Deep Gap, NC · standard
ZIP Code 28618
Watauga County, North Carolina — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 2,352
- 23/sq mi
- $59,653
- Median income
- $338,400
- Median home value
- 34.8%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
Deep Gap pairs a below-median household income with above-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 28th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 28%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 23
- people per sq mi
- 75%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 28618 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 28618 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 102.3 square miles in Deep Gap, Watauga County, North Carolina. The area is home to 2,352 residents, producing a population density of 23 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 28618 against North Carolina and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 28618 sits at $59,653 (14% below the North Carolina average), while per-capita income is $33,451. The poverty rate stands at 10.5% and the unemployment rate at 4.3%. On housing, the median home value is $338,400 (30% above the state average) with median rent at $1,250 per month, and 75.4% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 28618 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 34.8% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 39.2, and the average commute is —. We also surface 5 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Watauga County, so you can benchmark 28618 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 28618
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 28618.
- Construction
Construction
16 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
7 establishments
- Wholesale trade 4
Wholesale trade
4 establishments
- Professional, scientific, and technical services 4
Professional, scientific, and technical services
4 establishments
- Manufacturing 3
Manufacturing
3 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 + HUD FMR + FHFA HPI ACS demographics, ZBP business establishments, HUD Fair Market Rents, FHFA HPI for ZIP 28618, Deep Gap, NC · 2023 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
2,352
Population
102.3
Area (sq mi)
23
People / sq mi
New York
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 28618?
39.2
Median Age
50.2%
Male
49.8%
Female
2.1%
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?
$59,653
Median Household Income
-14% vs state
$33,451
Per Capita Income
10.5%
Poverty Rate
4.3%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 28618 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$59,653 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?
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What does housing look like?
1,320
Total Housing Units
837
Occupied Units
483
Vacant Units
2.60
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$338,400
Median Home Value
+30% vs state
$1,250
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 52 business establishments in ZIP 28618, employing approximately 426 people with a combined annual payroll of $18,225,000.
52
Businesses
426
Employees
$18.2M
Annual Payroll
8
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | 16 | 30.8% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 7 | 13.5% |
| Wholesale trade | 4 | 7.7% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 4 | 7.7% |
| Manufacturing | 3 | 5.8% |
| Retail trade | 3 | 5.8% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 3 | 5.8% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 3 | 5.8% |
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 28618 vs 28626 →
ZIP 28618 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 28607
Boone (28607)
33,059 residents
- 28626 2,714
Fleetwood (28626)
2,714 residents
- 28665 2,571
Purlear (28665)
2,571 residents
- 28618 2,352
Deep Gap (28618)
2,352 residents
- 28684 2,141
Todd (28684)
2,141 residents
- 28624 1,639
Ferguson (28624)
1,639 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 28618 ranks #4 by population — useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 28618 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 28626
Fleetwood (28626)
$73,675 median income
- 28684
Todd (28684)
$69,307 median income
- 28618
Deep Gap (28618)
$59,653 median income
- 28624
Ferguson (28624)
$51,836 median income
- 28607
Boone (28607)
$46,639 median income
- 28665
Purlear (28665)
$45,685 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 28618 ranks #3 of 6 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
More ZIP Codes in Watauga County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 28618 in? ▼
What is the population of ZIP code 28618? ▼
What is the median household income in ZIP 28618? ▼
What is the average home value in ZIP 28618? ▼
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 28618? ▼
How many businesses are in ZIP code 28618? ▼
What are the main industries in ZIP code 28618? ▼
What is the education level in ZIP code 28618? ▼
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 28618? ▼
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 28618? ▼
ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for Deep Gap, NC
Verify and explore additional data for this area using these official government sources.
Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.