Spindale, NC · standard
ZIP Code 28160
Rutherford County, North Carolina - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 3,929
- 270/sq mi High-density area
- $40,868
- Median income Below-median income area
- $164,000
- Median home value Below-median home value
- 14.6%
- Bachelor's or higher Below-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Spindale pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with below-median home values, in a low-density, mixed-tenure area.
- 6th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- 32nd pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 270
- people per sq mi
- 47%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 28160 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 28160 covers 14.5 square miles in Spindale, Rutherford County, North Carolina (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 3,929 residents on file, a density of 270 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.
ZIP 28160 reports a modest median household income of $40,868 (41% below the average North Carolina ZIP), while per-capita income is $25,655. Economic pressure is pronounced: 22.0% of residents are below the poverty line and unemployment is 15.0%. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $164,000 (37% below the average North Carolina ZIP), and median rent is $735; owner occupancy is 46.9%.
Formal educational attainment runs low here: just 14.6% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 46.4, and the average commute is -. The page also surfaces 6 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Rutherford County, so 28160 can be compared with both its immediate and county-level context.
Every figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (including median rent) and the FHFA House Price Index, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with Census →
Top industries in ZIP 28160
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Spindale, NC
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 28160.
- Retail trade
Retail trade
22 establishments
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
21 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
16 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
13 establishments
- Professional, scientific, and technical services
Professional, scientific, and technical services
9 establishments
What this shows Establishment counts come from the Census ZIP Code Business Patterns program, which counts physical business locations rather than employees or revenue.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 28160, Spindale, NC · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.
Quick Facts
3,929
Population
14.5
Area (sq mi)
270
People / sq mi
New York
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 28160?
46.4
Median Age
54.3%
Male
45.7%
Female
0.7%
Foreign-Born
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How much do residents earn?
$40,868
Median Household Income
-41% vs state ZIP avg
$25,655
Per Capita Income
22.0%
Poverty Rate
15.0%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 28160 ranks among North Carolina ZIPs
Spindale, NC household income vs. every North Carolina ZIP code
Median household income among 749 reporting North Carolina ZIPs (this ZIP's population is too small for a reliable national-corpus placement)
$40,868 7th percentile higher than 7% of 749 North Carolina ZIPs
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more North Carolina ZIPs. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2019–2023
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What is the education profile here?
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What does housing look like?
Housing stock: occupied vs vacant
1,876housing units
1,876
Total Housing Units
1,623
Occupied Units
253
Vacant Units
2.03
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$164,000
Median Home Value
-37% vs state ZIP avg
$735
Median Rent
1959
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 124 business establishments in ZIP 28160, employing approximately 1,866 people with a combined annual payroll of $74,156,000.
124
Businesses
1,866
Employees
$74.2M
Annual Payroll
12
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 22 | 17.7% |
| Health care and social assistance | 21 | 16.9% |
| Accommodation and food services | 16 | 12.9% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 13 | 10.5% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 9 | 7.3% |
| Finance and insurance | 8 | 6.5% |
| Wholesale trade | 7 | 5.7% |
| Manufacturing | 5 | 4.0% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 5 | 4.0% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 4 | 3.2% |
| Utilities | 3 | 2.4% |
| Construction | 3 | 2.4% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.
Nearby ZIP Codes
Want a side-by-side? Compare 28160 vs 28139 →
ZIP 28160 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 28043
Forest City (28043)
21,055 residents
- 28139
Rutherfordton (28139)
20,111 residents
- 28018 5,562
Bostic (28018)
5,562 residents
- 28160 3,929
Spindale (28160)
3,929 residents
- 28167 2,362
Union Mills (28167)
2,362 residents
- 28076 722
Henrietta (28076)
722 residents
- 28019 123
Caroleen (28019)
123 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 28160 ranks #4 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 28160 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 28167
Union Mills (28167)
$59,732 median income
- 28139
Rutherfordton (28139)
$56,558 median income
- 28018
Bostic (28018)
$50,727 median income
- 28043
Forest City (28043)
$42,276 median income
- 28160
Spindale (28160)
$40,868 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 28160 ranks #5 of 5 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 28160, both outside NC so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment (Nearby and same-county blocks stay local).
Similar population
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by resident population (3,929 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Rutherford County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 28160 in?
ZIP code 28160 (Spindale) is located in Rutherford County, North Carolina. Rutherford County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/rutherford-nc.
What is the population of ZIP code 28160?
ZIP code 28160 in Spindale, NC has a population of 3,929 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 28160?
The median household income in ZIP 28160 is $40,868, which is 46% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 28160?
The median home value in ZIP 28160 is $164,000, which is 41% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 28160?
The largest racial group in ZIP 28160 is White at 71.2%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 6.8% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 28160?
ZIP code 28160 has 124 business establishments employing approximately 1,866 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 28160?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 28160 are: Retail trade (22), Health care and social assistance (21), Accommodation and food services (16). There are 12 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 28160?
In ZIP code 28160, 42.5% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 14.6% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 28160?
In ZIP code 28160, approximately 46.9% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 53.1% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 28160?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 28160 is 22.0% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.
Related
Take this with you
What to do with ZIP 28160's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 28160 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Spindale, NC ranks among every U.S. ZIP code on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
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ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.