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.
- Construction
Construction
15 establishments
- Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 5
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services
5 establishments
- Other services (except public administration) 5
Other services (except public administration)
5 establishments
- Retail trade 3
Retail trade
3 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 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
Who lives in ZIP 28679?
45.3
Median Age
46.2%
Male
53.8%
Female
6.2%
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?
$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
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?
1,246
Total Housing Units
952
Occupied Units
294
Vacant Units
2.58
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$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.
- 28604
Banner Elk (28604)
6,249 residents
- 28692
Vilas (28692)
4,067 residents
- 37640
Butler (37640)
3,743 residents
- 28605
Blowing Rock (28605)
3,412 residents
- 28622
Elk Park (28622)
2,527 residents
- 28698 2,256
Zionville (28698)
2,256 residents
- 28679 2,064
Sugar Grove (28679)
2,064 residents
- 37691 894
Trade (37691)
894 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 28679 ranks #7 by population — useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 28679 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 28605
Blowing Rock (28605)
$76,477 median income
- 28604
Banner Elk (28604)
$76,319 median income
- 28679
Sugar Grove (28679)
$65,246 median income
- 37640
Butler (37640)
$55,402 median income
- 28698
Zionville (28698)
$54,402 median income
- 28622
Elk Park (28622)
$44,028 median income
- 28692
Vilas (28692)
$43,103 median income
- 37691 $13,976
Trade (37691)
$13,976 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.
More ZIP Codes in Watauga County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
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How many businesses are in ZIP code 28679? ▼
What are the main industries in ZIP code 28679? ▼
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ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for Sugar Grove, 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.