Population & age
- Total population
- 21
East Spencer, NC (28039)
Rowan County · Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC · Population 21
Fresh.Data current as of Apr 27, 2026
East Spencer, NC (ZIP 28039) sits in Rowan County within the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia metro area. The page draws on 1 federal data feed retrieved Apr 27. Health-survey coverage is limited for this ZIP. NCES lists 1 schools serving the area, 1 non-charter. 8 colleges and universities serve the area, with median in-state tuition of $16,550. CDC's Social Vulnerability Index places this ZIP in the 90th percentile nationally — a highly vulnerable community profile. FEMA has issued 21 federal disaster declarations affecting this ZIP since 1977 — a high-frequency exposure profile. County Health Rankings reports 12,312 years of potential life lost per 100,000 (2025) — well above the national county median. Fast-food restaurants outnumber grocery stores roughly 5-to-1 per capita (USDA Food Environment Atlas) — a "food swamp" pattern often linked to higher diet-related disease prevalence. IRS migration data (2022-2023) shows a net gain of 1,701 residents (763 households) — the ZIP's primary county is growing. Both healthcare access and on-paper school density skew lighter than national norms; what shows up here is a snapshot, not a verdict — neighborhood-level texture matters at this scale. Notable: fair market rent of $1,250 for a two-bedroom, a 52.4% poverty rate (well above the ~12% US average), and broadband access at 52.4% of households (below the ~87% US average). Every figure on this page links to its underlying federal dataset with a retrieval date so you can audit the freshness yourself.
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Demographics
Race & ethnicity
- White
- 0.0%
- Black
- 100.0%
- Asian
- 0.0%
- Hispanic / Latino
- 0.0%
Housing
- Owner-occupied
- 10(47.6%)
- Renter-occupied
- 11(52.4%)
- Vacant units
- 0
Economic wellbeing
- Below poverty line
- 11(52.4%)
- Uninsured
- 0(0.0%)
Digital access
- Broadband access
- 11(52.4%)
- No broadband
- 10(47.6%)
Language & nativity
- Foreign-born
- 0(0.0%)
- Non-English at home
- 0(0.0%)
Fair Market Rent
Fresh.HUD SAFMR · May 1, 2026Studio
$990
/month
1 Bed
$1,000
/month
2 Bed
$1,250
/month
3 Bed
$1,640
/month
4 Bed
$2,100
/month
HUD Fair Market Rents represent the 40th percentile of standard-quality rental housing in this area. FY2026 data.
New housing construction
New housing units permitted
592
Across 587 permitted buildings. Total construction value: $222.2M.
Single-family
585
99% of total units
Multifamily (2+ unit)
7
1% of total units
Single-family value
$221.2M
construction value
Multifamily value
$949,100
construction value
Based on county-level data (2024).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (census.gov/construction/bps). Public domain. BPS reports annual residential building permits from local permit-issuing jurisdictions, aggregated to county. A permit reflects intent to build, not a completed unit — actual construction lags by 6-24 months for multifamily projects.
Business & employment
Business establishments
6
Total employment
110
Annual payroll
$5.1M
Average annual pay
$46,691
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Business Patterns (census.gov). Public domain. ZBP covers establishments with paid employees; Census suppresses employment and payroll values when fewer employers operate in a ZIP than would protect their confidentiality.
Employment & wages
Average annual pay
$57,503
Average weekly wage
$1,106
Total employment
50,595
Total establishments
3,334
That is roughly 12% below the US national average of $65,470 per worker.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (bls.gov/cew). Public domain. QCEW is derived from state unemployment-insurance filings and covers ~95% of US jobs. Figures are county-level totals assigned to ZIPs whose primary county matches; small-employer cells are suppressed by BLS to protect employer confidentiality.
Unemployment
Unemployment rate
3.5%
That is 0.5 percentage points below the US national unemployment rate of about 4.0%.
Labor force
71,360
Employed
68,880
Unemployed
2,480
Based on Rowan County, NC data (2024).
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (bls.gov/lau). Public domain. LAUS publishes monthly and annual labor-force estimates for every US county. Figures are county-level totals assigned to ZIPs whose primary county matches.
Public transit
FTA tracks transit service at the urbanized-area level. Numbers below reflect the agencies and modes serving the area that contains this ZIP, not stop-level coverage.
Service status
Available
Concord, NC
Reporting agencies
4
Largest: Cabarrus County
Annual ridership
—
unlinked trips · 2024
Source: U.S. Federal Transit Administration, National Transit Database (transit.dot.gov). Public domain.
