Fairplains is a community in Wilkes County, North Carolina, home to about 1,803 people across 4.2 square miles. It has no ZIP code of its own: it’s part of 28659.
Homes sold for a median of $158 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a balanced market.
Part is in Fairplains, part in North Wilkesboro and Cricket
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Fairplains. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Fairplains’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Piedmont Triad International Airport (GSO)67 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Concord-Padgett Regional Airport (USA)61 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Winston-Salem, NC49 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Philadelphia, PA419 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Fairplains; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Fairplains had 2,029 residents in the 2020 census, down 1% since 2000.
It’s the 357th largest of 771 towns in North Carolina by population.
Wilkes County grew from 26,872 residents in 1900 to 65,969 in 2020.
Wilkes County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 87°F in summer, and winter lows average 27°F. About 51.8 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 6 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, N Wilkesboro, NC weather station (3 miles away).
19,772 jobs at 1,157 businesses in Wilkes County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
335 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Fairplains.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 23 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 62 |
| Dentists | 22 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 83 |
| Mental health providers | 113 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 24 |
| Optometrists | 7 |
| Chiropractors | 1 |
| Pharmacies | 10 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Grocery stores (1 nearby)
Pharmacies (1 nearby)
Libraries
Museums
Theaters and performance venues
Counts are within about 1.5 miles of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Public schools here are run by Wilkes County Schools. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C C Wright Elementary SchoolNorth Wilkesboro | Pre-K–5 | 316 | Public | 4.6 mi |
| Mulberry Elementary SchoolNorth Wilkesboro | Pre-K–5 | 419 | Public | 3.8 mi |
| North Wilkesboro Elementary SchoolNorth Wilkesboro | Pre-K–5 | 329 | Public | 1.7 mi |
| North Wilkes Middle SchoolNorth Wilkesboro | 6–8 | 484 | Public | 4.3 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Shares ZIP codes with North Wilkesboro, Cricket and Mulberry.
Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.