28665 ZIP Code, Purlear, NC
28665 is a ZIP code in Purlear, North Carolina in Wilkes County. It covers 65 square miles of land. The closest ZIP codes are 28624, 28651 and 28618. 2,483 people live here in 998 households. It is rural, with fewer than 100 people per square mile, and most homes are owner-occupied (82%). Median household income is $45,685, well below the North Carolina median of $72,388; the median age is 49.1, older than most ZIP codes.
Quick facts
- Mailing city: Purlear, NC
- County: Wilkes County
- Land area: 65 sq mi
- Population: 2,483
- Median household income: $45,685
- Carrier routes: 2 (1,286 homes)
Key figures
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Residents | 2,483 |
| Households | 998 |
| Median household income | $45,685 |
| Income per person | $23,355 |
| Median age | 49.1 |
| Homeowners | 82.4% |
| Median home value | $167,400 |
| Median rent | $684 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 11.7% |
| Average commute (minutes) | 26.3 |
| Households with kids under 18 | 28.5% |
| Moved in the past year | 6.2% |
| Below the poverty line | 22.3% |
| Broadband internet | 94.1% |
| Speak a non-English language at home | 3.6% |
Household income
| % of households | Value |
|---|---|
| <$10K | 4.6% |
| $10–15K | 5.5% |
| $15–25K | 21.1% |
| $25–35K | 11.1% |
| $35–50K | 13.6% |
| $50–75K | 18.5% |
| $75–100K | 7.7% |
| $100–150K | 13.5% |
| $150–200K | 4.2% |
| $200K+ | 0.0% |
Age
| % of all residents | Value |
|---|---|
| <10 | 9.7% |
| 10–19 | 7.7% |
| 20–24 | 4.6% |
| 25–34 | 14.0% |
| 35–44 | 10.8% |
| 45–54 | 8.4% |
| 55–64 | 25.2% |
| 65–74 | 12.5% |
| 75+ | 7.2% |
Tenure
| % of housing units | Value |
|---|---|
| Owned, with mortgage | 31.6% |
| Owned outright | 28.4% |
| Rented | 12.7% |
| Vacant | 27.3% |
Type of building
| % of housing units | Value |
|---|---|
| Detached house | 63.8% |
| Townhome | 0.6% |
| 2–4 units | 0.0% |
| 5–19 units | 0.0% |
| 20+ units | 0.0% |
| Mobile / other | 35.6% |
Businesses in 28665
18 business establishments with 160 employees (ZIP Codes Business Patterns 2023).
- Construction: 4
- Other Services (except Public Administration): 4
EDDM carrier routes
28665 has 2 USPS carrier routes with 1,286 residential and 23 business mailboxes. Open the EDDM route map.
Carrier routes in 28665
28665 has 2 USPS carrier routes (2 rural (R)) with 1,286 residential and 23 business mailboxes. Routes range from 624 homes (R101) to 662 homes (R102); the median route has 643 homes. The Census counted 998 households in 28665 (2020–2024 average); USPS counts current mailboxes, including new and vacant homes.
| Homes per route | Routes |
|---|---|
| 1–249 | 0 |
| 250–499 | 0 |
| 500–749 | 2 |
| 750–999 | 0 |
| 1,000–1,499 | 0 |
| 1,500+ | 0 |
Best routes in 28665 for…
Most businesses
For B2B offers: office supplies, cleaning, IT, catering and commercial services.
- Route R101 — USPS business mailboxes 18, 624 homes
- Route R102 — USPS business mailboxes 5, 662 homes
Select these 2 routes on the route map
Every carrier route in 28665
| Route | Type | Homes | Businesses | Est. median income | Est. owners | Est. families with kids | Est. moved in past year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R101 | Rural | 624 | 18 | $40,028 | — | — | — |
| R102 | Rural | 662 | 5 | $36,264 | — | — | — |
Income, owners, families and movers are estimates for each route (how we estimate them); mailbox counts are current USPS figures. Open 28665 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
- 28624 (6.6 mi)
- 28651 — Millers Creek CDP, NC (7.6 mi)
- 28618 (8 mi)
- 28629 (9.6 mi)
- 28626 (9.8 mi)
- 28606 (11.5 mi)
- 28694 — West Jefferson town, NC (12 mi)
- 28649 (12.5 mi)
Areas that include 28665
- Purlear, NC ZIP codes — 1 ZIP code
- Wilkes County ZIP codes — 18 ZIP codes
- North Carolina ZIP code data
Where it ranks
- No. 6 of 18: highest share of owner-occupied homes in Wilkes County
- No. 6 of 18: highest share of residents who moved in during the past year in Wilkes County
- No. 5 of 17: fastest population growth in Wilkes County
Mail every home in 28665
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) 28665, which approximates the USPS ZIP code area. Census figures: American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024.
Frequently asked questions
- What city is 28665 in?
- 28665 is a Purlear, NC mailing address. None of its land lies inside a Census-defined city or community.
- What county is 28665 in?
- 28665 is in Wilkes County.
- What is the population of 28665?
- About 2,483 people (±583), according to the Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-year estimates for 2020–2024. The 2020 Census counted 2,549.
- What is the median household income in 28665?
- $45,685 (±$12,081), compared with $72,388 for North Carolina as a whole. Half the households in the ZIP code earn more and half earn less.
- How many carrier routes and mailboxes are in 28665?
- 2 USPS carrier routes with 1,286 residential and 23 business mailboxes (1,309 in all), from the route data stored by EDDM2GO. An EDDM mailing can target any combination of these routes.
- What ZIP codes are near 28665?
- The closest, measured center to center: 28624 (6.6 mi), 28651 (7.6 mi, Millers Creek), 28618 (8 mi), 28629 (9.6 mi), 28626 (9.8 mi) and 28606 (11.5 mi).
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.