PlainZIP

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
$54,402
Median income
$219,400
Median home value
14.7%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

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 North Carolina average), while per-capita income is $33,263. Poverty here runs at 11.5%, with unemployment measured at 0.0%. The typical home here is valued at $219,400 (15% below the state average); renters pay a median of $713 monthly, and 88.2% of units are owner-occupied.

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. To put 28698 in local context, 7 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles appear further down this page alongside 6 additional ZIPs in Watauga County, for a geography-aware comparison.

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.

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 + 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

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 28698?

51.7

Median Age

62.2%

Male

37.8%

Female

0.3%

Foreign-Born

White 95.3%
African American 0.3%
Asian 0.0%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 4.3%
Hispanic or Latino 2.8%

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

$33,263

Per Capita Income

11.5%

Poverty Rate

0.0%

Unemployment Rate

29.5 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 28698 ranks nationally

Zionville, NC household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$54,402 20th percentile higher than 20% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). Above this entry. $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 58.4%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 14.7%

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

What does housing look like?

1,222

Total Housing Units

966

Occupied Units

256

Vacant Units

2.39

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 88.2%
Renter 11.8%

$219,400

Median Home Value

-15% vs state

$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.

residents

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 28698 ranks #4 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 28698 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 28698 ranks #4 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
37691 Trade, TN 894 2.4 mi
28692 Vilas, NC 4,067 5.1 mi
28684 Todd, NC 2,141 7.0 mi
28679 Sugar Grove, NC 2,064 8.0 mi
37683 Mountain City, TN 13,021 9.2 mi
28615 Creston, NC 1,876 9.7 mi
28607 Boone, NC 33,059 9.6 mi

More ZIP Codes in Watauga County

28607 standard
Boone, NC
Pop: 33,059
28604 standard
Banner Elk, NC
Pop: 6,249
28692 standard
Vilas, NC
Pop: 4,067
28605 standard
Blowing Rock, NC
Pop: 3,412
28618 standard
Deep Gap, NC
Pop: 2,352
28679 standard
Sugar Grove, NC
Pop: 2,064

Related Areas

Watauga County Zionville, NC North Carolina

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.

Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.