ZIP Codes of Wilkes County, NC

Population & People
Population & People
Total Population
62,566
Household Income
Household Income
Median Income
$50,548
Housing
Housing
Total Housing Units
30,242
Business & Economy
Business & Economy
Total Businesses
1,122
Employment
Employment
Employment Rate
52.08%
Education
Education
Bachelor's Degree+
16.83%
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates · rolled up across the 14 ZIPs in this county.
Data Last Updated: June 1, 2026
ZIP Codes:14 ZIP Codes (13 Standard, 0 PO Box, 1 Unique) [See All]
Area Codes:336 / 743
Timezone:Eastern (GMT -05:00)
Local Time:2:13:00 PM
Population:62,566 [See All]
FIPS:37193
CBSA:North Wilkesboro, NC
Land Area:740 sq mi
Water Area:3 sq mi
Coordinates:36.2123, -81.1552
Quick Link:
https://www.zip-codes.com/county/nc-wilkes.asp
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North Carolina's #42 most populous county
62,566 residents across 14 ZIPs — #42 of 100 North Carolina counties.

Standout ZIPs in this County


Most Populous
North Wilkesboro · 21,422 people
34.2% of county total
Highest Income
Millers Creek · $61,623 median
1.2× county average
Largest Land Area
North Wilkesboro · 111.0 sq mi
Spans the most ground
Fastest Growth
Traphill · 25.3% (10-yr)
1,740 → 2,181 residents
Most Educated
Wilkesboro · 23.9% bachelor's+
2,207 of 9,245 adults 25+

Things worth knowing about Wilkes County


62,566 residents live across 14 ZIPs covering 740 sq mi, served by 13 distinct USPS-recognized cities.

Population moved from 65,143 to 62,566 from 2014 to 2024 — a -4.0% change. 5 ZIPs gained residents, 8 lost.

The county's wealthiest ZIP 28651 (Millers Creek, $61,623 median) and poorest ZIP 28635 (Hays, $44,901) are 9.4 miles apart — a 1.4× income gap across local geography.

Median home values vary 2.4× across this county — from $95,900 in 28606 (Boomer) to $228,700 in 28654 (Moravian Falls).

Density varies 11× across the county — from 23 people/sq mi in 28624 (Ferguson) to 255 in 28697 (Wilkesboro).

Educational attainment ranges from 7.7% bachelor's+ in 28685 (Traphill) to 23.9% in 28697 (Wilkesboro) — the breadth of educational profiles across the area.

Within North Carolina, this is the #42 most populous of 100 counties and ranks #86 for median household income .

Hosts 1 single-entity Unique ZIP: 28656North Wilkesboro .

Weighted by population, the typical household earns about $51,587 across the county — reflecting what a typical resident sees, not a simple ZIP average.

16.8% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher (7,648 of 45,456 reporting).

13 Standard delivery, 0 PO Box only, 1 single-entity Unique ZIPs serve this county.

Stories about Wilkes County


Big & sparse

A frontier county — vast land area with only a few residents per square mile. Daily life looks very different here than in the country's denser counties.

Total area
740
square miles
Avg density
84.5
people per sq mi
Population
62,566
across 14 ZIPs
North Wilkesboro
111.0 sq mi
21,422 residents
Millers Creek
84.9 sq mi
5,578 residents
Moravian Falls
61.9 sq mi
3,168 residents

All ZIP Codes in Wilkes County


ZIPCityTypePopulationMedian IncomeArea (sq mi)10-yr Growth
28659North WilkesboroStandard21,422$50,280111.07.6%
28697WilkesboroStandard13,412$52,98852.76.5%
28651Millers CreekStandard5,578$61,62384.9-23.1%
28654Moravian FallsStandard3,168$57,43861.9-16.4%
28669Roaring RiverStandard2,935$47,35849.75.6%
28635HaysStandard2,669$44,90160.8-39.9%
28665PurlearStandard2,483$45,68561.0-1.1%
28606BoomerStandard2,187$56,60043.42.9%
28685TraphillStandard2,181$46,40643.525.3%
28670RondaStandard2,124$49,56737.5-28.2%
28683ThurmondStandard1,614$45,42341.4-3.1%
28624FergusonStandard1,438$51,83661.6-13.2%
28649Mc GradyStandard1,355$47,01631.0-21.3%
28656North WilkesboroUnique0.0

Adjacent & Nearby Counties