Blowing Rock, NC · standard
ZIP Code 28605
Watauga County, North Carolina — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 3,412
- 46/sq mi
- $76,477
- Median income
- $552,400
- Median home value
- 54.3%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
Blowing Rock pairs an above-median household income with upper-quartile home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 43%
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 11%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 46
- people per sq mi
- 74%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 28605 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 28605 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 75.0 square miles in Blowing Rock, Watauga County, North Carolina. The area is home to 3,412 residents, producing a population density of 46 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 28605 against North Carolina and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 28605 sits at $76,477 (11% above the North Carolina average), while per-capita income is $55,891. The poverty rate stands at 13.2% and the unemployment rate at 3.6%. On housing, the median home value is $552,400 (113% above the state average) with median rent at $1,112 per month, and 74.0% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 28605 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 54.3% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 44, and the average commute is —. We also surface 6 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Watauga County, so you can benchmark 28605 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 28605
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 28605.
- Retail trade
Retail trade
74 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
42 establishments
- Real estate and rental and leasing 22
Real estate and rental and leasing
22 establishments
- Professional, scientific, and technical services 21
Professional, scientific, and technical services
21 establishments
- Construction 19
Construction
19 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 + HUD FMR + FHFA HPI ACS demographics, ZBP business establishments, HUD Fair Market Rents, FHFA HPI for ZIP 28605, Blowing Rock, 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
3,412
Population
75.0
Area (sq mi)
46
People / sq mi
New York
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 28605?
44.0
Median Age
51.6%
Male
48.4%
Female
5.9%
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?
$76,477
Median Household Income
+11% vs state
$55,891
Per Capita Income
13.2%
Poverty Rate
3.6%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 28605 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$76,477 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?
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What does housing look like?
4,407
Total Housing Units
1,691
Occupied Units
2,716
Vacant Units
2.26
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$552,400
Median Home Value
+113% vs state
$1,112
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
+6.8%
YoY Change (2024)
293
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+193%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 28605 have increased 6.8% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +193% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +2.8% | 162 |
| 2021 | +12.5% | 182 |
| 2022 | +19.0% | 217 |
| 2023 | +26.5% | 274 |
| 2024 | +6.8% | 293 |
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 247 business establishments in ZIP 28605, employing approximately 2,623 people with a combined annual payroll of $79,900,000.
247
Businesses
2,623
Employees
$79.9M
Annual Payroll
13
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 74 | 30.0% |
| Accommodation and food services | 42 | 17.0% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 22 | 8.9% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 21 | 8.5% |
| Construction | 19 | 7.7% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 19 | 7.7% |
| Finance and insurance | 12 | 4.9% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 10 | 4.0% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 7 | 2.8% |
| Educational services | 6 | 2.4% |
| Health care and social assistance | 6 | 2.4% |
| Manufacturing | 3 | 1.2% |
| Wholesale trade | 3 | 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 28605 vs 28607 →
ZIP 28605 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 28607
Boone (28607)
33,059 residents
- 28604 6,249
Banner Elk (28604)
6,249 residents
- 28692 4,067
Vilas (28692)
4,067 residents
- 28605 3,412
Blowing Rock (28605)
3,412 residents
- 28679 2,064
Sugar Grove (28679)
2,064 residents
- 28611 885
Collettsville (28611)
885 residents
- 28646 342
Linville (28646)
342 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 28605 ranks #4 by population — useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 28605 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 28646
Linville (28646)
$76,736 median income
- 28605
Blowing Rock (28605)
$76,477 median income
- 28604
Banner Elk (28604)
$76,319 median income
- 28679
Sugar Grove (28679)
$65,246 median income
- 28607
Boone (28607)
$46,639 median income
- 28692
Vilas (28692)
$43,103 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 28605 ranks #2 of 6 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
More ZIP Codes in Watauga County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 28605 in? ▼
What is the population of ZIP code 28605? ▼
What is the median household income in ZIP 28605? ▼
What is the average home value in ZIP 28605? ▼
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 28605? ▼
How many businesses are in ZIP code 28605? ▼
What are the main industries in ZIP code 28605? ▼
How have home values changed in ZIP code 28605? ▼
What is the education level in ZIP code 28605? ▼
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 28605? ▼
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 28605? ▼
ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for Blowing Rock, NC
Verify and explore additional data for this area using these official government sources.
Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.