PlainZIP

Elk Park, NC · standard

ZIP Code 28622

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

2,527
32/sq mi
$44,028
Median income
$169,900
Median home value
13.6%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Elk Park pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

8th pct
household income, US ZIPs
34th pct
home value, US ZIPs
32
people per sq mi
73%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 28622 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 28622 covers 80.2 square miles in Elk Park, Avery County, North Carolina (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 2,527 residents on file, a density of 32 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.

ZIP 28622 reports a modest median household income of $44,028 (36% below the North Carolina average), while per-capita income is $29,507. Poverty here runs at 25.3%, with unemployment measured at 5.0%. Housing costs here run $169,900 for a typical home value (35% below the state average), with rent averaging $709 a month; 73.3% of homes are owner-occupied.

Formal educational attainment runs low here: just 13.6% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 46.1, and the average commute is 23 minutes. A geography-based comparison follows: 5 ZIP codes within about 10 miles of 28622, plus 6 more within Avery County, give a clearer read than the national average alone.

Every figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (including median rent) and the FHFA House Price Index, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with Census →

Top industries in ZIP 28622

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Elk Park, NC

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 28622.

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 + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 28622, Elk Park, NC · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.

Quick Facts

2,527

Population

80.2

Area (sq mi)

32

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 28622?

46.1

Median Age

48.0%

Male

52.0%

Female

0.8%

Foreign-Born

White 94.7%
African American 1.1%
Asian 0.0%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.1%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 3.7%
Hispanic or Latino 3.7%

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?

$44,028

Median Household Income

-36% vs state

$29,507

Per Capita Income

25.3%

Poverty Rate

5.0%

Unemployment Rate

22.7 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 28622 ranks nationally

Elk Park, NC household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$44,028 8th percentile higher than 8% 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 40.2%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 13.6%

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

What does housing look like?

1,580

Total Housing Units

1,073

Occupied Units

507

Vacant Units

2.36

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 73.3%
Renter 26.7%

$169,900

Median Home Value

-35% vs state

$709

Median Rent

1978

Median Year Built

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

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 37 business establishments in ZIP 28622, employing approximately 186 people with a combined annual payroll of $12,755,000.

37

Businesses

186

Employees

$12.8M

Annual Payroll

5

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Construction 13 35.1%
Retail trade 5 13.5%
Other services (except public administration) 5 13.5%
Transportation and warehousing 3 8.1%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 3 8.1%

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 28622 vs 28604 →

ZIP 28622 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 28622 ranks #3 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 28622 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 28622 ranks #5 of 5 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
28604 Banner Elk, NC 6,249 5.7 mi
28652 Minneapolis, NC 46 6.8 mi
37640 Butler, TN 3,743 9.6 mi
28679 Sugar Grove, NC 2,064 7.4 mi
28646 Linville, NC 342 9.9 mi

More ZIP Codes in Avery County

28657 standard
Newland, NC
Pop: 9,488
28616 standard
Crossnore, NC
Pop: 493
28646 standard
Linville, NC
Pop: 342
28662 standard
Pineola, NC
Pop: 140
28647 standard
Linville Falls, NC
Pop: 89
28652 standard
Minneapolis, NC
Pop: 46

Related Areas

Avery County Elk Park, NC North Carolina

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 28622 in? ▼
ZIP code 28622 (Elk Park) is located in Avery County, North Carolina. Avery County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/avery-nc.
What is the population of ZIP code 28622? ▼
ZIP code 28622 in Elk Park, NC has a population of 2,527 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 28622? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 28622 is $44,028, which is 42% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 28622? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 28622 is $169,900, which is 39% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 28622? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 28622 is White at 94.7%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 3.7% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 28622? ▼
ZIP code 28622 has 37 business establishments employing approximately 186 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 28622? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 28622 are: Construction (13), Retail trade (5), Other services (except public administration) (5). There are 5 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 28622? ▼
In ZIP code 28622, 40.2% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 13.6% 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 28622? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 28622 is 22.7 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 28622? ▼
In ZIP code 28622, approximately 73.3% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 26.7% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 28622? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 28622 is 25.3% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.

Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.