28697 ZIP Code — Wilkesboro, NC

Wilkes County, North Carolina

ZIP code 28697 is located in Wilkesboro, North Carolina, within Wilkes County. It covers approximately 62.33 square miles and serves a population of 13,751 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 336.

About ZIP code 28697

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 $183,800. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 65%.

Median household income is $47,340. Poverty affects 19% of residents, above the national average. 42% 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 22 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 25% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Overall, ZIP code 28697 reflects a community defined by economic challenges above the national average and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

13,751

population

62.33

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

28697 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 28697

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 28697. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Wilkesboro	Acceptable
Wilkesboro	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

28656 North Wilkesboro (1.6 mi) 28654 Moravian Falls (5.2 mi) 28659 North Wilkesboro (5.7 mi) 28606 Boomer (10.4 mi) 28669 Roaring River (10.7 mi) 28651 Millers Creek (11.2 mi) 28665 Purlear (12.6 mi) 28649 Mc Grady (13.3 mi) 28670 Ronda (13.5 mi) 28635 Hays (13.7 mi) 28624 Ferguson (14.9 mi) 28636 Hiddenite (15 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	13,751
Population density	221 / sq mi
State FIPS	37
County FIPS	193

Geography
Land area	62.33 sq mi
Water area	1.80 sq mi
Latitude	36.1377
Longitude	-81.1584
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	53.0%	56.2%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	28.7%	29.4%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	15.7%	12.0%	19.1%
Over $200k	2.6%	2.5%	6.0%

Demographics & statistics

13,751

Population

221

People per sq mi

42.1

Median age

$47,340

Median household income

$28,577

Per capita income

$183,800

Median home value

$724

Median monthly rent

65.4%

Home ownership

19.2%

Poverty rate

5.4%

Unemployment

4,394

Housing units

25.3%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

343

Under 5

398

413

5–9

479

561

10–14

650

432

15–19

500

356

20–24

411

811

25–34

939

629

35–44

728

535

45–54

619

593

55–59

686

367

60–64

425

589

65–74

681

372

75–84

431

372

85+

431

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	3,381	24.6%
18 and over	10,370	75.4%
65 and over	2,876	20.9%
Median age	42.1 years

Race & ethnicity

White 79.9%

Hispanic or Latino 6.2%

Two or more races 4.5%

Black or African American 4.2%

Other race 3.6%

Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.3%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	11,713	79.9%
Hispanic or Latino	909	6.2%
Two or more races	665	4.5%
Black or African American	623	4.2%
Other race	534	3.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	197	1.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native	19	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	53.0%	56.2%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	28.7%	29.4%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	15.7%	12.0%	19.1%
Over $200k	2.6%	2.5%	6.0%

Under $10k 4.7%

$10k–$15k 6.0%

$15k–$25k 14.6%

$25k–$35k 12.4%

$35k–$50k 13.9%

$50k–$75k 15.5%

$75k–$100k 12.9%

$100k–$150k 13.1%

$150k–$200k 3.8%

$200k+ 3.2%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	4.7%
$10k–$15k	6.0%
$15k–$25k	14.6%
$25k–$35k	12.4%
$35k–$50k	13.9%
$50k–$75k	15.5%
$75k–$100k	12.9%
$100k–$150k	13.1%
$150k–$200k	3.8%
$200k+	3.2%
Median income	$47,340

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 13.2%

$50k–$100k 8.6%

$100k–$150k 15.8%

$150k–$200k 17.8%

$200k–$300k 26.3%

$300k–$500k 11.6%

$500k–$1M 6.6%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$183,800
Median rent / month	$724
Owner occupied	65.4%
Renter occupied	34.6%
Vacant	10.6%
Single-family detached	67.5%
Large apartment buildings	5.7%
Mobile homes	16.6%
Median rooms	5.3
Avg household size (owned)	2.49

