ZIP Code 27938 — Gatesville town, NC Demographics & Data

ZIP code 27938 covers Gatesville, NC in Gates County with a population of about 1,863.

At a glance, the area shows median age of 50.4 versus a U.S. median of about 38.9.

It sits in telephone area code 252; U.S. House district NC-1; the NORFOLK - PORTSMTH - NEWPT NWS media market.

Median household income in ZIP 27938 is about $49,757 — about 34% below the U.S. median ($75,149).

On socioeconomic markers, US5 shows a poverty rate of 12.5%; unemployment rate near 12.3%; 7.4% of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher (about 26.3 points below the national share (33.7%)).

Labor and commute patterns include leading industry context around Healthcare, Administrative support, and Manufacturing; about 3.4% of workers reporting work-from-home (about 11.8 points below 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 $119,200 — about 66% below the U.S. median home value ($348,079).

Housing tenure and rents show owner-occupancy near 82.1% (about 16.7 points above the national owner-occupancy rate (65.4%)).

To comfortably buy a median-priced home in ZIP 27938 in Gatesville, NC, a household would need roughly $33,000 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 $766. That sits below the local median household income ($49,757), suggesting the typical household income is closer to a workable buy-in level under these assumptions. 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 Gatesville town, NC as Very Low (composite score 10.5), which is relatively lower than many U.S. communities. The strongest component scores on US5 are hurricane (77.9) and flood (13.8). 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 Gatesville town, NC show little to no average snow and around 49.6 inches of annual precipitation.

IRS migration statistics show a net inflow of about 77 for ZIP 27938 (Gatesville town, NC) 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.