ZIP Code 02879 — Wakefield-Peace Dale CDP, RI Demographics & Data

ZIP code 02879 covers Wakefield-Peace Dale, RI in Washington County with a population of about 22,628.

At a glance, the area shows median age of 47.4 versus a U.S. median of about 38.9.

It sits in telephone area code 401; U.S. House district RI-2; the PROVIDENCE - NEW BEDFORD media market.

Median household income in ZIP 02879 is about $115,848 — about 54% above the U.S. median ($75,149).

On socioeconomic markers, US5 shows a poverty rate of 5.8%; unemployment rate near 6.3%; 59.1% of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher (about 25.4 points above the national share (33.7%)).

Labor and commute patterns include leading industry context around Education, Healthcare, and Manufacturing; about 14.8% of workers reporting work-from-home (roughly in line with the U.S. share (15.2%)); a mean commute of about 180.0 minutes (U.S. average near 26.8).

Median home value is about $515,800 — about 48% above the U.S. median home value ($348,079).

Housing tenure and rents show median gross rent around $1,143 (about even with the U.S. median rent ($1,163)), and owner-occupancy near 79.0% (about 13.6 points above the national owner-occupancy rate (65.4%)).

To comfortably buy a median-priced home in ZIP 02879 in Wakefield-Peace Dale, RI, a household would need roughly $142,000 in annual income under a 20% down, 30-year loan at 6.8% (illustrative), keeping housing costs near 28% of income. Estimated monthly PITI is about $3,313. That is about 23% above the local median household income ($115,848), so the median earner would likely stretch or need a larger down payment. Rates, taxes, insurance, and HOA fees vary — treat this as a planning estimate, not a lender quote.

FEMA’s National Risk Index rates natural-hazard risk for Wakefield-Peace Dale CDP, RI as Relatively Low (composite score 64.0), which is near the middle of the national distribution. The strongest component scores on US5 are hurricane (82.2) and flood (75.4). These scores are county-linked NRI values published for planning context — all ZIP codes in the same county share the same composite score on US5. Useful when comparing insurance and disaster exposure across areas, not a substitute for a parcel-level flood or fire determination.

Climate normals for Wakefield-Peace Dale CDP, RI show little to no average snow and around 51.6 inches of annual precipitation.

IRS migration statistics show a net inflow of about 836 for ZIP 02879 (Wakefield-Peace Dale CDP, RI) on US5’s published series — a signal of people/tax filers moving in relative to those leaving. Inflows often track job growth, housing demand, or lifestyle migration; treat the figure as a directional indicator rather than a precise headcount.