Federal Disaster Declarations
Federally Declared Disasters
21
Date Range
1977–2026
Most Recent Declaration
SEVERE WINTER STORM
Winter Storm — declared January 24, 2026 (DR-3637)
Incident period: January 21, 2026 – January 27, 2026
Top Incident Types
- Hurricane9 (43%)
- Tropical Storm3 (14%)
- Snowstorm3 (14%)
- Biological2 (10%)
- Winter Storm1 (5%)
- Other3 (14%)
Individual Assistance
2
Direct help to disaster survivors
Households Program
2
Housing & temporary lodging support
Public Assistance
21
Repair of public facilities & roads
Hazard Mitigation
6
Funding to reduce future disaster risk
FEMA declares disasters at the county level; counts here include every federally declared disaster touching any county that overlaps this ZIP. Statewide declarations and pre-1964 records without county granularity are excluded. Program flags reflect which FEMA assistance categories were activated (Individual Assistance, Households, Public Assistance, Hazard Mitigation). Source: fema.gov/openfema. Public domain.
Climate
30-year averages (1991-2020) from the nearest GHCN-D weather station. Temperature and precipitation values reflect typical annual conditions, not any single year.
Avg. temperature
59.3°F
48.4° – 70.2°
Annual precipitation
43.7"
Annual snowfall
2.4"
Heating · cooling days
3,532.4 · 1,479.3
Annual base 65°F
Nearest station: SALISBURY, NC US, 2.6 miles from the centroid of East Spencer, NC (ZIP 28039)
Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals (ncei.noaa.gov). Public domain.
Air quality
Median daily AQI
44
GoodGood 252dModerate 112d
Peak AQI (2024)
97
Moderate
Primary pollutant
Ozone
190 days as main pollutant
Days measured
364
Based on Rowan County data (2024).
Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Air Quality System (epa.gov). Public domain. Only counties with EPA AQS monitoring stations appear here (~30% of US counties); rural ZIPs whose primary county has no monitor will not show this section.
Community health profile
Years of potential life lost (per 100K)
12,312
That is roughly 4,112 years per 100,000 above the national county median (~8,200).
Premature death is the headline composite outcome CHR reports — age-adjusted, all-cause, before age 75.
Fair or poor health
19%
of adults self-report
Poor physical health days
4.2
avg per adult per month
Poor mental health days
5.1
avg per adult per month
Uninsured
11.4%
of residents under 65
Primary care MDs
34
per 100,000 residents
Preventable hospital stays
2,875
per 100K Medicare enrollees
Food environment (0-10)
7.2
10 = best access & security
Exercise access
66%
residents near a facility
Flu vaccinated
46%
of Medicare enrollees
Low birth weight (under 2,500 g) accounts for 10.0% of live births in this county — an early-life health input that downstream outcomes track against.
Based on Rowan data (2025 CHR release).
Source: County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute (countyhealthrankings.org). Annual release. Underlying source datasets vary by measure (CDC BRFSS, NCHS Vital Statistics, AHA, USDA Food Environment Atlas, and others). Figures are county-level and assigned to every ZIP whose primary county matches.
Food access
Food access status
Moderate food access challenges
22.7% of Rowan County, NC residents live more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket.
Grocery stores
0.13
per 1,000 residents
Supercenters & clubs
—
per 1,000 residents
SNAP-authorized stores
0.89
accepting food benefits
Fast-food restaurants
0.60
per 1,000 residents
Among low-income residents, 8.8% are low-access — those without a supermarket within 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural).
Per-1,000 figures show how many of each store type exist in Rowan County, NC for every 1,000 residents. Higher grocery and supercenter density usually means easier access to fresh food; higher convenience-store-only density (with low grocery rate) often signals a food swamp.
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Environment Atlas (ers.usda.gov). County-level metrics fanned to ZIP via the primary county in the Census ZCTA-county relationship file. Variable years differ per family (stores ~2020, low-access ~2019).
Safety
FBI publishes crime data at the county level. Numbers below cover the primary county that contains this ZIP. Rates are per 100,000 residents in the area covered by reporting agencies.
Violent crime rate
—
per 100K residents · 171 reports
Property crime rate
—
per 100K residents · 601 reports
Homicide
5
Robbery
10
Burglary
119
Vehicle theft
88
County-level data for Rowan (2024)
Source: U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, Uniform Crime Reporting Program (cde.ucr.cjis.gov). Public domain. Coverage varies by reporting agency; areas with partial agency coverage may understate true crime totals.
