Roaring River, NC · standard
ZIP Code 28669
Wilkes County, North Carolina — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 3,146
- 26/sq mi
- $47,358
- Median income
- $137,500
- Median home value
- 10.2%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
Roaring River pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with among the most affordable home values nationally, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 11th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- 22th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 26
- people per sq mi
- 86%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 28669 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 28669 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 120.1 square miles in Roaring River, Wilkes County, North Carolina. The area is home to 3,146 residents, producing a population density of 26 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 28669 against North Carolina and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 28669 sits at $47,358 (32% below the North Carolina average), while per-capita income is $26,745. The poverty rate stands at 26.9% and the unemployment rate at 6.4%. On housing, the median home value is $137,500 (47% below the state average) with median rent at $746 per month, and 86.3% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 28669 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 10.2% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 47.7, and the average commute is —. We also surface 5 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Wilkes County, so you can benchmark 28669 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 28669
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 28669.
- Construction
Construction
7 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
5 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
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 + HUD FMR + FHFA HPI ACS demographics, ZBP business establishments, HUD Fair Market Rents, FHFA HPI for ZIP 28669, Roaring River, 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
3,146
Population
120.1
Area (sq mi)
26
People / sq mi
New York
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 28669?
47.7
Median Age
60.0%
Male
40.0%
Female
6.0%
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?
$47,358
Median Household Income
-32% vs state
$26,745
Per Capita Income
26.9%
Poverty Rate
6.4%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 28669 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$47,358 11th percentile higher than 11% 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?
1,509
Total Housing Units
1,254
Occupied Units
255
Vacant Units
2.33
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$137,500
Median Home Value
-47% vs state
$746
Median Rent
1980
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 23 business establishments in ZIP 28669, employing approximately 123 people with a combined annual payroll of $7,275,000.
23
Businesses
123
Employees
$7.3M
Annual Payroll
3
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | 7 | 30.4% |
| Retail trade | 5 | 21.7% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 4 | 17.4% |
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 28669 vs 28670 →
ZIP 28669 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 28659
North Wilkesboro (28659)
21,134 residents
- 28635 3,901
Hays (28635)
3,901 residents
- 28676 3,483
State Road (28676)
3,483 residents
- 28669 3,146
Roaring River (28669)
3,146 residents
- 28670 2,719
Ronda (28670)
2,719 residents
- 28685 2,076
Traphill (28685)
2,076 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 28669 ranks #4 by population — useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 28669 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 28676
State Road (28676)
$60,833 median income
- 28659
North Wilkesboro (28659)
$50,280 median income
- 28670
Ronda (28670)
$49,567 median income
- 28669
Roaring River (28669)
$47,358 median income
- 28685
Traphill (28685)
$46,406 median income
- 28635
Hays (28635)
$44,901 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 28669 ranks #4 of 6 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
More ZIP Codes in Wilkes County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 28669 in? ▼
What is the population of ZIP code 28669? ▼
What is the median household income in ZIP 28669? ▼
What is the average home value in ZIP 28669? ▼
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 28669? ▼
How many businesses are in ZIP code 28669? ▼
What are the main industries in ZIP code 28669? ▼
What is the education level in ZIP code 28669? ▼
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 28669? ▼
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 28669? ▼
ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for Roaring River, 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.