Dobson, NC · standard

ZIP Code 27017

Surry County, North Carolina — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.

Reviewed by PlainZIP Editorial Team, ZIP Code Data Editors · June 14, 2026

9,597
35/sq mi: $59,329
Median income: $152,800
Median home value: 15.3%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Dobson pairs a below-median household income with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

28th pct
household income, US ZIPs: 26th pct
home value, US ZIPs: 35
people per sq mi: 78%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 27017 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 27017 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 278.2 square miles in Dobson, Surry County, North Carolina. The area is home to 9,597 residents, producing a population density of 35 people per square mile, and falls within the New York time zone. These USPS and Census boundary values drive every downstream statistic on this page, including the benchmarks that compare 27017 against North Carolina and the nation.

On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 27017 sits at $59,329 (14% below the North Carolina average), while per-capita income is $33,546. The poverty rate stands at 17.6% and the unemployment rate at 5.6%. On housing, the median home value is $152,800 (41% below the state average) with median rent at $704 per month, and 77.8% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 27017 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.

Education and household profile round out the picture: 15.3% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 40, and the average commute is 24 minutes. We also surface 4 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Surry County, so you can benchmark 27017 against its immediate geography rather than a national average alone. Every figure is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, HUD Fair Market Rents, and FHFA Home Price Index data, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with HUD →

Top industries in ZIP 27017

Retail trade

33
Health care and social assistance

21
Construction

20
Accommodation and food services

17
Other services (except public administration)

17

What this shows Establishment counts come from the Census ZIP Code Business Patterns program, which counts physical business locations rather than employees or revenue.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + HUD FMR + FHFA HPI ACS demographics, ZBP business establishments, HUD Fair Market Rents, FHFA HPI for ZIP 27017, Dobson, NC · 2023 Accessed 2026-06-14 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; HUD FMR + FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.

Quick Facts

9,597

Population

278.2

Area (sq mi)

People / sq mi

New York

Time Zone

standard

ZIP Type

Neighborhood Scorecard

Get an A-F grade across income, safety, housing, rent, education, commute, and childcare for this ZIP code.

View Scorecard →

Who lives in ZIP 27017?

40.0

Median Age

48.2%

Male

51.8%

Female

12.9%

Foreign-Born

White 71.3%

African American 2.9%

Asian 0.6%

American Indian or Alaska Native 0.2%

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%

Two or More Ethnicities 15.4%

Hispanic or Latino 30.1%

Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

How much do residents earn?

$59,329

Median Household Income

-14% vs state

$33,546

Per Capita Income

17.6%

Poverty Rate

5.6%

Unemployment Rate

24.0 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 27017 ranks nationally

Household income vs. every US ZIP code

Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked

$59,329 28th percentile higher than 28% of 30,318 US ZIPs

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US ZIPs. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau — ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2019–2023

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What is the education profile here?

High School Graduate or Higher 43.2%

Bachelor's Degree or Higher 15.3%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What does housing look like?

4,292

Total Housing Units

3,887

Occupied Units

405

Vacant Units

2.49

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 77.8%

Renter 22.2%

$152,800

Median Home Value

-41% vs state

$704

Median Rent

1986

Median Year Built

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

How have home values changed over time?

FHFA House Price Index, annual appreciation data based on repeat sales and appraisals

+13.7%

YoY Change (2024)

228

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+128%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 27017 have increased 13.7% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +128% cumulative appreciation.

Year	Annual Change	HPI Index
2020	-2.5%	137
2021	+7.9%	148
2022	+16.1%	172
2023	+16.4%	200
2024	+13.7%	228

Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index, All-Transactions, Five-Digit ZIP Codes (Developmental Index). Index base = 100 in year 2000. Data through 2024. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 164 business establishments in ZIP 27017, employing approximately 2,450 people with a combined annual payroll of $99,456,000.

164

Businesses

2,450

Employees

$99.5M

Annual Payroll

Industry Sectors

Industry	Establishments	% of Total
Retail trade	33	20.1%
Health care and social assistance	21	12.8%
Construction	20	12.2%
Accommodation and food services	17	10.4%
Other services (except public administration)	17	10.4%
Finance and insurance	12	7.3%
Manufacturing	11	6.7%
Professional, scientific, and technical services	9	5.5%
Transportation and warehousing	7	4.3%
Wholesale trade	6	3.7%
Information	3	1.8%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services	3	1.8%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.

Nearby ZIP Codes

Want a side-by-side? Compare 27017 vs 28676 →

27030

38,374
28621

10,472
27017

9,597
28676

3,483
27024

2,733

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 27017 ranks #3 by population — useful context the national average alone can't give.

27024

$62,813
28676

$60,833
27017

$59,329
28621

$53,616
27030

$46,377

What this shows By household income, ZIP 27017 ranks #3 of 5 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

ZIP Code	City	Population	Distance
28676	State Road, NC	3,483	6.5 mi
28621	Elkin, NC	10,472	6.6 mi
27024	Lowgap, NC	2,733	10.8 mi
27030	Mount Airy, NC	38,374	10.4 mi

More ZIP Codes in Surry County

Surry County Dobson, NC North Carolina

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 27017 in? ▼

ZIP code 27017 (Dobson) is located in Surry County, North Carolina. Surry County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/surry-nc.

What is the population of ZIP code 27017? ▼

ZIP code 27017 in Dobson, NC has a population of 9,597 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in ZIP 27017? ▼

The median household income in ZIP 27017 is $59,329, which is 22% below the national average of $76,288.

What is the average home value in ZIP 27017? ▼

The median home value in ZIP 27017 is $152,800, which is 45% below the national average of $278,155.

What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 27017? ▼

The largest racial group in ZIP 27017 is White at 71.3%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 30.1% of the population.

How many businesses are in ZIP code 27017? ▼

ZIP code 27017 has 164 business establishments employing approximately 2,450 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.

What are the main industries in ZIP code 27017? ▼

The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 27017 are: Retail trade (33), Health care and social assistance (21), Construction (20). There are 12 industry sectors represented in total.

How have home values changed in ZIP code 27017? ▼

According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 27017 increased by 13.7% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 128%. This is a developmental index based on repeat sales and appraisal data from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

What is the education level in ZIP code 27017? ▼

In ZIP code 27017, 43.2% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 15.3% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).

What is the average commute time in ZIP 27017? ▼

The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 27017 is 24.0 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend less time traveling to work than typical.

What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 27017? ▼

In ZIP code 27017, approximately 77.8% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 22.2% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 27017? ▼

The poverty rate in ZIP code 27017 is 17.6% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.