Who’s moving in and out
Net migration (2022-2023)
▲+1,701 people
+763 households • +$57.8M net AGI flow
Moved in
5,369households
9,626 people • $288.6M AGI
Moved out
4,606households
7,925 people • $230.9M AGI
Where new residents came from
- Cabarrus County, NC — 1,069 households
- Mecklenburg County, NC — 549 households
- Iredell County, NC — 342 households
- Davidson County, NC — 181 households
- Stanly County, NC — 96 households
Where departing residents went
- Cabarrus County, NC — 701 households
- Mecklenburg County, NC — 384 households
- Iredell County, NC — 313 households
- Davidson County, NC — 275 households
- Davie County, NC — 115 households
Incoming households reported an average AGI of $53,762 versus departing households' $50,126.
Source: U.S. Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income, Migration Data (irs.gov). Public domain. Migration is measured by year-over-year changes in the address on individual tax returns; figures are county-level totals attributed to ZIPs whose primary county matches. Foreign migration contributes to inflow/outflow totals but does not appear in the top-county lists. Small flows are suppressed by IRS to protect taxpayer confidentiality.
Taxes & benefits in North Carolina
State-level rules that apply to every resident of ZIP 28039. Numbers reflect the most recent published year per source.
Tax rates
Income tax
4.25%
flat · 1 brackets
Sales tax (combined)
7.00%
State 4.75% · avg local 2.25%
Property tax (effective)
0.48%
Median $1,058/year
Tax burden rank
21 of 50
9.60% of personal income
Paid family leave
Program
No program
No program
Safety net
SNAP eligibility
200% FPL
Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility (raises gross income limit above federal 130% floor). No asset test.
Sources: Tax Foundation (state tax rates & brackets), Bipartisan Policy Center (paid family leave), USDA FNS (SNAP categorical eligibility).
Other ZIPs near 28039
Nearby ZIPs by distance
28159 (Spencer, 1 mi) · 28144 (Salisbury, 2.8 mi) · 28072 (Granite Quarry, 4.7 mi) · 28146 (Salisbury, 4.7 mi) · 27299 (Tyro, 6 mi) · 28041 (Faith, 6.6 mi)
Compare ZIP-level stats — population, schools, housing, climate — across nearby areas. Source: U.S. Census Bureau ZCTA basemap.
Data sources used on this page
All data on this page is sourced from federal government datasets · Not AI-generated · Methodology
Schools in this ZIP
1 school serves this ZIP, including 1 non-charter.
| School | Type | Grades | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essie Mae Kiser Foxx Charter | Public | 0–6 | 99 |
Schools listed from NCES Common Core of Data via the Urban Institute Education Data Portal.
Fresh.NCES CCD via Urban Institute EDP · Apr 27, 2026Colleges & universities nearby
Colleges in this area
8
Median in-state tuition
$16,550
Median earnings (10 yr)
$42,312
- 2-Year
Gaston College
Dallas, NC · 28034
- In-state tuition
- $3,186
- Out-of-state tuition
- $9,330
- Acceptance rate
- —
- Graduation rate
- 58.6%
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $35,386
- Median student debt
- —
- 4-Year
Davidson College
Davidson, NC · 28035
- In-state tuition
- $64,410
- Out-of-state tuition
- $64,410
- Acceptance rate
- 13.4%
- Graduation rate
- 91.5%
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $81,400
- Median student debt
- $18,688
- 4-Year
Gardner-Webb University
Boiling Springs, NC · 28017
- In-state tuition
- $34,760
- Out-of-state tuition
- $34,760
- Acceptance rate
- 77.2%
- Graduation rate
- 58.6%
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $48,039
- Median student debt
- $24,222
- 2-Year
Stanly Community College
Albemarle, NC · 28001
- In-state tuition
- $2,672
- Out-of-state tuition
- $8,816
- Acceptance rate
- —
- Graduation rate
- 53.9%
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $36,686
- Median student debt
- —
- 4-Year
Belmont Abbey College
Belmont, NC · 28012
- In-state tuition
- $19,500
- Out-of-state tuition
- $19,500
- Acceptance rate
- 74.7%
- Graduation rate
- 46.5%
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $47,937
- Median student debt
- $26,000
- 4-Year
Cabarrus College of Health Sciences
Concord, NC · 28025
- In-state tuition
- $16,550
- Out-of-state tuition
- $16,550
- Acceptance rate
- 23.4%
- Graduation rate
- 61.9%
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $58,708
- Median student debt
- $16,000
- Certificate
Empire Beauty School-Concord
Concord, NC · 28027
- In-state tuition
- —
- Out-of-state tuition
- —
- Acceptance rate
- —
- Graduation rate
- 54.5%
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $23,925
- Median student debt
- $13,000
- 2-Year
Gaston College
Dallas, NC · 28034
- In-state tuition
- $3,186
- Out-of-state tuition
- $9,330
- Acceptance rate
- —
- Graduation rate
- —
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $35,386
- Median student debt
- —
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (collegescorecard.ed.gov). Public domain data. Earnings figures reflect median earnings 10 years after entry for federally-aided students.
