Residential delivery area · North Carolina
ZIP Code 28604: Banner Elk, NC
ZIP code 28604 uses the postal name Banner Elk, North Carolina and lies mostly in Watauga County (58% of its land) with the rest in Avery County (Census 2020 ZIP-county file). About 7,900 people live there (Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024). Median household income is $76,319 (Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024). By Census place, its land lies in Beech Mountain (9%), Valle Crucis (4%), Sugar Mountain (3%), Seven Devils (3%) and Banner Elk (3%), and 4% in smaller places; 74% is outside any Census place.
- ACS2020-24
- Census2020
- FHFA2025
- ZBP2023
- IRS2022
- Town
- Banner Elk · its only residential ZIP
- County
- Watauga County (58%); Avery County (42%)
- Census places
- Beech Mountain (9%); Valle Crucis (4%) census-designated place; Sugar Mountain (3%); Seven Devils (3%)
- Micro area
- Boone, NC
- House districts
- NC-5 (58%), NC-11 (42%) 119th Congress, by share of land
- State
- North Carolina
- Time zone
- Eastern
- Land area
- 68.7 sq mi · 115 people per sq mi
Where is ZIP code 28604?
28604 centers on 36.178°, -81.858° and covers 68.7 square miles of land plus 0.1 of water. It borders 7 ZIP codes: 28622, 28679, 28646, 28692, 28605, 28657, 28607.
The map draws ZIP code areas only. For the streets inside 28604, open its center on OpenStreetMap.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 ZCTA cartographic boundaries and the 2023 Gazetteer (2020 ZCTAs); ZIP-to-county shares, Census places and House districts (119th Congress) from the Census 2020 relationship files (shares of land); metro area from the OMB delineation (July 2023); town name and time zone from simplemaps US ZIP Codes (CC BY 4.0).
How does 28604 compare with the rest of Watauga County?
| Measure | 28604 | In Watauga County | In NC |
|---|---|---|---|
| People (ACS 2020-2024) | 7,869 | 3rd of 9 | 352nd of 853 |
| Median household income | $76k | 2nd of 7 | 165th of 528 |
| Median home value | $384k | 2nd of 9 | 105th of 572 |
Its median household income is higher than in 57% of U.S. residential ZIP codes, and it is denser than 56% of all U.S. residential ZIP codes. ZIP codes at the ACS caps ($250,000 or more for household income, $2,000,000 or more for home value) share the top rank.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (B01003, B19013, B25077); ranks by PlainZIP over residential ZIP codes (ZCTAs).
How many people live in 28604?
The 2020 Census counted 7,050 people in 28604; the ACS, which samples households over 2020-2024, estimates 7,869. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population grew 12.8% (its boundary stayed at least 90% the same).
- People, ACS 2020-2024
- 7,869
- 2020 Census count
- 7,050+12.8% since 2010 (6,249)
- Households
- 3,236
- Median age
- 45.2
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (B01003, B01002, B11001); 2020 Census (DHC P1); 2010 Census (SF1 P1).
Who lives in 28604?
Of the 7,869 people the ACS estimates in 28604, 15.8% are under 18 and 25.3% are 65 or older. The largest group by race and Hispanic origin is White (not Hispanic) (87.1%).
- Under 1815.8%
- 18 to 6458.9%
- 65 and older25.3%
- White, not Hispanic87.1%
- Other or two or more5.8%
- Hispanic or Latino4.6%
- Black, not Hispanic1.5%
- Asian, not Hispanic1.0%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (B01001 age by sex, B03002 Hispanic or Latino origin by race); shares of the estimated population, small ZIP codes carry wide margins.
What do households in 28604 earn?
Median household income is $76,319 (ACS 2020-2024), the 2nd highest of the 7 ranked ZIP codes in Watauga County. It is not measurably different from 2015-2019 ($61,140 in 2024 dollars): the change is within the surveys' margins of error.
- Median household income
- $76,319±$17,302
- Income per person
- $46,313
- Below the poverty line
- 7.7%
- Unemployed (of the labor force)
- 5.3%
- Adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree
- 46.9%
- Adjusted gross income per tax return, 2022
- $89,8753,060 returns; wages 50% of AGI (IRS)
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 and 2015-2019 5-year estimates (B19013, B19301, B17001, B23025, B15003; 2015-2019 dollars converted with the BLS CPI-U, 1.22699); IRS Statistics of Income, ZIP code data, tax year 2022 (adjusted gross income per return, filed under the address on the return).
What are homes worth in 28604?
FHFA's house price index for 28604, built from repeat sales and appraisals of the same homes, rose 153% from 2015 to 2025 and rose 92% from 2020 to 2025, and moved +0.6% in 2025.
- Median home value (owners' estimate)
- $383,800
- Median gross rent
- $991
- Homes owned by their occupants
- 81.8%
- Housing units
- 9,696
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (B25077, B25064, B25003, B25001); FHFA House Price Index, annual five-digit ZIP, updated 2026-03-31.
What businesses are in 28604?
332 business establishments had a location in this ZIP code in 2023, 34 more than in 2018; the most are in construction (ZIP Code Business Patterns).
- Construction51
- Retail trade50
- Accommodation and food services47
- Real estate and rental and leasing41
- Professional, scientific, and technical services26
- Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services23
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns 2023 and 2018 (establishments with paid employees, by the business's ZIP code).
Which ZIP codes are next to 28604?
| ZIP | Town | People | Household income | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28622 | Elk Park | 2,565 | $44k | 5.2 mi |
| 28679 | Sugar Grove | 2,454 | $65k | 5.8 mi |
| 28646 | Linville | 382 | $77k | 7.2 mi |
| 28692 | Vilas | 4,367 | $43k | 9.5 mi |
| 28605 | Blowing Rock | 3,883 | $77k | 9.7 mi |
| 28657 | Newland | 8,188 | $60k | 11.7 mi |
| 28607 | Boone | 35,679 | $47k | 12.1 mi |
| 28653 | Montezuma | 26 | – | 8.1 mi (near) |
| 28652 | Minneapolis | 132 | – | 9.4 mi (near) |
| 28698 | Zionville | 2,320 | $54k | 10.9 mi (near) |
Source: PlainZIP from the Census 2020 ZCTA boundaries (shared edges) and internal points; figures ACS 2020-2024.