Arden, NC · standard
ZIP Code 28704
Buncombe County, North Carolina — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 18,821
- 220/sq mi
- $81,096
- Median income
- $390,000
- Median home value
- 40.7%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
Arden pairs an above-median household income with upper-quartile home values, in a low-density, mixed-tenure area.
- Top 37%
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 22%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 220
- people per sq mi
- 59%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 28704 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 28704 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 85.7 square miles in Arden, Buncombe County, North Carolina. The area is home to 18,821 residents, producing a population density of 220 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 28704 against North Carolina and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 28704 sits at $81,096 (17% above the North Carolina average), while per-capita income is $46,301. The poverty rate stands at 6.4% and the unemployment rate at 5.2%. On housing, the median home value is $390,000 (50% above the state average) with median rent at $1,400 per month, and 59.3% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 28704 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 40.7% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 40.3, and the average commute is 20 minutes. We also surface 9 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Buncombe County, so you can benchmark 28704 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 28704
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 28704.
- Retail trade
Retail trade
122 establishments
- Construction
Construction
90 establishments
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
88 establishments
- Professional, scientific, and technical services
Professional, scientific, and technical services
86 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
70 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 28704, Arden, 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
18,821
Population
85.7
Area (sq mi)
220
People / sq mi
New York
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 28704?
40.3
Median Age
50.8%
Male
49.2%
Female
9.7%
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?
$81,096
Median Household Income
+17% vs state
$46,301
Per Capita Income
6.4%
Poverty Rate
5.2%
Unemployment Rate
20.4 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 28704 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$81,096 Top 37% higher than 63% 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?
11,931
Total Housing Units
8,810
Occupied Units
3,121
Vacant Units
2.72
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$390,000
Median Home Value
+50% vs state
$1,400
Median Rent
2001
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
+6.9%
YoY Change (2024)
306
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+206%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 28704 have increased 6.9% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +206% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +3.0% | 195 |
| 2021 | +14.0% | 222 |
| 2022 | +15.7% | 257 |
| 2023 | +11.5% | 287 |
| 2024 | +6.9% | 306 |
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 843 business establishments in ZIP 28704, employing approximately 17,611 people with a combined annual payroll of $850,597,000.
843
Businesses
17,611
Employees
$850.6M
Annual Payroll
16
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 122 | 14.5% |
| Construction | 90 | 10.7% |
| Health care and social assistance | 88 | 10.4% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 86 | 10.2% |
| Accommodation and food services | 70 | 8.3% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 65 | 7.7% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 64 | 7.6% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 62 | 7.3% |
| Wholesale trade | 44 | 5.2% |
| Manufacturing | 43 | 5.1% |
| Finance and insurance | 41 | 4.9% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 24 | 2.9% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 15 | 1.8% |
| Educational services | 12 | 1.4% |
| Information | 11 | 1.3% |
| Management of companies and enterprises | 3 | 0.4% |
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 28704 vs 28759 →
ZIP 28704 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 28806
Asheville (28806)
38,550 residents
- 28803
Asheville (28803)
28,693 residents
- 28715
Candler (28715)
24,582 residents
- 28704
Arden (28704)
18,821 residents
- 28732
Fletcher (28732)
16,491 residents
- 28801 15,019
Asheville (28801)
15,019 residents
- 28791 14,171
Hendersonville (28791)
14,171 residents
- 28759 6,922
Mills River (28759)
6,922 residents
- 28729 2,894
Etowah (28729)
2,894 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 28704 ranks #4 by population — useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 28704 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 28759
Mills River (28759)
$107,609 median income
- 28742
Horse Shoe (28742)
$99,007 median income
- 28729
Etowah (28729)
$84,413 median income
- 28732
Fletcher (28732)
$81,852 median income
- 28704
Arden (28704)
$81,096 median income
- 28791
Hendersonville (28791)
$78,827 median income
- 28803
Asheville (28803)
$76,662 median income
- 28715
Candler (28715)
$71,716 median income
- 28806
Asheville (28806)
$63,273 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 28704 ranks #5 of 9 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
| ZIP Code | City | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28759 | Mills River, NC | 6,922 | 5.5 mi |
| 28803 | Asheville, NC | 28,693 | 5.7 mi |
| 28732 | Fletcher, NC | 16,491 | 6.3 mi |
| 28742 | Horse Shoe, NC | 2,710 | 6.5 mi |
| 28806 | Asheville, NC | 38,550 | 7.9 mi |
| 28801 | Asheville, NC | 15,019 | 9.2 mi |
| 28729 | Etowah, NC | 2,894 | 9.9 mi |
| 28791 | Hendersonville, NC | 14,171 | 8.2 mi |
| 28715 | Candler, NC | 24,582 | 8.4 mi |
More ZIP Codes in Buncombe County
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Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 28704 in? ▼
What is the population of ZIP code 28704? ▼
What is the median household income in ZIP 28704? ▼
What is the average home value in ZIP 28704? ▼
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 28704? ▼
How many businesses are in ZIP code 28704? ▼
What are the main industries in ZIP code 28704? ▼
How have home values changed in ZIP code 28704? ▼
What is the education level in ZIP code 28704? ▼
What is the average commute time in ZIP 28704? ▼
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 28704? ▼
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 28704? ▼
ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for Arden, 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.