What these numbers say together
East Spencer, NC (ZIP 28039) sits in Rowan County within the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia metro area. The page draws on 1 federal data feed retrieved Apr 27. Health-survey coverage is limited for this ZIP. NCES lists 1 schools serving the area, 1 non-charter. 8 colleges and universities serve the area, with median in-state tuition of $16,550. CDC's Social Vulnerability Index places this ZIP in the 90th percentile nationally — a highly vulnerable community profile. FEMA has issued 21 federal disaster declarations affecting this ZIP since 1977 — a high-frequency exposure profile. County Health Rankings reports 12,312 years of potential life lost per 100,000 (2025) — well above the national county median. Fast-food restaurants outnumber grocery stores roughly 5-to-1 per capita (USDA Food Environment Atlas) — a "food swamp" pattern often linked to higher diet-related disease prevalence. IRS migration data (2022-2023) shows a net gain of 1,701 residents (763 households) — the ZIP's primary county is growing. Both healthcare access and on-paper school density skew lighter than national norms; what shows up here is a snapshot, not a verdict — neighborhood-level texture matters at this scale. Notable: fair market rent of $1,250 for a two-bedroom, a 52.4% poverty rate (well above the ~12% US average), and broadband access at 52.4% of households (below the ~87% US average). Every figure on this page links to its underlying federal dataset with a retrieval date so you can audit the freshness yourself.
Both surfaces skew lighter than national averages. That isn’t a verdict — small-area estimates compress real neighborhood-level texture, and a single ZIP reading can miss a district line or a hospital corridor sitting just outside it. Treat this as a starting point for fieldwork, not a conclusion.
Each figure on this page links to the original federal dataset with its retrieval date — this synthesis is a reading, not a substitute for the underlying records.
Frequently Asked Questions — ZIP 28039
How many schools are in ZIP 28039?
1 school serves this ZIP, including 1 public school (NCES CCD, retrieved Apr 27, 2026). No charter schools are listed in this ZIP by NCES CCD.
Does ZIP 28039 have charter schools?
No charter schools are listed in ZIP 28039 by NCES CCD (retrieved Apr 27, 2026).
Are there high schools in ZIP 28039?
No high schools are listed in this ZIP by NCES CCD (retrieved Apr 27, 2026).
What is the population of ZIP 28039?
21 people live in ZIP 28039 (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
Is ZIP 28039 mostly renters or homeowners?
In ZIP 28039, 47.6% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 52.4% are renter-occupied (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
What is the poverty rate in ZIP 28039?
52.4% of the population in ZIP 28039 lives below the federal poverty line (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
What percentage of households in ZIP 28039 have broadband internet?
52.4% of households in ZIP 28039 have broadband internet access (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
How many businesses are in ZIP 28039?
As of 2022, 6 business establishments operated in ZIP 28039 employing 110 workers (Census ZIP Business Patterns, retrieved May 3, 2026).
What is the average salary in ZIP 28039?
The average annual pay across all local establishments in ZIP 28039 is $46,691, based on Census ZIP Business Patterns 2022 data (retrieved May 3, 2026).
How vulnerable is ZIP 28039 to disasters and public health emergencies?
According to the CDC Social Vulnerability Index (2022), ZIP 28039 ranks in the 90th percentile nationally for social vulnerability — a very high vulnerability profile (retrieved May 3, 2026).
What is the biggest vulnerability factor in ZIP 28039?
Housing Type & Transportation is the highest-scoring CDC SVI theme for ZIP 28039, ranking in the 87th percentile nationally (CDC/ATSDR Social Vulnerability Index 2022, retrieved May 3, 2026).
How many federally declared disasters has ZIP 28039 experienced?
FEMA has recorded 21 federal disaster declarations affecting ZIP 28039 between 1977–2026 (FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations, retrieved May 3, 2026).
What kinds of disasters most often hit ZIP 28039?
