Sugar Grove, NC · standard

ZIP Code 28679

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

2,064
31/sq mi
$65,246
Median income
$287,100
Median home value
35.1%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

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

39th pct
household income, US ZIPs
Top 35%
home value, US ZIPs
31
people per sq mi
88%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 28679 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 28679 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 67.5 square miles in Sugar Grove, Watauga County, North Carolina. The area is home to 2,064 residents, producing a population density of 31 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 28679 against North Carolina and the nation.

On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 28679 sits at $65,246 (6% below the North Carolina average), while per-capita income is $34,992. The poverty rate stands at 15.0% and the unemployment rate at 3.7%. On housing, the median home value is $287,100 (11% above the state average) with median rent at $1,014 per month, and 87.5% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 28679 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.

Education and household profile round out the picture: 35.1% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 45.3, and the average commute is . We also surface 7 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Watauga County, so you can benchmark 28679 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 28679

Top 5 sectors by establishment count

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 28679.

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 + HUD FMR + FHFA HPI ACS demographics, ZBP business establishments, HUD Fair Market Rents, FHFA HPI for ZIP 28679, Sugar Grove, 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

2,064

Population

67.5

Area (sq mi)

31

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 28679?

45.3

Median Age

46.2%

Male

53.8%

Female

6.2%

Foreign-Born

White 87.4%
African American 0.0%
Asian 0.8%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 4.0%
Hispanic or Latino 9.3%

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?

$65,246

Median Household Income

-6% vs state

$34,992

Per Capita Income

15.0%

Poverty Rate

3.7%

Unemployment Rate

How ZIP 28679 ranks nationally

Household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$65,246 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 52.6%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 35.1%

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

What does housing look like?

1,246

Total Housing Units

952

Occupied Units

294

Vacant Units

2.58

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 87.5%
Renter 12.5%

$287,100

Median Home Value

+11% vs state

$1,014

Median Rent

1984

Median Year Built

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

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 39 business establishments in ZIP 28679, employing approximately 183 people with a combined annual payroll of $5,703,000.

39

Businesses

183

Employees

$5.7M

Annual Payroll

4

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Construction 15 38.5%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 5 12.8%
Other services (except public administration) 5 12.8%
Retail trade 3 7.7%

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 28679 vs 28692 →

ZIP 28679 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 28679 ranks #7 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 28679 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 28679 ranks #3 of 8 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
28692 Vilas, NC 4,067 3.0 mi
28604 Banner Elk, NC 6,249 5.7 mi
28622 Elk Park, NC 2,527 7.4 mi
28698 Zionville, NC 2,256 8.0 mi
37691 Trade, TN 894 9.1 mi
37640 Butler, TN 3,743 9.0 mi
28605 Blowing Rock, NC 3,412 11.7 mi

More ZIP Codes in Watauga County

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 28679 in?
ZIP code 28679 (Sugar Grove) is located in Watauga County, North Carolina. Watauga County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/watauga-nc.
What is the population of ZIP code 28679?
ZIP code 28679 in Sugar Grove, NC has a population of 2,064 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 28679?
The median household income in ZIP 28679 is $65,246, which is 14% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 28679?
The median home value in ZIP 28679 is $287,100, which is 3% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 28679?
The largest racial group in ZIP 28679 is White at 87.4%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 9.3% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 28679?
ZIP code 28679 has 39 business establishments employing approximately 183 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 28679?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 28679 are: Construction (15), Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services (5), Other services (except public administration) (5). There are 4 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 28679?
In ZIP code 28679, 52.6% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 35.1% 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 28679?
In ZIP code 28679, approximately 87.5% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 12.5% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 28679?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 28679 is 15.0% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.

ZIP Code Research Guides

Official Data Resources for Sugar Grove, NC

Verify and explore additional data for this area using these official government sources.