Banner Elk, NC · standard

ZIP Code 28604

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

Reviewed by PlainZIP Editorial Team, ZIP Code Data Editors · June 13, 2026

6,249
37/sq mi: $76,319
Median income: $383,800
Median home value: 46.9%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Banner Elk pairs an above-median household income with upper-quartile home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

Top 43%
household income, US ZIPs: Top 22%
home value, US ZIPs: 37
people per sq mi: 82%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 28604 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 28604 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 170.3 square miles in Banner Elk, Watauga County, North Carolina. The area is home to 6,249 residents, producing a population density of 37 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 28604 against North Carolina and the nation.

On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 28604 sits at $76,319 (10% above the North Carolina average), while per-capita income is $46,313. The poverty rate stands at 7.7% and the unemployment rate at 5.3%. On housing, the median home value is $383,800 (48% above the state average) with median rent at $991 per month, and 81.8% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 28604 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.

Education and household profile round out the picture: 46.9% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 45.2, and the average commute is 25 minutes. We also surface 7 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Watauga County, so you can benchmark 28604 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 28604

Construction

51
Retail trade

50
Accommodation and food services

47
Real estate and rental and leasing

41
Professional, scientific, and technical services

26

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 + HUD FMR + FHFA HPI ACS demographics, ZBP business establishments, HUD Fair Market Rents, FHFA HPI for ZIP 28604, Banner Elk, NC · 2023 Accessed 2026-06-13 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

6,249

Population

170.3

Area (sq mi)

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 28604?

45.2

Median Age

49.2%

Male

50.8%

Female

4.4%

Foreign-Born

White 87.9%

African American 1.5%

Asian 1.0%

American Indian or Alaska Native 0.9%

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%

Two or More Ethnicities 7.3%

Hispanic or Latino 4.6%

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?

$76,319

Median Household Income

+10% vs state

$46,313

Per Capita Income

7.7%

Poverty Rate

5.3%

Unemployment Rate

25.2 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 28604 ranks nationally

Household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$76,319 Top 43% higher than 57% of 30,318 US ZIPs

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 60.6%

Bachelor's Degree or Higher 46.9%

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

What does housing look like?

9,696

Total Housing Units

3,236

Occupied Units

6,460

Vacant Units

2.17

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 81.8%

Renter 18.2%

$383,800

Median Home Value

+48% vs state

$991

Median Rent

1988

Median Year Built

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

How have home values changed over time?

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

+7.6%

YoY Change (2024)

313

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+213%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 28604 have increased 7.6% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +213% cumulative appreciation.

Year	Annual Change	HPI Index
2020	+4.6%	163
2021	+24.4%	203
2022	+32.1%	268
2023	+8.7%	291
2024	+7.6%	313

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 332 business establishments in ZIP 28604, employing approximately 3,316 people with a combined annual payroll of $117,536,000.

332

Businesses

3,316

Employees

$117.5M

Annual Payroll

Industry Sectors

Industry	Establishments	% of Total
Construction	51	15.4%
Retail trade	50	15.1%
Accommodation and food services	47	14.2%
Real estate and rental and leasing	41	12.3%
Professional, scientific, and technical services	26	7.8%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services	23	6.9%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation	21	6.3%
Other services (except public administration)	21	6.3%
Health care and social assistance	16	4.8%
Finance and insurance	10	3.0%
Manufacturing	8	2.4%
Wholesale trade	6	1.8%
Information	4	1.2%

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 28604 vs 28679 →

28657

9,488
28604

6,249
28692

4,067
28605

3,412
28622

2,527
28679

2,064
28646

342
28652

46

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 28604 ranks #2 by population — useful context the national average alone can't give.

28646

$76,736
28605

$76,477
28604

$76,319
28679

$65,246
28657

$59,702
28622

$44,028
28692

$43,103

What this shows By household income, ZIP 28604 ranks #3 of 7 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

ZIP Code	City	Population	Distance
28679	Sugar Grove, NC	2,064	5.7 mi
28646	Linville, NC	342	6.8 mi
28622	Elk Park, NC	2,527	5.7 mi
28692	Vilas, NC	4,067	7.7 mi
28605	Blowing Rock, NC	3,412	8.8 mi
28652	Minneapolis, NC	46	9.4 mi
28657	Newland, NC	9,488	11.4 mi

More ZIP Codes in Watauga County

Watauga County Banner Elk, NC North Carolina

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 28604 in? ▼

ZIP code 28604 (Banner Elk) is located in Watauga County, North Carolina. Watauga County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/watauga-nc.

What is the population of ZIP code 28604? ▼

ZIP code 28604 in Banner Elk, NC has a population of 6,249 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in ZIP 28604? ▼

The median household income in ZIP 28604 is $76,319, which is 0% above the national average of $76,288.

What is the average home value in ZIP 28604? ▼

The median home value in ZIP 28604 is $383,800, which is 38% above the national average of $278,155.

What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 28604? ▼

The largest racial group in ZIP 28604 is White at 87.9%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 4.6% of the population.

How many businesses are in ZIP code 28604? ▼

ZIP code 28604 has 332 business establishments employing approximately 3,316 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.

What are the main industries in ZIP code 28604? ▼

The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 28604 are: Construction (51), Retail trade (50), Accommodation and food services (47). There are 13 industry sectors represented in total.

How have home values changed in ZIP code 28604? ▼

According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 28604 increased by 7.6% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 213%. 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 28604? ▼

In ZIP code 28604, 60.6% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 46.9% 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 28604? ▼

The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 28604 is 25.2 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 28604? ▼

In ZIP code 28604, approximately 81.8% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 18.2% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 28604? ▼

The poverty rate in ZIP code 28604 is 7.7% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.