02879 ZIP Code, Wakefield, RI

02879 is a ZIP code in Wakefield, Rhode Island in Washington County. It covers 39 square miles of land. The closest ZIP codes are 02882, 02881 and 02836. 21,802 people live here in 9,462 households. With about 552 people per square mile it is lightly settled, and most homes are owner-occupied (78%). Median household income is $112,231, above the Rhode Island median of $87,796; the median age is 49.4, older than most ZIP codes.

Quick facts

Key figures

MeasureValue
Residents21,802
Households9,462
Median household income$112,231
Income per person$59,265
Median age49.4
Homeowners78.1%
Median home value$564,700
Median rent$1,281
Bachelor's degree or higher59.0%
Average commute (minutes)26.2
Households with kids under 1821.7%
Moved in the past year7.7%
Below the poverty line8.2%
Broadband internet93.7%
Speak a non-English language at home5.1%

Household income

% of householdsValue
<$10K4.6%
$10–15K1.4%
$15–25K4.3%
$25–35K4.6%
$35–50K6.2%
$50–75K13.1%
$75–100K11.4%
$100–150K19.5%
$150–200K16.8%
$200K+18.0%

Age

% of all residentsValue
<109.2%
10–198.4%
20–245.7%
25–3411.0%
35–4410.9%
45–548.9%
55–6416.7%
65–7416.1%
75+13.2%

Tenure

% of housing unitsValue
Owned, with mortgage38.9%
Owned outright23.8%
Rented17.0%
Vacant20.3%

Type of building

% of housing unitsValue
Detached house79.6%
Townhome3.5%
2–4 units7.1%
5–19 units3.4%
20+ units5.3%
Mobile / other1.1%

Businesses in 02879

657 business establishments with 7,701 employees (ZIP Codes Business Patterns 2023).

EDDM carrier routes

02879 has 18 USPS carrier routes with 9,892 residential and 740 business mailboxes. Open the EDDM route map.

Carrier routes in 02879

02879 has 18 USPS carrier routes (8 city (C), 10 rural (R)) with 9,892 residential and 740 business mailboxes. Routes range from 280 homes (C009) to 780 homes (R005); the median route has 603 homes. The Census counted 9,462 households in 02879 (2020–2024 average); USPS counts current mailboxes, including new and vacant homes.

Homes per routeRoutes
1–2490
250–4996
500–74911
750–9991
1,000–1,4990
1,500+0

Best routes in 02879 for…

Most businesses

For B2B offers: office supplies, cleaning, IT, catering and commercial services.

  1. Route C015 — USPS business mailboxes 184, 305 homes
  2. Route C009 — USPS business mailboxes 118, 280 homes
  3. Route C016 — USPS business mailboxes 97, 591 homes
  4. Route C008 — USPS business mailboxes 81, 351 homes
  5. Route C012 — USPS business mailboxes 59, 308 homes

Select these 5 routes on the route map

Every carrier route in 02879

RouteTypeHomesBusinessesEst. median incomeEst. ownersEst. families with kidsEst. moved in past year
C001City43838$125,989———
C003City50314$123,744———
C008City35181$103,610———
C009City280118$103,610———
C012City30859$131,675———
C015City305184$131,675———
C016City59197$86,296———
C017City36332$123,744———
R001Rural74114$65,156———
R003Rural55415$85,255———
R005Rural78011$122,756———
R008Rural6540$122,756———
R010Rural61414$92,716———
R015Rural6848$114,812———
R016Rural7144$167,856———
R017Rural6296$117,051———
R019Rural65735$116,677———
R021Rural72610$123,678———

Income, owners, families and movers are estimates for each route (how we estimate them); mailbox counts are current USPS figures. Open 02879 on the EDDM route map.

How route demographics are estimated

Mailbox counts come from USPS; demographics are estimates

The number of homes and businesses on each carrier route is the current USPS EDDM count. The Census Bureau does not publish figures for carrier routes, so income, homeownership, ages, families, movers and housing age on a route are EDDM2GO estimates built from Census block groups (neighborhood areas of roughly 600 to 3,000 people).

How a route gets its figures: the block-group length-share method

We trace each route's streets every 25 meters and record which block group each stretch falls in. The route's homes are spread along its streets in proportion to length, so a route with 60% of its street length in one block group is assumed to have 60% of its homes there. Each block group then contributes its Census counts in proportion to the share of its housing units that sit on the route (capped at the whole block group). Medians are recalculated from the combined income, home-value and age brackets, the way the Census Bureau computes them, not averaged.

Margins of error

Census survey figures carry a margin of error at 90% confidence; we carry it through the calculation and show it as ±. Our margins treat the route-to-block-group split as exact, so the real uncertainty is larger. Routes with fewer than 100 estimated households, large margins, or streets we could not place are flagged.

Different years

USPS mailbox counts are current. Census figures are 5-year averages for 2020–2024, so a new subdivision may have more homes on the route today than the Census counted. Use the route figures to compare routes with each other, not as an exact head count.

Why some routes show identical figures

Two routes that run through the same block group get the same percentages and medians, because the Census publishes one set of figures for the whole block group. Their mailbox counts still differ, and those are exact.

Route and mailbox counts: USPS EDDM route data. Route demographics: EDDM2GO estimates from U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year block-group data (2020–2024) and 2024 cartographic block-group boundaries. This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Nearby ZIP codes

Areas that include 02879

Where it ranks

Mail every home in 02879

Route counts on this page price as Full Service 6.5 × 9 postcards: we print, bundle by carrier route and hand the mailing to USPS. Prefer to take it to the Post Office yourself? Print only costs less and you pay postage at drop-off.

EDDM guides

ZIP code statistics describe the Census ZIP Code Tabulation Area (ZCTA) 02879, which approximates the USPS ZIP code area. Census figures: American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024.

Frequently asked questions

What city is 02879 in?
02879 is a Wakefield, RI mailing address. By land area, 12% lies inside Wakefield-Peace Dale, 2% lies inside Kingston and 1% lies inside Charlestown; the rest is outside any Census-defined city or community.
What county is 02879 in?
02879 is in Washington County.
What is the population of 02879?
About 21,802 people (±641), according to the Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-year estimates for 2020–2024. The 2020 Census counted 20,982.
What is the median household income in 02879?
$112,231 (±$11,670), compared with $87,796 for Rhode Island as a whole. Half the households in the ZIP code earn more and half earn less.
How many carrier routes and mailboxes are in 02879?
18 USPS carrier routes with 9,892 residential and 740 business mailboxes (10,641 in all), from the route data stored by EDDM2GO. An EDDM mailing can target any combination of these routes.
What ZIP codes are near 02879?
The closest, measured center to center: 02882 (3.5 mi, Narragansett Pier), 02881 (3.8 mi, Kingston), 02836 (4.6 mi), 02875 (5.6 mi), 02892 (5.9 mi) and 02874 (6.5 mi).

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.