Taylorsville, NC · standard
ZIP Code 28681
Alexander County, North Carolina — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 25,910
- 60/sq mi
- $60,977
- Median income
- $209,000
- Median home value
- 15.2%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
Taylorsville pairs a below-median household income with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 31th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- 46th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 60
- people per sq mi
- 79%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 28681 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 28681 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 433.3 square miles in Taylorsville, Alexander County, North Carolina. The area is home to 25,910 residents, producing a population density of 60 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 28681 against North Carolina and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 28681 sits at $60,977 (12% below the North Carolina average), while per-capita income is $31,192. The poverty rate stands at 12.2% and the unemployment rate at 5.1%. On housing, the median home value is $209,000 (19% below the state average) with median rent at $736 per month, and 79.4% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 28681 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 15.2% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 43.9, and the average commute is 25 minutes. We also surface 3 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 2 additional ZIPs sharing Alexander County, so you can benchmark 28681 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 28681
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 28681.
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
71 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
57 establishments
- Construction
Construction
49 establishments
- Manufacturing
Manufacturing
47 establishments
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
46 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 28681, Taylorsville, 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
25,910
Population
433.3
Area (sq mi)
60
People / sq mi
New York
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 28681?
43.9
Median Age
50.8%
Male
49.2%
Female
2.6%
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?
$60,977
Median Household Income
-12% vs state
$31,192
Per Capita Income
12.2%
Poverty Rate
5.1%
Unemployment Rate
24.8 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 28681 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$60,977 31st percentile higher than 31% 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?
11,538
Total Housing Units
9,768
Occupied Units
1,770
Vacant Units
2.46
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$209,000
Median Home Value
-19% vs state
$736
Median Rent
1984
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How have home values changed over time?
FHFA House Price Index, annual appreciation data based on repeat sales and appraisals
+6.8%
YoY Change (2024)
226
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+126%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 28681 have increased 6.8% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +126% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +4.8% | 146 |
| 2021 | +13.9% | 166 |
| 2022 | +18.7% | 197 |
| 2023 | +7.4% | 212 |
| 2024 | +6.8% | 226 |
Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index, All-Transactions, Five-Digit ZIP Codes (Developmental Index). Index base = 100 in year 2000. Data through 2024. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 429 business establishments in ZIP 28681, employing approximately 6,075 people with a combined annual payroll of $226,673,000.
429
Businesses
6,075
Employees
$226.7M
Annual Payroll
14
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Other services (except public administration) | 71 | 16.6% |
| Retail trade | 57 | 13.3% |
| Construction | 49 | 11.4% |
| Manufacturing | 47 | 11.0% |
| Health care and social assistance | 46 | 10.7% |
| Accommodation and food services | 29 | 6.8% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 25 | 5.8% |
| Finance and insurance | 23 | 5.4% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 21 | 4.9% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 18 | 4.2% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 15 | 3.5% |
| Wholesale trade | 13 | 3.0% |
| Information | 5 | 1.2% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 5 | 1.2% |
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 28681 vs 28654 →
ZIP 28681 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 28601
Hickory (28601)
50,026 residents
- 28681
Taylorsville (28681)
25,910 residents
- 28654 3,495
Moravian Falls (28654)
3,495 residents
- 28606 2,158
Boomer (28606)
2,158 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 28681 ranks #2 by population — useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 28681 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 28601
Hickory (28601)
$67,817 median income
- 28681
Taylorsville (28681)
$60,977 median income
- 28654
Moravian Falls (28654)
$57,438 median income
- 28606
Boomer (28606)
$56,600 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 28681 ranks #2 of 4 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
More ZIP Codes in Alexander County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 28681 in? ▼
What is the population of ZIP code 28681? ▼
What is the median household income in ZIP 28681? ▼
What is the average home value in ZIP 28681? ▼
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 28681? ▼
How many businesses are in ZIP code 28681? ▼
What are the main industries in ZIP code 28681? ▼
How have home values changed in ZIP code 28681? ▼
What is the education level in ZIP code 28681? ▼
What is the average commute time in ZIP 28681? ▼
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 28681? ▼
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 28681? ▼
ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for Taylorsville, 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.