Charlotte, NC · standard

ZIP Code 28204

Mecklenburg County, North Carolina — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.

4,796
1,071/sq mi
$92,054
Median income
$585,200
Median home value
77.7%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Charlotte pairs an upper-quartile household income with top-decile home values, in a low-density, renter-heavy area.

Top 25%
household income, US ZIPs
Top 10%
home value, US ZIPs
1,071
people per sq mi
28%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 28204 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 28204 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 4.5 square miles in Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. The area is home to 4,796 residents, producing a population density of 1,071 people per square mile, and falls within the New York time zone. These USPS and Census boundary values drive every downstream statistic on this page, including the benchmarks that compare 28204 against North Carolina and the nation.

On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 28204 sits at $92,054 (33% above the North Carolina average), while per-capita income is $88,392. The poverty rate stands at 9.1% and the unemployment rate at 3.7%. On housing, the median home value is $585,200 (126% above the state average) with median rent at $1,735 per month, and 28.4% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 28204 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.

Education and household profile round out the picture: 77.7% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 31, and the average commute is 23 minutes. We also surface 10 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Mecklenburg County, so you can benchmark 28204 against its immediate geography rather than a national average alone. Every figure is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, HUD Fair Market Rents, and FHFA Home Price Index data, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with HUD →

Top industries in ZIP 28204

Top 5 sectors by establishment count

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 28204.

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 · ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) As of 2023

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + HUD FMR + FHFA HPI ACS demographics, ZBP business establishments, HUD Fair Market Rents, FHFA HPI for ZIP 28204, Charlotte, NC · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; HUD FMR + FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.

Quick Facts

4,796

Population

4.5

Area (sq mi)

1,071

People / sq mi

New York

Time Zone

standard

ZIP Type

Neighborhood Scorecard
Get an A-F grade across income, safety, housing, rent, education, commute, and childcare for this ZIP code.
View Scorecard →

Who lives in ZIP 28204?

31.0

Median Age

49.5%

Male

50.5%

Female

10.2%

Foreign-Born

White 67.9%
African American 18.3%
Asian 4.8%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 6.6%
Hispanic or Latino 8.0%

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?

$92,054

Median Household Income

+33% vs state

$88,392

Per Capita Income

9.1%

Poverty Rate

3.7%

Unemployment Rate

23.4 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 28204 ranks nationally

Household income vs. every US ZIP code

Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked

$92,054 Top 25% higher than 75% of 30,318 US ZIPs

$0–$20,000: 118 US ZIPs (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 1,573 US ZIPs (5%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 7,092 US ZIPs (23%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). Below this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). This entry sits in this band. $100,000–$120,000: 2,855 US ZIPs (9%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 1,362 US ZIPs (4%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 686 US ZIPs (2%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 364 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 186 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 324 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. This ZIP $0 $200K+ every reporting US ZIP, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US 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?

High School Graduate or Higher 84.9%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 77.7%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What does housing look like?

6,288

Total Housing Units

5,582

Occupied Units

706

Vacant Units

1.62

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 28.4%
Renter 71.6%

$585,200

Median Home Value

+126% vs state

$1,735

Median Rent

2010

Median Year Built

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

FHFA House Price Index, annual appreciation data based on repeat sales and appraisals

+12.6%

YoY Change (2024)

437

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+337%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 28204 have increased 12.6% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +337% cumulative appreciation.

Year Annual Change HPI Index
2020 +6.3% 275
2021 +10.6% 304
2022 +17.0% 356
2023 +9.1% 388
2024 +12.6% 437

Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index, All-Transactions, Five-Digit ZIP Codes (Developmental Index). Index base = 100 in year 2000. Data through 2024. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 844 business establishments in ZIP 28204, employing approximately 18,668 people with a combined annual payroll of $1,180,767,000.

844

Businesses

18,668

Employees

$1.2B

Annual Payroll

16

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Professional, scientific, and technical services 211 25.0%
Health care and social assistance 142 16.8%
Real estate and rental and leasing 78 9.2%
Accommodation and food services 77 9.1%
Other services (except public administration) 73 8.7%
Retail trade 57 6.8%
Finance and insurance 55 6.5%
Construction 33 3.9%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 28 3.3%
Wholesale trade 22 2.6%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation 19 2.3%
Educational services 16 1.9%
Information 12 1.4%
Transportation and warehousing 9 1.1%
Manufacturing 5 0.6%
Management of companies and enterprises 5 0.6%

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 28204 vs 28207 →

ZIP 28204 vs its nearest neighbors, by population

Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

residents

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 28204 ranks #8 by population — useful context the national average alone can't give.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023

ZIP 28204 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income

Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

median income

What this shows By household income, ZIP 28204 ranks #6 of 8 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023
ZIP Code City Population Distance
28207 Charlotte, NC 9,280 1.3 mi
28244 Charlotte, NC 0 1.1 mi
28280 Charlotte, NC 10 1.2 mi
28282 Charlotte, NC 0 1.2 mi
28202 Charlotte, NC 11,195 1.3 mi
28203 Charlotte, NC 11,315 1.9 mi
28205 Charlotte, NC 43,931 2.2 mi
28206 Charlotte, NC 11,898 2.9 mi
28209 Charlotte, NC 20,317 2.9 mi
28211 Charlotte, NC 28,523 3.7 mi

More ZIP Codes in Mecklenburg County

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 28204 in?
ZIP code 28204 (Charlotte) is located in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. Mecklenburg County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/mecklenburg-nc.
What is the population of ZIP code 28204?
ZIP code 28204 in Charlotte, NC has a population of 4,796 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 28204?
The median household income in ZIP 28204 is $92,054, which is 21% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 28204?
The median home value in ZIP 28204 is $585,200, which is 110% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 28204?
The largest racial group in ZIP 28204 is White at 67.9%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 8.0% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 28204?
ZIP code 28204 has 844 business establishments employing approximately 18,668 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 28204?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 28204 are: Professional, scientific, and technical services (211), Health care and social assistance (142), Real estate and rental and leasing (78). There are 16 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 28204?
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 28204 increased by 12.6% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 337%. This is a developmental index based on repeat sales and appraisal data from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
What is the education level in ZIP code 28204?
In ZIP code 28204, 84.9% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 77.7% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What is the average commute time in ZIP 28204?
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 28204 is 23.4 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend less time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 28204?
In ZIP code 28204, approximately 28.4% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 71.6% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 28204?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 28204 is 9.1% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.

ZIP Code Research Guides

Official Data Resources for Charlotte, NC

Verify and explore additional data for this area using these official government sources.