Etowah, NC · standard

ZIP Code 28729

Henderson 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

2,894
255/sq mi: $84,413
Median income: $321,000
Median home value: 32.8%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Etowah pairs an above-median household income with above-median home values, in a low-density, homeowner-dominated area.

Top 33%
household income, US ZIPs: Top 30%
home value, US ZIPs: 255
people per sq mi: 88%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 28729 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 28729 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 11.3 square miles in Etowah, Henderson County, North Carolina. The area is home to 2,894 residents, producing a population density of 255 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 28729 against North Carolina and the nation.

On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 28729 sits at $84,413 (22% above the North Carolina average), while per-capita income is $39,287. The poverty rate stands at 4.2% and the unemployment rate at 0.0%. On housing, the median home value is $321,000 (24% above the state average) with median rent at $1,714 per month, and 87.9% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 28729 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.

Education and household profile round out the picture: 32.8% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 44.9, and the average commute is 26 minutes. We also surface 9 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Henderson County, so you can benchmark 28729 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 28729

Construction

18
Retail trade

11
Other services (except public administration)

9
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services

8
Accommodation and food services

6

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 28729, Etowah, 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

2,894

Population

11.3

Area (sq mi)

255

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 28729?

44.9

Median Age

55.9%

Male

44.1%

Female

5.5%

Foreign-Born

White 88.8%

African American 2.2%

Asian 0.0%

American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%

Two or More Ethnicities 3.0%

Hispanic or Latino 5.0%

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?

$84,413

Median Household Income

+22% vs state

$39,287

Per Capita Income

4.2%

Poverty Rate

0.0%

Unemployment Rate

25.5 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 28729 ranks nationally

Household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$84,413 Top 33% higher than 67% 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 57.7%

Bachelor's Degree or Higher 32.8%

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

What does housing look like?

1,533

Total Housing Units

1,427

Occupied Units

106

Vacant Units

2.58

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 87.9%

Renter 12.1%

$321,000

Median Home Value

+24% vs state

$1,714

Median Rent

1986

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

+7.7%

YoY Change (2024)

300

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+200%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 28729 have increased 7.7% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +200% cumulative appreciation.

Year	Annual Change	HPI Index
2020	+1.9%	175
2021	+16.2%	204
2022	+24.6%	254
2023	+9.9%	279
2024	+7.7%	300

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 81 business establishments in ZIP 28729, employing approximately 603 people with a combined annual payroll of $22,328,000.

Businesses

603

Employees

$22.3M

Annual Payroll

Industry Sectors

Industry	Establishments	% of Total
Construction	18	22.2%
Retail trade	11	13.6%
Other services (except public administration)	9	11.1%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services	8	9.9%
Accommodation and food services	6	7.4%
Manufacturing	5	6.2%
Finance and insurance	5	6.2%
Professional, scientific, and technical services	4	4.9%
Real estate and rental and leasing	3	3.7%
Health care and social assistance	3	3.7%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation	3	3.7%

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 28729 vs 28742 →

28739

19,786
28704

18,821
28732

16,491
28791

14,171
28759

6,922
28768

6,813
28790

3,205
28729

2,894
28742

2,710

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 28729 ranks #8 by population — useful context the national average alone can't give.

28759

$107,609
28742

$99,007
28790

$97,042
28729

$84,413
28732

$81,852
28704

$81,096
28791

$78,827
28739

$73,582
28768

$71,383

What this shows By household income, ZIP 28729 ranks #4 of 9 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

ZIP Code	City	Population	Distance
28742	Horse Shoe, NC	2,710	4.1 mi
28759	Mills River, NC	6,922	4.4 mi
28766	Penrose, NC	1,262	4.9 mi
28739	Hendersonville, NC	19,786	5.0 mi
28768	Pisgah Forest, NC	6,813	6.1 mi
28791	Hendersonville, NC	14,171	5.8 mi
28704	Arden, NC	18,821	9.9 mi
28790	Zirconia, NC	3,205	10.4 mi
28732	Fletcher, NC	16,491	11.6 mi

More ZIP Codes in Henderson County

Henderson County Etowah, NC North Carolina

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 28729 in? ▼

ZIP code 28729 (Etowah) is located in Henderson County, North Carolina. Henderson County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/henderson-nc.

What is the population of ZIP code 28729? ▼

ZIP code 28729 in Etowah, NC has a population of 2,894 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in ZIP 28729? ▼

The median household income in ZIP 28729 is $84,413, which is 11% above the national average of $76,288.

What is the average home value in ZIP 28729? ▼

The median home value in ZIP 28729 is $321,000, which is 15% above the national average of $278,155.

What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 28729? ▼

The largest racial group in ZIP 28729 is White at 88.8%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 5.0% of the population.

How many businesses are in ZIP code 28729? ▼

ZIP code 28729 has 81 business establishments employing approximately 603 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.

What are the main industries in ZIP code 28729? ▼

The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 28729 are: Construction (18), Retail trade (11), Other services (except public administration) (9). There are 11 industry sectors represented in total.

How have home values changed in ZIP code 28729? ▼

According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 28729 increased by 7.7% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 200%. 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 28729? ▼

In ZIP code 28729, 57.7% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 32.8% 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 28729? ▼

The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 28729 is 25.5 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 28729? ▼

In ZIP code 28729, approximately 87.9% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 12.1% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 28729? ▼

The poverty rate in ZIP code 28729 is 4.2% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.