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 Moderate-density area
- $44,028
- Median income Below-median income area
- $169,900
- Median home value Near-median home value
- 13.6%
- Bachelor's or higher Below-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
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 average North Carolina ZIP), while per-capita income is $29,507. The poverty rate is 25.3%, so the area-level income figures should not be treated as typical household experience. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $169,900 (35% below the average North Carolina ZIP), and median rent is $709; owner occupancy is 73.3%.
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. The page also surfaces 5 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Avery County, so 28622 can be compared with both its immediate and county-level context.
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.
- Construction
Construction
13 establishments
- Retail trade 5
Retail trade
5 establishments
- Other services (except public administration) 5
Other services (except public administration)
5 establishments
- Transportation and warehousing 3
Transportation and warehousing
3 establishments
- Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 3
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services
3 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 + 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
Who lives in ZIP 28622?
46.1
Median Age
48.0%
Male
52.0%
Female
0.8%
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?
$44,028
Median Household Income
-36% vs state ZIP avg
$29,507
Per Capita Income
25.3%
Poverty Rate
5.0%
Unemployment Rate
22.7 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 28622 ranks among North Carolina ZIPs
Elk Park, NC household income vs. every North Carolina ZIP code
Median household income among 749 reporting North Carolina ZIPs (this ZIP's population is too small for a reliable national-corpus placement)
$44,028 9th percentile higher than 9% of 749 North Carolina ZIPs
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more North Carolina 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?
Housing stock: occupied vs vacant
1,580housing units
1,580
Total Housing Units
1,073
Occupied Units
507
Vacant Units
2.36
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$169,900
Median Home Value
-35% vs state ZIP avg
$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.
- 28604
Banner Elk (28604)
6,249 residents
- 37640
Butler (37640)
3,743 residents
- 28622
Elk Park (28622)
2,527 residents
- 28679 2,064
Sugar Grove (28679)
2,064 residents
- 28646 342
Linville (28646)
342 residents
- 28652 46
Minneapolis (28652)
46 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 28622 ranks #3 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 28622 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
- 28604
Banner Elk (28604)
$76,319 median income
- 28679
Sugar Grove (28679)
$65,246 median income
- 37640
Butler (37640)
$55,402 median income
- 28622
Elk Park (28622)
$44,028 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.
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 28622, both outside NC so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment (Nearby and same-county blocks stay local).
Similar population
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by resident population (2,527 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Avery County
Related Areas
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.
Related
Take this with you
What to do with ZIP 28622's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 28622 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Elk Park, NC ranks among every U.S. ZIP code on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
- Save this ZIP to your shortlist to track alongside others you're considering View your shortlist
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.