Wilkes County · North Carolina
ZIP code 28685
- Population
- 2,345
- Median income
- $45,029
- Median home
- $134,300
- Sales tax
- 4.75%
ZCTA residents
Household, past 12 months
Owner-occupied value
North Carolina state rate
Quick answer
ZIP 28685 sits in Wilkes County, North Carolina and is home to 2,345 people. Median household income is $45,029, the median home is worth $134,300 and median gross rent is $786. 82.8% of households own their home, and purchases are taxed at 4.75% (North Carolina state rate).
- County
- Wilkes County
- State
- North Carolina (NC)
- Area codes
- Not published
- Metro area
- Outside covered metros
FIPS 37193
853 ZIPs covered
No NANPA match for this ZIP
Rate jurisdiction used for tax
The numbers for 28685
American Community Survey 2019-2023 ACS 5-year estimates for this ZCTA.
- Population
- 2,345ZIP 28685 residents
- Median household income
- $45,029Past 12 months, inflation adjusted
- Median home value
- $134,300Owner-occupied units
- Median gross rent
- $786Rent plus utilities, monthly
- Median age
- 42.9 yrsAll residents
- Homeownership rate
- 82.8%Owner-occupied households
Sales tax in 28685
What a purchase inside this ZIP costs at checkout.
North Carolina levies 4.75% statewide, and counties, cities and special districts inside this ZIP can add their own local rate on top. Check the county page for the local component before you quote a price.
Affordability in this ZIP
Derived from the Census medians above — indicative, not an offer.
A rent burden above 30% is the federal threshold for cost-burdened households, and a price-to-income multiple above 4× is generally considered a stretched housing market. The mortgage figure is principal and interest only — taxes, insurance and HOA dues are extra.
How 28685 compares
ZIP 28685 against the median ZIP in Wilkes County and across North Carolina.
| Measure | ZIP 28685 | County median | State median | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $45,029 | $48,422 | $62,646 | -28% |
| Median home value | $134,300 | $151,700 | $203,100 | -34% |
| Median gross rent | $786 | $707 | $941 | -16% |
| Population | 2,345 | 2,768 | 5,300 | -56% |
Medians are computed across the 12 ZIP areas in Wilkes County and the 853 ZIP areas in North Carolina.
Statewide rank
Where this ZIP places among all 853 North Carolina ZIP areas.
- Income
- #657
- Home value
- #604
- Population
- #568
richer than 14% of 766 state ZIPs
above 21% of 763 state ZIPs
larger than 33% of 853 state ZIPs
Comparable ZIP codes
North Carolina ZIP areas with almost the same household income.
Nearby ZIP codes
Other ZIP codes filed under Wilkes County.
ZIP 28685 questions
Common questions about this ZIP code.
- Where is ZIP code 28685?
- ZIP 28685 lies mostly in Wilkes County, North Carolina. County assignment follows the largest share of land area, so a ZIP straddling a county line is filed under its dominant county.
- What sales tax do I pay in 28685?
- North Carolina charges 4.75% statewide, plus any county, city or district rate that applies locally.
- Is 28685 expensive to live in?
- Median rent runs $786 a month, about 21% of median household income, and the median home is worth $134,300 — -34% against the typical North Carolina ZIP.
- Is a ZCTA the same as a postal ZIP code?
- Not exactly. The Census builds ZIP Code Tabulation Areas from the ZIP codes of addresses inside each census block, so a ZCTA can differ slightly from the USPS delivery route of the same number, and PO-box-only ZIPs have no ZCTA at all.
Keep going
Related pages for this area.
Sources & transparency
- US Census Bureau, ACS 2019-2023 5-year estimates — 2019-2023 ACS 5-year — population, income, housing
- Census 2020 ZCTA-to-county relationship file — County assignment by largest land-area overlap
- North Carolina Department of Revenue — Sales tax rates and local add-ons
Last reviewed December 2024. Figures are published for reference and can change; verify with the source agency before filing or contracting. How we build and check this data.