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 Low-density area
- $65,217
- Median income Near-median income area
- $151,200
- Median home value Below-median home value
- 8.4%
- Bachelor's or higher Below-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
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 average North Carolina ZIP), while per-capita income is $29,595. Unemployment is 11.5%, an important qualifier alongside the household-income figure. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $151,200 (42% below the average North Carolina ZIP), and median rent is $984; owner occupancy is 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 -. The page also surfaces 7 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 5 more in Gates County, so 27938 can be compared with both its immediate and county-level context.
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.
- Transportation and warehousing
Transportation and warehousing
5 establishments
- Professional, scientific, and technical services
Professional, scientific, and technical services
5 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
5 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
4 establishments
- Finance and insurance
Finance and insurance
4 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, 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
Who lives in ZIP 27938?
55.3
Median Age
54.0%
Male
46.0%
Female
2.0%
Foreign-Born
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 ZIP avg
$29,595
Per Capita Income
11.0%
Poverty Rate
11.5%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 27938 ranks among North Carolina ZIPs
Gatesville, NC household income vs. every North Carolina ZIP code
Median household income among 749 reporting North Carolina ZIPs (this ZIP's population is too small for a reliable national-corpus placement)
$65,217 Top 50% higher than 50% of 749 North Carolina ZIPs
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more North Carolina 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?
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What does housing look like?
Housing stock: occupied vs vacant
868housing units
868
Total Housing Units
722
Occupied Units
146
Vacant Units
2.39
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$151,200
Median Home Value
-42% vs state ZIP avg
$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.
- 27937
Gates (27937)
4,333 residents
- 27980
Tyner (27980)
2,182 residents
- 27926
Corapeake (27926)
1,915 residents
- 27935 1,698
Eure (27935)
1,698 residents
- 27938 1,505
Gatesville (27938)
1,505 residents
- 27946 1,207
Hobbsville (27946)
1,207 residents
- 27922 1,030
Cofield (27922)
1,030 residents
- 27942 901
Harrellsville (27942)
901 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 27938 ranks #5 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 27938 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 27935
Eure (27935)
$82,115 median income
- 27946
Hobbsville (27946)
$74,421 median income
- 27937
Gates (27937)
$70,086 median income
- 27980
Tyner (27980)
$66,111 median income
- 27938
Gatesville (27938)
$65,217 median income
- 27926
Corapeake (27926)
$57,333 median income
- 27922
Cofield (27922)
$49,250 median income
- 27942
Harrellsville (27942)
$44,271 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.
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 27938, both outside NC so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment (Nearby and same-county blocks stay local).
Similar population
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by resident population (1,505 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Gates County
Related Areas
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.
Related
Take this with you
What to do with ZIP 27938's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 27938 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Gatesville, NC ranks among every U.S. ZIP code on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
- Save this ZIP to your shortlist to track alongside others you're considering View your shortlist
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.