Zionville, NC · standard
ZIP Code 28698
Watauga County, North Carolina - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 2,256
- 35/sq mi Moderate-density area
- $54,402
- Median income Below-median income area
- $219,400
- Median home value Near-median home value
- 14.7%
- Bachelor's or higher Below-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Zionville pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 20th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- 49th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 35
- people per sq mi
- 88%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 28698 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 28698 covers 65.0 square miles in Zionville, Watauga County, North Carolina (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 2,256 residents on file, a density of 35 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.
ZIP 28698 reports a modest median household income of $54,402 (21% below the average North Carolina ZIP), while per-capita income is $33,263. The poverty rate is 11.5%, with unemployment at 0.0%; those measures add context to the income figure. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $219,400 (15% below the average North Carolina ZIP), and median rent is $713; owner occupancy is 88.2%.
Formal educational attainment runs low here: just 14.7% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 51.7, and the average commute is 30 minutes. The page also surfaces 7 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Watauga County, so 28698 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 →
Top industries in ZIP 28698
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Zionville, NC
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 28698.
- Construction
Construction
13 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
7 establishments
- Retail trade 4
Retail trade
4 establishments
- Health care and social assistance 3
Health care and social assistance
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 + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 28698, Zionville, 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
2,256
Population
65.0
Area (sq mi)
35
People / sq mi
New York
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 28698?
51.7
Median Age
62.2%
Male
37.8%
Female
0.3%
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?
$54,402
Median Household Income
-21% vs state ZIP avg
$33,263
Per Capita Income
11.5%
Poverty Rate
0.0%
Unemployment Rate
29.5 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 28698 ranks among North Carolina ZIPs
Zionville, 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)
$54,402 27th percentile higher than 27% 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
1,222housing units
1,222
Total Housing Units
966
Occupied Units
256
Vacant Units
2.39
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$219,400
Median Home Value
-15% vs state ZIP avg
$713
Median Rent
1990
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 34 business establishments in ZIP 28698, employing approximately 138 people with a combined annual payroll of $7,549,000.
34
Businesses
138
Employees
$7.5M
Annual Payroll
4
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | 13 | 38.2% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 7 | 20.6% |
| Retail trade | 4 | 11.8% |
| Health care and social assistance | 3 | 8.8% |
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 28698 vs 37691 →
ZIP 28698 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 28607
Boone (28607)
33,059 residents
- 37683 13,021
Mountain City (37683)
13,021 residents
- 28692 4,067
Vilas (28692)
4,067 residents
- 28698 2,256
Zionville (28698)
2,256 residents
- 28684 2,141
Todd (28684)
2,141 residents
- 28679 2,064
Sugar Grove (28679)
2,064 residents
- 28615 1,876
Creston (28615)
1,876 residents
- 37691 894
Trade (37691)
894 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 28698 ranks #4 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 28698 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 28684
Todd (28684)
$69,307 median income
- 28679
Sugar Grove (28679)
$65,246 median income
- 37683
Mountain City (37683)
$55,979 median income
- 28698
Zionville (28698)
$54,402 median income
- 28615
Creston (28615)
$51,653 median income
- 28607
Boone (28607)
$46,639 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 28698 ranks #4 of 8 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 28698, 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 (2,256 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Watauga County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 28698 in?
ZIP code 28698 (Zionville) 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 28698?
ZIP code 28698 in Zionville, NC has a population of 2,256 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 28698?
The median household income in ZIP 28698 is $54,402, which is 29% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 28698?
The median home value in ZIP 28698 is $219,400, which is 21% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 28698?
The largest racial group in ZIP 28698 is White at 95.3%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 2.8% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 28698?
ZIP code 28698 has 34 business establishments employing approximately 138 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 28698?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 28698 are: Construction (13), Other services (except public administration) (7), Retail trade (4). There are 4 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 28698?
In ZIP code 28698, 58.4% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 14.7% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What is the average commute time in ZIP 28698?
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 28698 is 29.5 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend more time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 28698?
In ZIP code 28698, approximately 88.2% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 11.8% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 28698?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 28698 is 11.5% 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 28698's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 28698 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Zionville, NC ranks among every U.S. ZIP code on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
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ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.