Sunbury High School · National Register of Historic Places
Sunbury’s story
210 years in pictures
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1816Sunbury is settled
SunburyNC
Sunbury High School · Photo: Nyttend · Public domain
Population
251
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$225K
+7.4% in a year
Household income
$63K
median
Median age
14.0
years
Jobs based here
116
Balanced
Is Sunbury a good place to live?
8.8% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Sunbury, against 29% in North Carolina’s towns and 29% across U.S. towns. Sunbury High School is on the National Register of Historic Places. Sunbury has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Sunbury stand out
Where Sunbury beats most towns.
Small town
251 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
Moving to Sunbury: who provides what
Sunbury is unincorporated, so Gates County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerDominion Energy12.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterGates County Water SystemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers95% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesGates CountyGates County provides services here
Register to voteOnlineIn North Carolina you can register online until 25 days before Election Day, in person with same-day registration during the early voting period, or by mail (postmarked 25 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereGates County Board of ElectionsGates County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2021
ZIP code2797927979 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Sunbury.
Housing
Homes in Sunbury are worth about $225K, by Zillow’s estimate
In the year to September 2026, typical home values climbed 7.4%. Nearly two thirds of Sunbury households live in a home they own.
$225KZillow home value
Typical home value
Sunbury$225K
North Carolina$332K
+7.4%
value change, 1 year
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
Sunbury has mild winters and hot summers
Expect July afternoons of 89° and January nights of 30°, with about 4 inches of snow a winter.
4″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter32–54°
Spring47–71°
Summer67–87°
Fall50–73°
Nov 2
typical first frost
Apr 7
typical last frost
+1.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commute
With 1.2 jobs for every working resident, Sunbury draws in 116 commuters
Jobs in Sunbury grew by 57 from 2013 to 2023, reaching 116. The town’s average trip to work is 18 minutes. Half of commuters travel less than 24 miles. The top destinations are Elizabeth City (10%), Chesapeake (10%) and Suffolk (7%).
0%work in town
| Sunbury | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 18% | 13% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Sunbury0%
Elizabeth City10%
Chesapeake10%
Suffolk7%
Raleigh5%
24 mi
median commute distance
116
jobs based in Sunbury
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazards
Low risk in Sunbury, with inland flooding at the top
FEMA expects less storm and flood damage in Sunbury than in just over three fifths of U.S. communities. Households here have drawn federal disaster aid in 3 declared disasters, most recently in 2016. Of the losses FEMA expects locally, 34% come from inland flooding and 30% from hurricanes.
39risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHurricanesStrong wind
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Health
How healthy Sunbury is
Among adults in Sunbury, 25% say their health is fair or poor. On the CDC’s 32 measures, Sunbury is ahead of North Carolina on 1 and behind on 17. In Sunbury, 12% of adults binge drink, and 16% have diabetes.
| Sunbury | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 45% | 38% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 15% | 16% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 13% | 14% |
32 measures vs. North Carolina
1 better14 too close to call17 worse
| What stands out | Sunbury | NC |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 81% | 76.7% |
| More adults with COPD | 11.4% | 7.1% |
Sentara Albemarle Medical Center
22 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Outdoors
Sunbury has set aside 0.4% of its land for conservation
1.2 miles of trail. The trail density for Sunbury comes to 0.5 miles per square mile.
0.4%conserved
| Sunbury | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.4% | 3.4% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.5 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
0.4%
conserved · 7 of 1,560 acres
1.2 mi
of trails · 0.5 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Sunbury
17pages on Sunbury
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Sunbury; the nearest are
College of the AlbemarleCommunity college · Public · Elizabeth City23.4 mi$2,242 in-state tuitionElizabeth City State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Elizabeth City25.1 mi$6,536 in-state tuition
About 0 of every 100 Sunbury residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across North Carolina.
About Sunbury
Census-designated place in North Carolina, United States
Sunbury is a census-designated place (CDP) and unincorporated community in Gates County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2020 census, Sunbury had a population of 276. Sunbury is located at the junction of U.S. Route 158 and North Carolina Highway 32, 10 miles (16 km) east-northeast of Gatesville, the Gates County seat. Sunbury has a post office with ZIP code 27979. Sunbury High School was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 2.5 sq mi
- Elevation
- 33 ft
- ZIP code
- 27979
- Area code
- 252
Questions about Sunbury
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Sunbury, NC a good place to live?
Sunbury has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What is Sunbury, NC known for?
2 notable people were born here, including Claude Corbitt and John Hudson Riddick.