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	10.2%
2000–2009	8.4%
1990–1999	15.4%
1980–1989	13.4%
1970–1979	19.7%
1960–1969	14.6%
1950–1959	10.8%
1940–1949	3.7%
1939 or earlier	3.7%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	2.1%
1 bedroom	3.8%
2 bedrooms	31.7%
3 bedrooms	43.0%
4 bedrooms	16.7%
5+ bedrooms	2.8%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	5.5%
1 vehicle	35.4%
2 vehicles	34.4%
3 or more	24.7%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	1.5%
Electricity	79.0%
Propane / LP gas	9.7%
Fuel oil	7.1%
Wood	1.6%
No fuel used	0.8%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	2,475	43.5%
Cohabiting couple	377	6.6%
Male householder, no spouse	763	13.4%
Female householder, no spouse	2,072	36.4%
Households with children under 18	1,843	32.4%
Households with seniors (65+)	2,020	35.5%
Average household size	2.35

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	29.7%	20.9%
Married	52.9%	41.1%
Separated	0.8%	5.4%
Widowed	3.5%	20.7%
Divorced	13.1%	11.9%

Education

Less than 9th grade 5.5%

Some HS, no diploma 8.8%

HS graduate 30.6%

Some college, no degree 20.5%

Associate's degree 9.3%

Bachelor's degree 18.6%

Graduate / professional 6.7%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	85.7%
Bachelor's or higher	25.3%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	78	2.5%
Kindergarten	196	6.2%
Elementary school	1,635	52.1%
High school	709	22.6%
College / grad school	522	16.6%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 21.1%

Retail trade 16.4%

Manufacturing 14.8%

Arts, food & hospitality 8.1%

Other services 7.7%

Transportation & utilities 6.9%

Construction 6.0%

Professional & management 6.0%

Public administration 5.4%

Finance & real estate 3.4%

Agriculture & mining 1.9%

Wholesale trade 1.5%

Information 0.8%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	31.6%
Service	21.4%
Sales & office	20.3%
Natural resources & construction	5.9%
Production & transportation	20.7%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	79.0%
Government	13.7%
Self-employed	7.3%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	88.3%
Carpool	4.8%
Public transit	0.3%
Walk	0.9%
Work from home	5.5%
Other means	0.3%
Avg commute (minutes)	22.2

Poverty

All people 19.2%

Under 18 years 31.2%

18 and over 15.2%

Married-couple families 9.3%

Female-led households 32.7%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	42.2%
Retirement income	23.4%
Supplemental Security	4.2%
Cash public assistance	0.5%
Food stamps / SNAP	16.3%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	36.8%
High blood pressure	36.6%
High cholesterol	38.4%
Diabetes	11.7%
Heart disease	7.9%
Stroke	3.9%
Asthma	9.1%
Arthritis	29.3%
Kidney disease	3.5%
Pulmonary disease	8.6%
Cancer	7.7%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	19.6%
Binge drinking	15.0%
No physical activity	24.9%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	30.8%
Depression	23.3%
Fair or poor health	15.6%
Poor mental health	14.2%
Poor physical health	11.8%
No health insurance	18.1%
Visited doctor (checkup)	79.1%
Visited dentist	64.3%
Cholesterol screening	90.3%
Teeth loss	16.0%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	844	8.1%

Disability	%
Any disability	16.8%
Under 18	2.8%
18–64 years	14.7%
65 and over	40.5%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	59.2%
Public insurance	45.6%
No insurance	9.1%
Uninsured under 19	1.1%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	13,010	94.6%
Spanish	196	1.5%
Other Indo-European	196	1.5%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	13,331	96.9%
Born in same state	13,176	95.8%
Born in different state	10,295	74.9%
Foreign born	155	1.1%
Naturalized citizen	420	3.1%
Not a US citizen	191	45.5%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	4,547	33.1%
French	1,808	13.1%
Italian	887	6.5%
English	200	1.5%

Ancestry	Count	%
Dutch	45	0.3%
Irish	23	0.2%
Norwegian	9	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	41.4%
Internet access	88.0%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 28697

What city is ZIP code 28697 in?

ZIP code 28697 is primarily assigned to Wilkesboro, North Carolina.

What county is ZIP code 28697 in?

ZIP code 28697 falls within Wilkes County, North Carolina.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 28697?

19% of residents in ZIP code 28697 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

Does ZIP code 28697 have a large retiree population?

42% of households in ZIP code 28697 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 28697?

The median home value in ZIP code 28697 is $183,800.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 28697?

The median household income in ZIP code 28697 is $47,340, below the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 28697 in?

ZIP code 28697 observes the EST timezone.