Hurricane is the most common federally declared disaster type affecting ZIP 28039, accounting for 9 of 21 declarations (43%, FEMA OpenFEMA, retrieved May 3, 2026).
What was the most recent disaster declared for ZIP 28039?
The most recent FEMA disaster declaration affecting ZIP 28039 was "SEVERE WINTER STORM" — a winter storm declared in 2026 (DR-3637) (FEMA OpenFEMA, retrieved May 3, 2026).
What colleges are near ZIP 28039?
8 colleges and universities are listed near ZIP 28039 by the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, including Gaston College, Davidson College, and Gardner-Webb University (retrieved May 2, 2026).
What is the average tuition at colleges near ZIP 28039?
Median in-state tuition across 8 nearby institutions is $16,550 (College Scorecard, retrieved May 2, 2026).
What do graduates earn from colleges near ZIP 28039?
Graduates of nearby colleges earn a median of $42,312 ten years after entry (College Scorecard, retrieved May 2, 2026).
What is the climate like in ZIP 28039?
ZIP 28039 has an average annual temperature of 59.3°F and 43.7" of annual precipitation based on the SALISBURY, NC US weather station 2.6 miles from the ZIP centroid (NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, retrieved May 8, 2026).
Does ZIP 28039 have public transit?
Yes — ZIP 28039 is part of the Concord, NC urbanized area, primarily served by Cabarrus County (National Transit Database 2024, retrieved May 4, 2026).
What taxes apply in ZIP 28039?
North Carolina has a flat income tax with a top rate of 4.25%. Combined sales tax: 7.00% (Tax Foundation 2025).
Does North Carolina have paid family leave?
North Carolina has no state paid family leave program (Bipartisan Policy Center 2026).
What data is available for ZIP 28039?
This page covers school information from NCES CCD (1 school), demographics from the Census ACS 5-Year (2022), colleges from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (8 institutions), local business & employment from Census ZIP Business Patterns (2022), social vulnerability scores from the CDC/ATSDR SVI (2022), federal disaster declarations from FEMA OpenFEMA (21 on record), climate normals from NOAA NCEI (1991-2020), county-level crime data from the FBI Crime Data Explorer (2024), public transit coverage from the National Transit Database (2024), and state-level tax rates from the Tax Foundation. Data is refreshed on Mubboo's standard schedule.
How current is this data?
School data retrieved Apr 27, 2026 from NCES CCD. Demographics retrieved Apr 30, 2026 from Census ACS 5-Year (2022). College data retrieved May 2, 2026 from U.S. Dept of Education College Scorecard. Business & employment retrieved May 3, 2026 from Census ZBP (2022). Social vulnerability scores retrieved May 3, 2026 from CDC/ATSDR SVI (2022). Federal disaster declarations retrieved May 3, 2026 from FEMA OpenFEMA (21 on record). Climate normals retrieved May 8, 2026 from NOAA NCEI (1991-2020). County-level crime data retrieved May 4, 2026 from the FBI Crime Data Explorer (2024). Transit coverage retrieved May 4, 2026 from the National Transit Database (2024). State-level tax rates retrieved 2026-05-05 15:58:22.284+00 from the Tax Foundation.
Other ZIPs near 28039
Nearby ZIPs by distance
28159 (Spencer, 1 mi) · 28144 (Salisbury, 2.8 mi) · 28072 (Granite Quarry, 4.7 mi) · 28146 (Salisbury, 4.7 mi) · 27299 (Tyro, 6 mi) · 28041 (Faith, 6.6 mi)
Compare ZIP-level stats — population, schools, housing, climate — across nearby areas. Source: U.S. Census Bureau ZCTA basemap.
More Info topics
Have a specific question about ZIP 28039?
Ask Mubboo — launching Q4 2026.
Data refreshed via Mubboo's ETL pipeline; oldest source on this page retrieved Apr 27, 2026.
Social Vulnerability Index
Overall SVI
90th percentile
Very High Vulnerability
Based on 1 census tract, population 20
Vulnerability Themes
Households Without Vehicle
1
Persons with Disability
7
Without HS Diploma
3
Without Health Insurance
2
Adults Age 65+
5
The Social Vulnerability Index uses U.S. Census data to identify communities most at risk during public health emergencies and natural disasters. Higher percentiles indicate greater vulnerability. Tract-level scores are aggregated to this ZCTA via Census 2020 ZCTA→Tract crosswalk, weighted by land-area share. Source: atsdr.cdc.gov. Public domain.