PlainZIP

Purlear, NC · standard

ZIP Code 28665

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

2,571
16/sq mi
$45,685
Median income
$167,400
Median home value
11.7%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Purlear pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

10th pct
household income, US ZIPs
33th pct
home value, US ZIPs
16
people per sq mi
82%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 28665 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 28665 covers 162.7 square miles in Purlear, Wilkes County, North Carolina (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 2,571 residents on file, a density of 16 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.

ZIP 28665 reports a modest median household income of $45,685 (34% below the North Carolina average), while per-capita income is $23,355. 22.3% of residents live below the poverty line, and the unemployment rate reads 13.5%. Median home value sits at $167,400 (35% below the state average), median rent at $684 a month, and owner-occupancy at 82.4%.

Formal educational attainment runs low here: just 11.7% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 49.1, and the average commute is -. To put 28665 in local context, 5 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles appear further down this page alongside 6 additional ZIPs in Wilkes 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 →

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 28665, Purlear, 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

2,571

Population

162.7

Area (sq mi)

16

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 28665?

49.1

Median Age

52.0%

Male

48.0%

Female

2.0%

Foreign-Born

White 97.9%
African American 0.8%
Asian 0.0%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 0.7%
Hispanic or Latino 4.0%

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?

$45,685

Median Household Income

-34% vs state

$23,355

Per Capita Income

22.3%

Poverty Rate

13.5%

Unemployment Rate

How ZIP 28665 ranks nationally

Purlear, NC household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$45,685 10th percentile higher than 10% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). Above this entry. $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 47.9%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 11.7%

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

What does housing look like?

1,376

Total Housing Units

998

Occupied Units

378

Vacant Units

2.49

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 82.4%
Renter 17.6%

$167,400

Median Home Value

-35% vs state

$684

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 18 business establishments in ZIP 28665, employing approximately 160 people with a combined annual payroll of $6,584,000.

18

Businesses

160

Employees

$6.6M

Annual Payroll

2

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Construction 4 22.2%
Other services (except public administration) 4 22.2%

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 28665 vs 28624 →

ZIP 28665 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 28665 ranks #3 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 28665 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 28665 ranks #5 of 5 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
28624 Ferguson, NC 1,639 6.6 mi
28629 Glendale Springs, NC 75 9.0 mi
28618 Deep Gap, NC 2,352 7.9 mi
28651 Millers Creek, NC 7,132 6.6 mi
28626 Fleetwood, NC 2,714 9.2 mi

More ZIP Codes in Wilkes County

28659 standard
North Wilkesboro, NC
Pop: 21,134
28697 standard
Wilkesboro, NC
Pop: 12,930
28651 standard
Millers Creek, NC
Pop: 7,132
28635 standard
Hays, NC
Pop: 3,901
28654 standard
Moravian Falls, NC
Pop: 3,495
28669 standard
Roaring River, NC
Pop: 3,146

Related Areas

Wilkes County Purlear, NC North Carolina

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 28665 in? ▼
ZIP code 28665 (Purlear) is located in Wilkes County, North Carolina. Wilkes County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/wilkes-nc.
What is the population of ZIP code 28665? ▼
ZIP code 28665 in Purlear, NC has a population of 2,571 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 28665? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 28665 is $45,685, which is 40% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 28665? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 28665 is $167,400, which is 40% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 28665? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 28665 is White at 97.9%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 4.0% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 28665? ▼
ZIP code 28665 has 18 business establishments employing approximately 160 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What is the education level in ZIP code 28665? ▼
In ZIP code 28665, 47.9% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 11.7% 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 28665? ▼
In ZIP code 28665, approximately 82.4% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 17.6% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 28665? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 28665 is 22.3% 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.