ZIP 28657 vs ZIP 28622

This side-by-side compares ZIP 28657 (Newland, NC) and ZIP 28622 (Elk Park, NC) using the same Census ACS 5-Year table fields for both — no averages swapped in, no national proxies. ZIP 28657 has a population of 9,488 at 23 people per square mile, while ZIP 28622 has 2,527 at 32 per square mile. That difference in population size and density alone reshapes how every other metric should be interpreted — a higher-income ZIP with 1,200 residents behaves very differently from one with 45,000.

On income and education, ZIP 28657 reports a median household income of $59,702 against $44,028 in ZIP 28622, with per-capita income of $36,318 vs $29,507. The share of adults holding a bachelor's degree or higher is 24.9% in 28657 and 13.6% in 28622. Poverty rate reads 9.0% vs 25.3%, and unemployment 3.9% vs 5.0% — these four fields alone drive most of the difference in the scorecard grades you will see for each ZIP.

Housing separates these two ZIPs further: median home value sits at $240,300 in 28657 versus $169,900 in 28622, with median rent of $695 and $709 per month respectively. Homeownership rate is 85.4% vs 73.3%. When reading the comparison table below, focus on paired metrics rather than single winners — a ZIP with lower home values and lower income is not strictly "worse" if rent-to-income ratios and commute times land in the same zone. Every value is pulled from the exact same ACS table so the two columns are genuinely comparable.