PlainZIP

Linville, NC · standard

ZIP Code 28646

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

342
6/sq mi
$76,736
Median income
$371,300
Median home value
29.2%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Linville pairs an above-median household income with upper-quartile home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

Top 43%
household income, US ZIPs
Top 24%
home value, US ZIPs
6
people per sq mi
100%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 28646 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 28646 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Linville, Avery County, North Carolina, home to just 342 residents across 56.1 square miles, a density of 6 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.

ZIP 28646 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $76,736 (11% above the North Carolina average), while per-capita income is $56,108. 0.5% of residents live below the poverty line, and the unemployment rate reads 24.5%. Median home value sits at $371,300 (43% above the state average), median rent at - a month, and owner-occupancy at 100.0%.

Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 29.2% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 59.7, and the average commute is -. Beyond these figures, 9 nearby ZIP codes within about 10 miles are surfaced below, along with 6 more sharing Avery County, letting you compare 28646 to its immediate surroundings rather than a national baseline 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 28646

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Linville, NC

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 28646.

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 28646, Linville, 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

342

Population

56.1

Area (sq mi)

6

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 28646?

59.7

Median Age

48.2%

Male

51.8%

Female

13.1%

Foreign-Born

White 100.0%
African American 0.0%
Asian 0.0%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 0.0%
Hispanic or Latino 5.8%

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?

$76,736

Median Household Income

+11% vs state

$56,108

Per Capita Income

0.5%

Poverty Rate

24.5%

Unemployment Rate

How ZIP 28646 ranks nationally

Linville, NC household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$76,736 Top 43% higher than 57% 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%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). This entry sits in this band. $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 62.3%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 29.2%

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

What does housing look like?

1,043

Total Housing Units

193

Occupied Units

850

Vacant Units

1.98

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 100.0%
Renter 0.0%

$371,300

Median Home Value

+43% vs state

1983

Median Year Built

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

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 45 business establishments in ZIP 28646, employing approximately 785 people with a combined annual payroll of $45,669,000.

45

Businesses

785

Employees

$45.7M

Annual Payroll

8

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Health care and social assistance 8 17.8%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation 6 13.3%
Retail trade 5 11.1%
Real estate and rental and leasing 5 11.1%
Professional, scientific, and technical services 5 11.1%
Construction 4 8.9%
Accommodation and food services 3 6.7%
Other services (except public administration) 3 6.7%

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 28646 vs 28604 →

ZIP 28646 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 28646 ranks #7 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 28646 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 28646 ranks the highest 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 6.8 mi
28662 Pineola, NC 140 5.2 mi
28616 Crossnore, NC 493 6.0 mi
28657 Newland, NC 9,488 6.6 mi
28652 Minneapolis, NC 46 8.4 mi
28611 Collettsville, NC 885 7.5 mi
28605 Blowing Rock, NC 3,412 8.7 mi
28622 Elk Park, NC 2,527 9.9 mi
28647 Linville Falls, NC 89 12.3 mi

More ZIP Codes in Avery County

28657 standard
Newland, NC
Pop: 9,488
28622 standard
Elk Park, NC
Pop: 2,527
28616 standard
Crossnore, NC
Pop: 493
28662 standard
Pineola, NC
Pop: 140
28647 standard
Linville Falls, NC
Pop: 89
28652 standard
Minneapolis, NC
Pop: 46

Related Areas

Avery County Linville, NC North Carolina

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 28646 in? ▼
ZIP code 28646 (Linville) 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 28646? ▼
ZIP code 28646 in Linville, NC has a population of 342 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 28646? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 28646 is $76,736, which is 1% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 28646? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 28646 is $371,300, which is 33% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 28646? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 28646 is White at 100.0%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 5.8% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 28646? ▼
ZIP code 28646 has 45 business establishments employing approximately 785 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 28646? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 28646 are: Health care and social assistance (8), Arts, entertainment, and recreation (6), Retail trade (5). There are 8 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 28646? ▼
In ZIP code 28646, 62.3% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 29.2% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 28646? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 28646 is 0.5% 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.