PlainZIP

Hiddenite, NC · standard

ZIP Code 28636

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

5,522
36/sq mi
$65,435
Median income
$225,100
Median home value
8.3%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

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

39th pct
household income, US ZIPs
Top 49%
home value, US ZIPs
36
people per sq mi
80%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 28636 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 28636 is a mid-sized community (a standard USPS delivery area) in Hiddenite, Alexander County, North Carolina, home to 5,522 residents across 154.2 square miles, a density of 36 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.

ZIP 28636 reports a modest median household income of $65,435 (5% below the North Carolina average), while per-capita income is $31,714. The poverty rate stands at 11.5% and the unemployment rate at 5.8%. Median home value sits at $225,100 (13% below the state average), median rent at $761 a month, and owner-occupancy at 79.6%.

Formal educational attainment runs low here: just 8.3% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 43.8, and the average commute is 28 minutes. We also surface 3 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 2 additional ZIPs sharing Alexander County, so you can benchmark 28636 against its immediate geography rather than a national average alone.

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 28636

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Hiddenite, NC

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 28636.

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 28636, Hiddenite, 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

5,522

Population

154.2

Area (sq mi)

36

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 28636?

43.8

Median Age

51.5%

Male

48.5%

Female

2.5%

Foreign-Born

White 88.2%
African American 1.4%
Asian 0.0%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 8.2%
Hispanic or Latino 4.6%

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?

$65,435

Median Household Income

-5% vs state

$31,714

Per Capita Income

11.5%

Poverty Rate

5.8%

Unemployment Rate

28.1 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 28636 ranks nationally

Hiddenite, NC household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$65,435 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 52.0%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 8.3%

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

What does housing look like?

1,958

Total Housing Units

1,860

Occupied Units

98

Vacant Units

2.41

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 79.6%
Renter 20.4%

$225,100

Median Home Value

-13% vs state

$761

Median Rent

1985

Median Year Built

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

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 61 business establishments in ZIP 28636, employing approximately 1,079 people with a combined annual payroll of $43,546,000.

61

Businesses

1,079

Employees

$43.5M

Annual Payroll

9

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Construction 12 19.7%
Manufacturing 9 14.8%
Other services (except public administration) 8 13.1%
Retail trade 6 9.8%
Transportation and warehousing 5 8.2%
Finance and insurance 4 6.6%
Professional, scientific, and technical services 4 6.6%
Accommodation and food services 4 6.6%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 3 4.9%

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 28636 vs 28678 →

ZIP 28636 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 28636 ranks the most populous - useful context the national average alone can't give.

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

ZIP 28636 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 28636 ranks #3 of 4 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
28678 Stony Point, NC 5,226 7.5 mi
28654 Moravian Falls, NC 3,495 9.5 mi
28689 Union Grove, NC 1,712 10.0 mi

More ZIP Codes in Alexander County

28681 standard
Taylorsville, NC
Pop: 25,910
28678 standard
Stony Point, NC
Pop: 5,226

Related Areas

Alexander County Hiddenite, NC North Carolina

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 28636 in? ▼
ZIP code 28636 (Hiddenite) is located in Alexander County, North Carolina. Alexander County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/alexander-nc.
What is the population of ZIP code 28636? ▼
ZIP code 28636 in Hiddenite, NC has a population of 5,522 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 28636? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 28636 is $65,435, which is 14% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 28636? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 28636 is $225,100, which is 19% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 28636? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 28636 is White at 88.2%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 4.6% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 28636? ▼
ZIP code 28636 has 61 business establishments employing approximately 1,079 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 28636? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 28636 are: Construction (12), Manufacturing (9), Other services (except public administration) (8). There are 9 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 28636? ▼
In ZIP code 28636, 52.0% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 8.3% 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 28636? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 28636 is 28.1 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend more time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 28636? ▼
In ZIP code 28636, approximately 79.6% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 20.4% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 28636? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 28636 is 11.5% 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.