Wilkes County, NC Distress Report: Foreclosure, Tax Liens & ZIPs (2026)
Where is distress concentrating in Wilkes County, North Carolina? DLRadar grades every Wilkes County ZIP 0-100 from foreclosure, tax-lien, mortgage and insurance records, peaking at 35/100. Here is the 2026 Wilkes County breakdown.
- Wilkes County's most distressed ZIP is 28624 at 35/100.
- 23 ZIP codes tracked in Wilkes County, averaging 31/100 distress.
- Wilkes County reads peak — home values up 1.9% year over year.
- Vacancy runs 19.2% across Wilkes County's tracked ZIPs, with a 16.3% poverty rate.
- The typical Wilkes County home is worth about $183,348 against a ~$50,644 median income.
- Lending headwind in Wilkes County sits at 40/100 — a forward read on distressed supply.
Numbers from the DLRadar public-record distress index, refreshed each month. Quote them freely with credit to DLRadar (dlradar.com).
| Rank | ZIP | Composite distress |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 28624 | 35/100 |
| 2 | 28635 | 35/100 |
| 3 | 28649 | 35/100 |
| 4 | 28651 | 35/100 |
| 5 | 28659 | 35/100 |
| 6 | 28665 | 35/100 |
| 7 | 28669 | 35/100 |
| 8 | 28670 | 35/100 |
| 9 | 28685 | 35/100 |
| 10 | 28697 | 35/100 |
| 11 | 28606 | 34/100 |
| 12 | 28618 | 34/100 |
Most distressed ZIP codes in Wilkes County (composite distress 0-100, 2026)
What is driving Wilkes County distress
The Wilkes County read is assembled from six public feeds — FHFA, CFPB, the county recorder, FEMA, NFIP and Census ACS, producing a 31/100 ZIP average. No proprietary or modelled inputs enter the score.
Wilkes County market phase and pricing
DLRadar places Wilkes County in peak; prices moved up 1.9% over the year. Longer marketing times follow, and with them the sellers worth calling.
See the distressed properties behind the data in Wilkes County
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Frequently asked questions
What is the hardest-hit ZIP in Wilkes County?
ZIP 28624 leads Wilkes County at 35/100, recomputed monthly from public records.
What stage of the price cycle is Wilkes County at?
Wilkes County reads peak, with home prices up 1.9% year over year. Phase comes from FHFA House Price Index trajectory.
Which datasets feed the Wilkes County scores?
Public records only: FHFA for prices, CFPB for mortgage performance, the county recorder for filings, FEMA/NFIP for flood, Census ACS for demographics. The 23 Wilkes County ZIP codes are scored exactly as every other county is, which is what makes cross-market comparison valid.
How much do distress scores vary between Wilkes County ZIP codes?
A single county score papers over real variation. Across the Wilkes County ZIPs DLRadar ranks, scores run from 35/100 in 28624 down to 34/100 in 28618, against a Wilkes County average of 31/100. The 1-point range is the argument for ZIP-level search across Wilkes County.
What do Wilkes County home values and vacancy say about distressed supply?
The typical Wilkes County home carries about $183,348 of value against a median household income near $50,644. Vacancy across Wilkes County's tracked ZIPs runs 19.2% and the poverty rate is 16.3%. Stretched affordability and standing vacancy are what turn a missed payment into a listing, which is why DLRadar reads them alongside Wilkes County's foreclosure and tax-lien filings and its 40/100 lending headwind.
Related
DLRadar scores property distress from public records by deterministic formulas — not investment, legal, or financial advice. Figures refresh monthly from the live index.