Boone, NC · standard

ZIP Code 28607

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

33,059
129/sq mi
$46,639
Median income
$378,600
Median home value
54.4%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Boone pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with upper-quartile home values, in a rural, mixed-tenure area.

11th pct
household income, US ZIPs
Top 23%
home value, US ZIPs
129
people per sq mi
50%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 28607 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 28607 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 256.3 square miles in Boone, Watauga County, North Carolina. The area is home to 33,059 residents, producing a population density of 129 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 28607 against North Carolina and the nation.

On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 28607 sits at $46,639 (33% below the North Carolina average), while per-capita income is $29,503. The poverty rate stands at 34.4% and the unemployment rate at 10.0%. On housing, the median home value is $378,600 (46% above the state average) with median rent at $1,152 per month, and 50.2% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 28607 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.

Education and household profile round out the picture: 54.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 23.2, and the average commute is 18 minutes. We also surface 5 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Watauga County, so you can benchmark 28607 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 28607

Top 5 sectors by establishment count

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 28607.

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 28607, Boone, 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

33,059

Population

256.3

Area (sq mi)

129

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 28607?

23.2

Median Age

49.1%

Male

50.9%

Female

3.7%

Foreign-Born

White 87.8%
African American 2.9%
Asian 1.1%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 6.7%
Hispanic or Latino 7.1%

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?

$46,639

Median Household Income

-33% vs state

$29,503

Per Capita Income

34.4%

Poverty Rate

10.0%

Unemployment Rate

18.1 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 28607 ranks nationally

Household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$46,639 11th percentile higher than 11% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). Above this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). Above this entry. $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 73.0%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 54.4%

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

What does housing look like?

16,768

Total Housing Units

12,583

Occupied Units

4,185

Vacant Units

2.32

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 50.2%
Renter 49.8%

$378,600

Median Home Value

+46% vs state

$1,152

Median Rent

1988

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

+7.3%

YoY Change (2024)

271

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+171%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 28607 have increased 7.3% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +171% cumulative appreciation.

Year Annual Change HPI Index
2020 +3.4% 162
2021 +13.6% 184
2022 +20.9% 222
2023 +13.8% 253
2024 +7.3% 271

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 1,184 business establishments in ZIP 28607, employing approximately 16,430 people with a combined annual payroll of $744,426,000.

1,184

Businesses

16,430

Employees

$744.4M

Annual Payroll

17

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Retail trade 198 16.7%
Health care and social assistance 138 11.7%
Accommodation and food services 136 11.5%
Professional, scientific, and technical services 129 10.9%
Construction 124 10.5%
Real estate and rental and leasing 117 9.9%
Other services (except public administration) 105 8.9%
Finance and insurance 49 4.1%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 44 3.7%
Manufacturing 31 2.6%
Wholesale trade 30 2.5%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation 26 2.2%
Information 22 1.9%
Educational services 13 1.1%
Transportation and warehousing 11 0.9%
Management of companies and enterprises 5 0.4%
Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction 3 0.3%

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 28607 vs 28605 →

ZIP 28607 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 28607 ranks the most populous — useful context the national average alone can't give.

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

ZIP 28607 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 28607 ranks #5 of 6 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
28605 Blowing Rock, NC 3,412 6.2 mi
28618 Deep Gap, NC 2,352 7.7 mi
28684 Todd, NC 2,141 8.6 mi
28692 Vilas, NC 4,067 8.9 mi
28698 Zionville, NC 2,256 9.6 mi

More ZIP Codes in Watauga County

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 28607 in?
ZIP code 28607 (Boone) 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 28607?
ZIP code 28607 in Boone, NC has a population of 33,059 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 28607?
The median household income in ZIP 28607 is $46,639, which is 39% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 28607?
The median home value in ZIP 28607 is $378,600, which is 36% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 28607?
The largest racial group in ZIP 28607 is White at 87.8%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 7.1% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 28607?
ZIP code 28607 has 1,184 business establishments employing approximately 16,430 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 28607?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 28607 are: Retail trade (198), Health care and social assistance (138), Accommodation and food services (136). There are 17 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 28607?
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 28607 increased by 7.3% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 171%. 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 28607?
In ZIP code 28607, 73.0% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 54.4% 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 28607?
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 28607 is 18.1 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 28607?
In ZIP code 28607, approximately 50.2% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 49.8% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 28607?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 28607 is 34.4% 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 Boone, NC

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