Canton, NC · standard
ZIP Code 28716
Haywood County, North Carolina — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 17,477
- 43/sq mi
- $63,141
- Median income
- $237,800
- Median home value
- 23.1%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
Canton pairs a below-median household income with above-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 35th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 46%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 43
- people per sq mi
- 76%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 28716 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 28716 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 409.3 square miles in Canton, Haywood County, North Carolina. The area is home to 17,477 residents, producing a population density of 43 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 28716 against North Carolina and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 28716 sits at $63,141 (9% below the North Carolina average), while per-capita income is $34,474. The poverty rate stands at 16.5% and the unemployment rate at 4.0%. On housing, the median home value is $237,800 (8% below the state average) with median rent at $988 per month, and 76.4% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 28716 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 23.1% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 43.6, and the average commute is 25 minutes. We also surface 3 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 5 additional ZIPs sharing Haywood County, so you can benchmark 28716 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 28716
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 28716.
- Construction
Construction
54 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
51 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
38 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
37 establishments
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
23 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 28716, Canton, 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
17,477
Population
409.3
Area (sq mi)
43
People / sq mi
New York
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 28716?
43.6
Median Age
48.8%
Male
51.2%
Female
2.3%
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?
$63,141
Median Household Income
-9% vs state
$34,474
Per Capita Income
16.5%
Poverty Rate
4.0%
Unemployment Rate
24.9 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 28716 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$63,141 35th percentile higher than 35% 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?
8,724
Total Housing Units
7,297
Occupied Units
1,427
Vacant Units
2.29
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$237,800
Median Home Value
-8% vs state
$988
Median Rent
1975
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
-3.5%
YoY Change (2024)
276
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+176%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 28716 have decreased 3.5% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +176% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +5.2% | 185 |
| 2021 | +15.7% | 214 |
| 2022 | +15.4% | 247 |
| 2023 | +16.1% | 286 |
| 2024 | -3.5% | 276 |
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 308 business establishments in ZIP 28716, employing approximately 4,208 people with a combined annual payroll of $207,587,000.
308
Businesses
4,208
Employees
$207.6M
Annual Payroll
16
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | 54 | 17.5% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 51 | 16.6% |
| Retail trade | 38 | 12.3% |
| Accommodation and food services | 37 | 12.0% |
| Health care and social assistance | 23 | 7.5% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 22 | 7.1% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 15 | 4.9% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 14 | 4.5% |
| Finance and insurance | 13 | 4.2% |
| Wholesale trade | 12 | 3.9% |
| Manufacturing | 10 | 3.3% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 5 | 1.6% |
| Information | 5 | 1.6% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting | 3 | 1.0% |
| Educational services | 3 | 1.0% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 3 | 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 28716 vs 28786 →
ZIP 28716 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 28715
Candler (28715)
24,582 residents
- 28786
Waynesville (28786)
20,714 residents
- 28716
Canton (28716)
17,477 residents
- 28745 551
Lake Junaluska (28745)
551 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 28716 ranks #3 by population — useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 28716 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 28745
Lake Junaluska (28745)
$117,824 median income
- 28715
Candler (28715)
$71,716 median income
- 28716
Canton (28716)
$63,141 median income
- 28786
Waynesville (28786)
$59,371 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 28716 ranks #3 of 4 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
More ZIP Codes in Haywood County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 28716 in? ▼
What is the population of ZIP code 28716? ▼
What is the median household income in ZIP 28716? ▼
What is the average home value in ZIP 28716? ▼
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 28716? ▼
How many businesses are in ZIP code 28716? ▼
What are the main industries in ZIP code 28716? ▼
How have home values changed in ZIP code 28716? ▼
What is the education level in ZIP code 28716? ▼
What is the average commute time in ZIP 28716? ▼
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 28716? ▼
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 28716? ▼
ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for Canton, 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.