ZIP 28138 vs ZIP 28072

This side-by-side compares ZIP 28138 (Rockwell, NC) and ZIP 28072 (Granite Quarry, NC) using the same Census ACS 5-Year table fields for both — no averages swapped in, no national proxies. ZIP 28138 has a population of 10,495 at 91 people per square mile, while ZIP 28072 has 1,357 at 483 per square mile. That difference in population size and density alone reshapes how every other metric should be interpreted — a higher-income ZIP with 1,200 residents behaves very differently from one with 45,000.

On income and education, ZIP 28138 reports a median household income of $66,896 against $93,125 in ZIP 28072, with per-capita income of $33,461 vs $39,342. The share of adults holding a bachelor's degree or higher is 19.6% in 28138 and 39.5% in 28072. Poverty rate reads 6.5% vs 4.3%, and unemployment 1.9% vs 2.4% — these four fields alone drive most of the difference in the scorecard grades you will see for each ZIP.

Housing separates these two ZIPs further: median home value sits at $216,100 in 28138 versus $306,100 in 28072, with median rent of $966 and $682 per month respectively. Homeownership rate is 71.3% vs 88.7%. When reading the comparison table below, focus on paired metrics rather than single winners — a ZIP with lower home values and lower income is not strictly "worse" if rent-to-income ratios and commute times land in the same zone. Every value is pulled from the exact same ACS table so the two columns are genuinely comparable.