |
| Service | 20.6% |
| Sales & office | 24.6% |
| Natural resources & construction | 8.7% |
| Production & transportation | 8.6% |
Employment type
| Type | % |
|---|---|
| Private sector | 72.2% |
| Government | 19.1% |
| Self-employed | 8.6% |
| Unpaid family workers | 0.1% |
Commute
| Method | % |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 79.6% |
| Carpool | 7.8% |
| Public transit | 0.4% |
| Walk | 1.9% |
| Other means | 0.5% |
| Avg commute (minutes) | 24.7 |
Poverty
All people
13.1%
Under 18 years
7.8%
18 and over
13.8%
Married-couple families
2.5%
Female-led households
25.0%
Income support
| Source | % of households |
|---|---|
| Social Security | 36.5% |
| Retirement income | 25.3% |
| Supplemental Security | 3.7% |
| Cash public assistance | 1.9% |
| Food stamps / SNAP | 6.3% |
Health indicators
| Condition | % |
|---|---|
| High blood pressure | 32.5% |
| High cholesterol | 35.5% |
| Heart disease | 6.7% |
| Stroke | 3.1% |
| Asthma | 9.1% |
| Arthritis | 25.4% |
| Kidney disease | 3.0% |
| Pulmonary disease | 7.2% |
| Cancer | 6.8% |
| Behavior / access | % |
|---|---|
| Binge drinking | 16.1% |
| No physical activity | 20.4% |
| Less than 7 hrs sleep | 28.5% |
| Fair or poor health | 13.0% |
| Poor mental health | 14.6% |
| Poor physical health | 10.4% |
| No health insurance | 15.2% |
| Visited doctor (checkup) | 76.1% |
| Visited dentist | 66.0% |
| Cholesterol screening | 88.3% |
| Teeth loss | 13.4% |
Veterans & disability
| Veterans | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Civilian veterans | 2,589 | 7.1% |
| Disability | % |
|---|---|
| Any disability | 11.4% |
| Under 18 | 3.0% |
| 18–64 years | 9.2% |
| 65 and over | 26.5% |
Health insurance coverage
| Type | % |
|---|---|
| Private insurance | 70.2% |
| Public insurance | 32.7% |
| Uninsured under 19 | 2.2% |
Language & origin
Language spoken at home (age 5+)
| Language | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| English only | 56,056 | 95.8% |
| Spanish | 866 | 2.3% |
| Other Indo-European | 585 | 2.0% |
| Asian & Pacific Islander | 154 | 0.2% |
| Other languages | 113 | 0.1% |
Place of birth & citizenship
| Origin | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Native born (US) | 55,938 | 96.7% |
| Born in same state | 55,457 | 95.7% |
| Born in different state | 35,337 | 61.8% |
| Foreign born | 481 | 1.0% |
| Naturalized citizen | 1,911 | 3.3% |
| Not a US citizen | 767 | 40.8% |
Ancestry
| Ancestry | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| French | 10,042 | 17.4% |
| Arab | 7,288 | 12.6% |
| Italian | 7,149 | 12.4% |
| English | 420 | 0.7% |
| Polish | 391 | 0.7% |
| Ancestry | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| German | 240 | 0.4% |
| Irish | 230 | 0.4% |
| Norwegian | 112 | 0.2% |
| Dutch | 102 | 0.2% |
Technology access
| Metric | % of households |
|---|---|
| Computer access | 42.0% |
| Internet access | 89.0% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.
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