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 Moderate-density area
- $45,685
- Median income Below-median income area
- $167,400
- Median home value Near-median home value
- 11.7%
- Bachelor's or higher Below-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
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
- 33rd 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 average North Carolina ZIP), while per-capita income is $23,355. Economic pressure is pronounced: 22.3% of residents are below the poverty line and unemployment is 13.5%. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $167,400 (35% below the average North Carolina ZIP), and median rent is $684; owner occupancy is 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 -. The page also surfaces 5 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Wilkes County, so 28665 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 →
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
Who lives in ZIP 28665?
49.1
Median Age
52.0%
Male
48.0%
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?
$45,685
Median Household Income
-34% vs state ZIP avg
$23,355
Per Capita Income
22.3%
Poverty Rate
13.5%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 28665 ranks among North Carolina ZIPs
Purlear, 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)
$45,685 12th percentile higher than 12% 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
1,376housing units
1,376
Total Housing Units
998
Occupied Units
378
Vacant Units
2.49
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$167,400
Median Home Value
-35% vs state ZIP avg
$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.
- 28651
Millers Creek (28651)
7,132 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
- 28624 1,639
Ferguson (28624)
1,639 residents
- 28629 75
Glendale Springs (28629)
75 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 28665 ranks #3 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 28665 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
- 28651
Millers Creek (28651)
$61,623 median income
- 28618
Deep Gap (28618)
$59,653 median income
- 28624
Ferguson (28624)
$51,836 median income
- 28665
Purlear (28665)
$45,685 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.
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 28665, 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 (2,571 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Wilkes County
Related Areas
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.
Related
Take this with you
What to do with ZIP 28665's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 28665 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Purlear, 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.