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 Moderate-density area
- $63,438
- Median income Near-median income area
- $445,500
- Median home value Above-median home value
- 29.5%
- Bachelor's or higher Near-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
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 a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Chimney Rock, Rutherford County, North Carolina, home to just 114 residents across 8.4 square miles, a density of 14 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.
ZIP 28720 reports a modest median household income of $63,438 (8% below the average North Carolina ZIP), while per-capita income is $64,609. Both reported hardship measures are comparatively low in absolute terms: poverty is 7.2% and unemployment is 0.0%. Housing is both higher-cost and owner-heavy: median home value is $445,500 (72% above the average North Carolina ZIP), while 65.8% of occupied homes are owner-occupied and median rent is $1,717.
Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 29.5% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 58.1, and the average commute is -. The page also surfaces 6 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Rutherford County, so 28720 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 →
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 28720, Chimney Rock, 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
114
Population
8.4
Area (sq mi)
14
People / sq mi
New York
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 28720?
58.1
Median Age
44.2%
Male
55.8%
Female
0.7%
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?
$63,438
Median Household Income
-8% vs state ZIP avg
$64,609
Per Capita Income
7.2%
Poverty Rate
0.0%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 28720 ranks among North Carolina ZIPs
Chimney Rock, 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)
$63,438 47th percentile higher than 47% 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
175housing units
175
Total Housing Units
73
Occupied Units
102
Vacant Units
1.89
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$445,500
Median Home Value
+72% vs state ZIP avg
$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.
- 28792
Hendersonville (28792)
32,689 residents
- 28711
Black Mountain (28711)
13,209 residents
- 28730 9,133
Fairview (28730)
9,133 residents
- 28756 4,504
Mill Spring (28756)
4,504 residents
- 28746 2,388
Lake Lure (28746)
2,388 residents
- 28735 256
Gerton (28735)
256 residents
- 28720 114
Chimney Rock (28720)
114 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 28720 ranks #7 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 28720 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 28730
Fairview (28730)
$102,900 median income
- 28711
Black Mountain (28711)
$74,761 median income
- 28746
Lake Lure (28746)
$70,469 median income
- 28756
Mill Spring (28756)
$63,663 median income
- 28720
Chimney Rock (28720)
$63,438 median income
- 28792
Hendersonville (28792)
$55,522 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.
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 28720, both outside NC so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment (Nearby and same-county blocks stay local).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Rutherford County
Related Areas
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.
Related
Take this with you
What to do with ZIP 28720's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 28720 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Chimney Rock, 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.