Candler, NC · standard

ZIP Code 28715

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

Reviewed by PlainZIP Editorial Team, ZIP Code Data Editors · June 13, 2026

24,582
122/sq mi: $71,716
Median income: $309,000
Median home value: 31.0%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

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

Top 50%
household income, US ZIPs: Top 32%
home value, US ZIPs: 122
people per sq mi: 76%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 28715 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 28715 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 201.3 square miles in Candler, Buncombe County, North Carolina. The area is home to 24,582 residents, producing a population density of 122 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 28715 against North Carolina and the nation.

On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 28715 sits at $71,716 (4% above the North Carolina average), while per-capita income is $39,151. The poverty rate stands at 11.4% and the unemployment rate at 3.8%. On housing, the median home value is $309,000 (19% above the state average) with median rent at $1,216 per month, and 75.9% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 28715 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.

Education and household profile round out the picture: 31.0% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 41.6, and the average commute is 23 minutes. We also surface 7 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Buncombe County, so you can benchmark 28715 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 28715

Construction

98
Professional, scientific, and technical services

57
Retail trade

55
Other services (except public administration)

50
Health care and social assistance

45

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 28715, Candler, NC · 2023 Accessed 2026-06-13 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

24,582

Population

201.3

Area (sq mi)

122

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 28715?

41.6

Median Age

48.5%

Male

51.5%

Female

6.9%

Foreign-Born

White 84.6%

African American 0.8%

Asian 0.5%

American Indian or Alaska Native 0.2%

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%

Two or More Ethnicities 11.1%

Hispanic or Latino 10.3%

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?

$71,716

Median Household Income

+4% vs state

$39,151

Per Capita Income

11.4%

Poverty Rate

3.8%

Unemployment Rate

23.3 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 28715 ranks nationally

Household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$71,716 Top 50% higher than 50% 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?

High School Graduate or Higher 62.4%

Bachelor's Degree or Higher 31.0%

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

What does housing look like?

12,908

Total Housing Units

10,561

Occupied Units

2,347

Vacant Units

2.85

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 75.9%

Renter 24.1%

$309,000

Median Home Value

+19% vs state

$1,216

Median Rent

1994

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

+0.6%

YoY Change (2024)

293

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+193%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 28715 have increased 0.6% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +193% cumulative appreciation.

Year	Annual Change	HPI Index
2020	+3.8%	193
2021	+13.3%	218
2022	+20.1%	262
2023	+11.0%	291
2024	+0.6%	293

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 484 business establishments in ZIP 28715, employing approximately 4,107 people with a combined annual payroll of $190,392,000.

484

Businesses

4,107

Employees

$190.4M

Annual Payroll

Industry Sectors

Industry	Establishments	% of Total
Construction	98	20.3%
Professional, scientific, and technical services	57	11.8%
Retail trade	55	11.4%
Other services (except public administration)	50	10.3%
Health care and social assistance	45	9.3%
Real estate and rental and leasing	32	6.6%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services	27	5.6%
Manufacturing	22	4.5%
Transportation and warehousing	21	4.3%
Accommodation and food services	21	4.3%
Wholesale trade	19	3.9%
Finance and insurance	13	2.7%
Educational services	11	2.3%
Information	7	1.4%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation	5	1.0%

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 28715 vs 28806 →

28806

38,550
28715

24,582
28804

20,507
28704

18,821
28716

17,477
28748

11,334
28759

6,922
28742

2,710

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 28715 ranks #2 by population — useful context the national average alone can't give.

28759

$107,609
28742

$99,007
28804

$88,312
28704

$81,096
28715

$71,716
28806

$63,273
28716

$63,141
28748

$59,013

What this shows By household income, ZIP 28715 ranks #5 of 8 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

ZIP Code	City	Population	Distance
28806	Asheville, NC	38,550	6.9 mi
28748	Leicester, NC	11,334	9.8 mi
28704	Arden, NC	18,821	8.4 mi
28742	Horse Shoe, NC	2,710	10.6 mi
28716	Canton, NC	17,477	9.9 mi
28759	Mills River, NC	6,922	11.5 mi
28804	Asheville, NC	20,507	12.5 mi

More ZIP Codes in Buncombe County

Buncombe County Candler, NC North Carolina

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 28715 in? ▼

ZIP code 28715 (Candler) is located in Buncombe County, North Carolina. Buncombe County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/buncombe-nc.

What is the population of ZIP code 28715? ▼

ZIP code 28715 in Candler, NC has a population of 24,582 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in ZIP 28715? ▼

The median household income in ZIP 28715 is $71,716, which is 6% below the national average of $76,288.

What is the average home value in ZIP 28715? ▼

The median home value in ZIP 28715 is $309,000, which is 11% above the national average of $278,155.

What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 28715? ▼

The largest racial group in ZIP 28715 is White at 84.6%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 10.3% of the population.

How many businesses are in ZIP code 28715? ▼

ZIP code 28715 has 484 business establishments employing approximately 4,107 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.

What are the main industries in ZIP code 28715? ▼

The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 28715 are: Construction (98), Professional, scientific, and technical services (57), Retail trade (55). There are 15 industry sectors represented in total.

How have home values changed in ZIP code 28715? ▼

According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 28715 increased by 0.6% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 193%. This is a developmental index based on repeat sales and appraisal data from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

What is the education level in ZIP code 28715? ▼

In ZIP code 28715, 62.4% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 31.0% 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 28715? ▼

The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 28715 is 23.3 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 28715? ▼

In ZIP code 28715, approximately 75.9% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 24.1% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 28715? ▼

The poverty rate in ZIP code 28715 is 11.4% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.