Franklin, NC · standard
ZIP Code 28734
Macon County, North Carolina — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 27,040
- 35/sq mi
- $54,021
- Median income
- $228,500
- Median home value
- 22.8%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
Franklin pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with above-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 20th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 48%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 35
- people per sq mi
- 77%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 28734 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 28734 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 781.5 square miles in Franklin, Macon County, North Carolina. The area is home to 27,040 residents, producing a population density of 35 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 28734 against North Carolina and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 28734 sits at $54,021 (22% below the North Carolina average), while per-capita income is $34,764. The poverty rate stands at 12.4% and the unemployment rate at 3.1%. On housing, the median home value is $228,500 (12% below the state average) with median rent at $793 per month, and 76.8% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 28734 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 22.8% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 48.3, and the average commute is 23 minutes. We also surface 1 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 4 additional ZIPs sharing Macon County, so you can benchmark 28734 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 28734
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 28734.
- Construction
Construction
161 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
135 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
112 establishments
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
92 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
87 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 28734, Franklin, 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
27,040
Population
781.5
Area (sq mi)
35
People / sq mi
New York
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 28734?
48.3
Median Age
47.9%
Male
52.1%
Female
6.4%
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?
$54,021
Median Household Income
-22% vs state
$34,764
Per Capita Income
12.4%
Poverty Rate
3.1%
Unemployment Rate
23.2 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 28734 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$54,021 20th percentile higher than 20% 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?
18,690
Total Housing Units
14,236
Occupied Units
4,454
Vacant Units
2.07
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$228,500
Median Home Value
-12% vs state
$793
Median Rent
1987
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
+6.2%
YoY Change (2024)
264
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+164%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 28734 have increased 6.2% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +164% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +4.4% | 160 |
| 2021 | +11.7% | 178 |
| 2022 | +27.3% | 227 |
| 2023 | +9.5% | 249 |
| 2024 | +6.2% | 264 |
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 884 business establishments in ZIP 28734, employing approximately 7,895 people with a combined annual payroll of $327,909,000.
884
Businesses
7,895
Employees
$327.9M
Annual Payroll
16
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | 161 | 18.2% |
| Retail trade | 135 | 15.3% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 112 | 12.7% |
| Health care and social assistance | 92 | 10.4% |
| Accommodation and food services | 87 | 9.8% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 60 | 6.8% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 53 | 6.0% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 45 | 5.1% |
| Finance and insurance | 36 | 4.1% |
| Manufacturing | 24 | 2.7% |
| Wholesale trade | 21 | 2.4% |
| Information | 16 | 1.8% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 14 | 1.6% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 12 | 1.4% |
| Educational services | 7 | 0.8% |
| Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction | 3 | 0.3% |
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 28734 vs 28763 →
| ZIP Code | City | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28763 | Otto, NC | 2,725 | 10.0 mi |
More ZIP Codes in Macon County
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Frequently Asked Questions
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ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for Franklin, 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.