Chimney Rock, NC · standard

ZIP Code 28720

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

114
14/sq mi
$63,438
Median income
$445,500
Median home value
29.5%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Chimney Rock pairs a below-median household income with upper-quartile home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

36th pct
household income, US ZIPs
Top 17%
home value, US ZIPs
14
people per sq mi
66%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 28720 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 28720 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 8.4 square miles in Chimney Rock, Rutherford County, North Carolina. The area is home to 114 residents, producing a population density of 14 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 28720 against North Carolina and the nation.

On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 28720 sits at $63,438 (8% below the North Carolina average), while per-capita income is $64,609. The poverty rate stands at 7.2% and the unemployment rate at 0.0%. On housing, the median home value is $445,500 (72% above the state average) with median rent at $1,717 per month, and 65.8% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 28720 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.

Education and household profile round out the picture: 29.5% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 58.1, and the average commute is . We also surface 6 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Rutherford County, so you can benchmark 28720 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 →

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 28720, Chimney Rock, 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

114

Population

8.4

Area (sq mi)

14

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 28720?

58.1

Median Age

44.2%

Male

55.8%

Female

0.7%

Foreign-Born

White 100.0%
African American 0.0%
Asian 0.0%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 0.0%
Hispanic or Latino 0.0%

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?

$63,438

Median Household Income

-8% vs state

$64,609

Per Capita Income

7.2%

Poverty Rate

0.0%

Unemployment Rate

How ZIP 28720 ranks nationally

Household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$63,438 36th percentile higher than 36% 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%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). This entry sits in this band. $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 60.5%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 29.5%

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

What does housing look like?

175

Total Housing Units

73

Occupied Units

102

Vacant Units

1.89

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 65.8%
Renter 34.2%

$445,500

Median Home Value

+72% vs state

$1,717

Median Rent

1971

Median Year Built

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

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 17 business establishments in ZIP 28720, employing approximately 148 people with a combined annual payroll of $4,983,000.

17

Businesses

148

Employees

$5.0M

Annual Payroll

2

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Retail trade 9 52.9%
Accommodation and food services 6 35.3%

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 28720 vs 28746 →

ZIP 28720 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 28720 ranks #7 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 28720 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 28720 ranks #5 of 6 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
28746 Lake Lure, NC 2,388 4.9 mi
28735 Gerton, NC 256 5.7 mi
28756 Mill Spring, NC 4,504 8.2 mi
28792 Hendersonville, NC 32,689 7.7 mi
28711 Black Mountain, NC 13,209 10.4 mi
28730 Fairview, NC 9,133 8.3 mi

More ZIP Codes in Rutherford County

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 28720 in?
ZIP code 28720 (Chimney Rock) is located in Rutherford County, North Carolina. Rutherford County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/rutherford-nc.
What is the population of ZIP code 28720?
ZIP code 28720 in Chimney Rock, NC has a population of 114 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 28720?
The median household income in ZIP 28720 is $63,438, which is 17% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 28720?
The median home value in ZIP 28720 is $445,500, which is 60% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 28720?
The largest racial group in ZIP 28720 is White at 100.0%.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 28720?
ZIP code 28720 has 17 business establishments employing approximately 148 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What is the education level in ZIP code 28720?
In ZIP code 28720, 60.5% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 29.5% 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 28720?
In ZIP code 28720, approximately 65.8% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 34.2% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 28720?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 28720 is 7.2% 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 Chimney Rock, NC

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