PlainZIP

Gatesville, NC · standard

ZIP Code 27938

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

1,505
11/sq mi
$65,217
Median income
$151,200
Median home value
8.4%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

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

39th pct
household income, US ZIPs
26th pct
home value, US ZIPs
11
people per sq mi
80%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 27938 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 27938 covers 132.0 square miles in Gatesville, Gates County, North Carolina (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 1,505 residents on file, a density of 11 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.

ZIP 27938 reports a modest median household income of $65,217 (6% below the North Carolina average), while per-capita income is $29,595. 11.0% of residents live below the poverty line, and the unemployment rate reads 11.5%. Median home value sits at $151,200 (42% below the state average), median rent at $984 a month, and owner-occupancy at 79.8%.

Formal educational attainment runs low here: just 8.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 55.3, and the average commute is -. To put 27938 in local context, 7 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles appear further down this page alongside 5 additional ZIPs in Gates County, for a geography-aware comparison.

Every figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (including median rent) and the FHFA House Price Index, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with Census →

Top industries in ZIP 27938

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Gatesville, NC

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 27938.

establishments

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 · ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) As of 2023

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 27938, Gatesville, NC · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.

Quick Facts

1,505

Population

132.0

Area (sq mi)

11

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 27938?

55.3

Median Age

54.0%

Male

46.0%

Female

2.0%

Foreign-Born

White 43.0%
African American 46.8%
Asian 0.0%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 10.1%
Hispanic or Latino 5.8%

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?

$65,217

Median Household Income

-6% vs state

$29,595

Per Capita Income

11.0%

Poverty Rate

11.5%

Unemployment Rate

How ZIP 27938 ranks nationally

Gatesville, NC household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$65,217 39th percentile higher than 39% of 30,318 US ZIPs

$0–$20,000: 118 US ZIPs (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 1,573 US ZIPs (5%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 7,092 US ZIPs (23%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). This entry sits in this band. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 2,855 US ZIPs (9%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 1,362 US ZIPs (4%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 686 US ZIPs (2%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 364 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 186 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 324 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. This ZIP $0 $200K+ every reporting US ZIP, bucketed by value

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 53.1%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 8.4%

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

What does housing look like?

868

Total Housing Units

722

Occupied Units

146

Vacant Units

2.39

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 79.8%
Renter 20.2%

$151,200

Median Home Value

-42% vs state

$984

Median Rent

1987

Median Year Built

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

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 39 business establishments in ZIP 27938, employing approximately 505 people with a combined annual payroll of $27,321,000.

39

Businesses

505

Employees

$27.3M

Annual Payroll

8

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Transportation and warehousing 5 12.8%
Professional, scientific, and technical services 5 12.8%
Other services (except public administration) 5 12.8%
Retail trade 4 10.3%
Finance and insurance 4 10.3%
Health care and social assistance 4 10.3%
Construction 3 7.7%
Manufacturing 3 7.7%

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 27938 vs 27946 →

ZIP 27938 vs its nearest neighbors, by population

Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

residents

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 27938 ranks #5 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.

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

ZIP 27938 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income

Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

median income

What this shows By household income, ZIP 27938 ranks #5 of 8 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023
ZIP Code City Population Distance
27946 Hobbsville, NC 1,207 6.8 mi
27942 Harrellsville, NC 901 7.3 mi
27937 Gates, NC 4,333 8.9 mi
27935 Eure, NC 1,698 8.5 mi
27922 Cofield, NC 1,030 8.5 mi
27980 Tyner, NC 2,182 11.1 mi
27926 Corapeake, NC 1,915 11.1 mi

More ZIP Codes in Gates County

27937 standard
Gates, NC
Pop: 4,333
27926 standard
Corapeake, NC
Pop: 1,915
27979 standard
Sunbury, NC
Pop: 1,719
27935 standard
Eure, NC
Pop: 1,698
27946 standard
Hobbsville, NC
Pop: 1,207

Related Areas

Gates County Gatesville, NC North Carolina

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 27938 in? ▼
ZIP code 27938 (Gatesville) is located in Gates County, North Carolina. Gates County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/gates-nc.
What is the population of ZIP code 27938? ▼
ZIP code 27938 in Gatesville, NC has a population of 1,505 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 27938? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 27938 is $65,217, which is 15% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 27938? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 27938 is $151,200, which is 46% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 27938? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 27938 is African American at 46.8%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 5.8% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 27938? ▼
ZIP code 27938 has 39 business establishments employing approximately 505 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 27938? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 27938 are: Transportation and warehousing (5), Professional, scientific, and technical services (5), Other services (except public administration) (5). There are 8 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 27938? ▼
In ZIP code 27938, 53.1% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 8.4% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 27938? ▼
In ZIP code 27938, approximately 79.8% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 20.2% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 27938? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 27938 is 11.0% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.

Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.