Bakersville, NC · standard

ZIP Code 28705

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

6,715
21/sq mi
$54,858
Median income
$220,600
Median home value
26.1%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

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

21th pct
household income, US ZIPs
49th pct
home value, US ZIPs
21
people per sq mi
76%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 28705 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 28705 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 326.0 square miles in Bakersville, Mitchell County, North Carolina. The area is home to 6,715 residents, producing a population density of 21 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 28705 against North Carolina and the nation.

On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 28705 sits at $54,858 (21% below the North Carolina average), while per-capita income is $35,764. The poverty rate stands at 11.6% and the unemployment rate at 7.6%. On housing, the median home value is $220,600 (15% below the state average) with median rent at $864 per month, and 76.0% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 28705 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.

Education and household profile round out the picture: 26.1% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 44.5, and the average commute is 25 minutes. We also surface 4 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 1 additional ZIPs sharing Mitchell County, so you can benchmark 28705 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 28705

Top 5 sectors by establishment count

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 28705.

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 28705, Bakersville, 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

6,715

Population

326.0

Area (sq mi)

21

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 28705?

44.5

Median Age

47.1%

Male

52.9%

Female

1.3%

Foreign-Born

White 92.4%
African American 1.6%
Asian 0.7%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.1%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 5.0%
Hispanic or Latino 4.7%

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?

$54,858

Median Household Income

-21% vs state

$35,764

Per Capita Income

11.6%

Poverty Rate

7.6%

Unemployment Rate

25.1 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 28705 ranks nationally

Household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$54,858 21st percentile higher than 21% 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 57.0%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 26.1%

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

What does housing look like?

3,875

Total Housing Units

2,739

Occupied Units

1,136

Vacant Units

2.33

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 76.0%
Renter 24.0%

$220,600

Median Home Value

-15% vs state

$864

Median Rent

1976

Median Year Built

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

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 88 business establishments in ZIP 28705, employing approximately 918 people with a combined annual payroll of $40,051,000.

88

Businesses

918

Employees

$40.1M

Annual Payroll

11

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Other services (except public administration) 15 17.1%
Retail trade 14 15.9%
Construction 12 13.6%
Health care and social assistance 11 12.5%
Accommodation and food services 6 6.8%
Wholesale trade 5 5.7%
Transportation and warehousing 4 4.5%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation 4 4.5%
Manufacturing 3 3.4%
Real estate and rental and leasing 3 3.4%
Professional, scientific, and technical services 3 3.4%

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 28705 vs 28740 →

ZIP 28705 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 28705 ranks #2 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 28705 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 28705 ranks #2 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
28740 Green Mountain, NC 1,364 7.0 mi
37687 Roan Mountain, TN 5,038 10.0 mi
28777 Spruce Pine, NC 10,638 11.0 mi
37692 Unicoi, TN 4,770 12.8 mi

More ZIP Codes in Mitchell County

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 28705 in?
ZIP code 28705 (Bakersville) is located in Mitchell County, North Carolina. Mitchell County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/mitchell-nc.
What is the population of ZIP code 28705?
ZIP code 28705 in Bakersville, NC has a population of 6,715 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 28705?
The median household income in ZIP 28705 is $54,858, which is 28% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 28705?
The median home value in ZIP 28705 is $220,600, which is 21% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 28705?
The largest racial group in ZIP 28705 is White at 92.4%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 4.7% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 28705?
ZIP code 28705 has 88 business establishments employing approximately 918 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 28705?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 28705 are: Other services (except public administration) (15), Retail trade (14), Construction (12). There are 11 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 28705?
In ZIP code 28705, 57.0% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 26.1% 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 28705?
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 28705 is 25.1 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 28705?
In ZIP code 28705, approximately 76.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 24.0% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 28705?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 28705 is 11.6% 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 Bakersville, NC

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