Cashiers, NC · standard
ZIP Code 28717
Jackson County, North Carolina - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 1,729
- 13/sq mi Low-density area
- $76,085
- Median income Near-median income area
- $440,000
- Median home value Above-median home value
- 43.7%
- Bachelor's or higher Above-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Cashiers pairs an above-median household income with upper-quartile home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 43%
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 17%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 13
- people per sq mi
- 72%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 28717 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 28717 covers 133.0 square miles in Cashiers, Jackson County, North Carolina (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 1,729 residents on file, a density of 13 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.
ZIP 28717 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $76,085 (10% above the average North Carolina ZIP), while per-capita income is $66,093. Both reported hardship measures are comparatively low in absolute terms: poverty is 3.0% and unemployment is 0.5%. Housing is both higher-cost and owner-heavy: median home value is $440,000 (70% above the average North Carolina ZIP), while 72.3% of occupied homes are owner-occupied and median rent is $1,421.
A solid share of residents have a four-year degree: 43.7% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 58.1, and the average commute is -. The page also surfaces 4 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Jackson County, so 28717 can be compared with both its immediate and county-level context.
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 28717
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Cashiers, NC
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 28717.
- Construction
Construction
48 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
43 establishments
- Real estate and rental and leasing 19
Real estate and rental and leasing
19 establishments
- Other services (except public administration) 19
Other services (except public administration)
19 establishments
- Accommodation and food services 18
Accommodation and food services
18 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 + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 28717, Cashiers, 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
1,729
Population
133.0
Area (sq mi)
13
People / sq mi
New York
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 28717?
58.1
Median Age
47.8%
Male
52.2%
Female
5.9%
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?
$76,085
Median Household Income
+10% vs state ZIP avg
$66,093
Per Capita Income
3.0%
Poverty Rate
0.5%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 28717 ranks among North Carolina ZIPs
Cashiers, NC household income vs. every North Carolina ZIP code
Median household income among 749 reporting North Carolina ZIPs (this ZIP's population is too small for a reliable national-corpus placement)
$76,085 Top 28% higher than 72% of 749 North Carolina ZIPs
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more North Carolina 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?
Housing stock: occupied vs vacant
2,241housing units
2,241
Total Housing Units
639
Occupied Units
1,602
Vacant Units
1.98
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$440,000
Median Home Value
+70% vs state ZIP avg
$1,421
Median Rent
1997
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 209 business establishments in ZIP 28717, employing approximately 1,557 people with a combined annual payroll of $83,627,000.
209
Businesses
1,557
Employees
$83.6M
Annual Payroll
12
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | 48 | 23.0% |
| Retail trade | 43 | 20.6% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 19 | 9.1% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 19 | 9.1% |
| Accommodation and food services | 18 | 8.6% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 14 | 6.7% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 11 | 5.3% |
| Health care and social assistance | 10 | 4.8% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 8 | 3.8% |
| Finance and insurance | 6 | 2.9% |
| Manufacturing | 3 | 1.4% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 3 | 1.4% |
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 28717 vs 28774 →
ZIP 28717 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 29676
Salem (29676)
5,201 residents
- 28741
Highlands (28741)
3,197 residents
- 28717 1,729
Cashiers (28717)
1,729 residents
- 28774 1,013
Sapphire (28774)
1,013 residents
- 28736 787
Glenville (28736)
787 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 28717 ranks #3 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 28717 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 28774
Sapphire (28774)
$154,635 median income
- 29676
Salem (29676)
$92,798 median income
- 28717
Cashiers (28717)
$76,085 median income
- 28736
Glenville (28736)
$70,855 median income
- 28741
Highlands (28741)
$70,392 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 28717 ranks #3 of 5 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 28717, both outside NC so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment (Nearby and same-county blocks stay local).
Similar population
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by resident population (1,729 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Jackson County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 28717 in?
ZIP code 28717 (Cashiers) is located in Jackson County, North Carolina. Jackson County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/jackson-nc.
What is the population of ZIP code 28717?
ZIP code 28717 in Cashiers, NC has a population of 1,729 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 28717?
The median household income in ZIP 28717 is $76,085, which is 0% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 28717?
The median home value in ZIP 28717 is $440,000, which is 58% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 28717?
The largest racial group in ZIP 28717 is White at 81.1%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 11.7% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 28717?
ZIP code 28717 has 209 business establishments employing approximately 1,557 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 28717?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 28717 are: Construction (48), Retail trade (43), Real estate and rental and leasing (19). There are 12 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 28717?
In ZIP code 28717, 81.6% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 43.7% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 28717?
In ZIP code 28717, approximately 72.3% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 27.7% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 28717?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 28717 is 3.0% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.
Related
Take this with you
What to do with ZIP 28717's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 28717 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Cashiers, NC ranks among every U.S. ZIP code on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
- Save this ZIP to your shortlist to track alongside others you're considering View your shortlist
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.