Highlands, NC · standard
ZIP Code 28741
Macon County, North Carolina — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 3,197
- 14/sq mi
- $70,392
- Median income
- $631,000
- Median home value
- 50.7%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
Highlands pairs a below-median household income with top-decile home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 47th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 8%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 14
- people per sq mi
- 75%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 28741 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 28741 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 225.1 square miles in Highlands, Macon County, North Carolina. The area is home to 3,197 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 28741 against North Carolina and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 28741 sits at $70,392 (2% above the North Carolina average), while per-capita income is $77,146. The poverty rate stands at 7.9% and the unemployment rate at 1.5%. On housing, the median home value is $631,000 (143% above the state average) with median rent at $836 per month, and 75.3% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 28741 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 50.7% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 63, and the average commute is —. We also surface 4 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 4 additional ZIPs sharing Macon County, so you can benchmark 28741 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 28741
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 28741.
- Retail trade
Retail trade
75 establishments
- Construction
Construction
52 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
45 establishments
- Real estate and rental and leasing 29
Real estate and rental and leasing
29 establishments
- Other services (except public administration) 29
Other services (except public administration)
29 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 28741, Highlands, 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
3,197
Population
225.1
Area (sq mi)
14
People / sq mi
New York
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 28741?
63.0
Median Age
55.1%
Male
44.9%
Female
5.8%
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?
$70,392
Median Household Income
+2% vs state
$77,146
Per Capita Income
7.9%
Poverty Rate
1.5%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 28741 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$70,392 47th percentile higher than 47% 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?
6,096
Total Housing Units
2,336
Occupied Units
3,760
Vacant Units
1.78
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$631,000
Median Home Value
+143% vs state
$836
Median Rent
1985
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
+21.7%
YoY Change (2023)
282
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+182%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 28741 have increased 21.7% over the past year (2023). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +182% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | +5.4% | 154 |
| 2020 | +8.6% | 167 |
| 2021 | +15.7% | 193 |
| 2022 | +20.1% | 232 |
| 2023 | +21.7% | 282 |
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 2023. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 317 business establishments in ZIP 28741, employing approximately 2,434 people with a combined annual payroll of $126,132,000.
317
Businesses
2,434
Employees
$126.1M
Annual Payroll
13
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 75 | 23.7% |
| Construction | 52 | 16.4% |
| Accommodation and food services | 45 | 14.2% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 29 | 9.2% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 29 | 9.2% |
| Health care and social assistance | 18 | 5.7% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 14 | 4.4% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 13 | 4.1% |
| Finance and insurance | 12 | 3.8% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 10 | 3.1% |
| Information | 7 | 2.2% |
| Manufacturing | 5 | 1.6% |
| Wholesale trade | 4 | 1.3% |
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 28741 vs 28717 →
ZIP 28741 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 28741
Highlands (28741)
3,197 residents
- 28717
Cashiers (28717)
1,729 residents
- 30537 1,249
Dillard (30537)
1,249 residents
- 28736 787
Glenville (28736)
787 residents
- 28775 296
Scaly Mountain (28775)
296 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 28741 ranks the most populous — useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 28741 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 28717
Cashiers (28717)
$76,085 median income
- 28736
Glenville (28736)
$70,855 median income
- 28741
Highlands (28741)
$70,392 median income
- 30537
Dillard (30537)
$50,000 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 28741 ranks #3 of 4 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
More ZIP Codes in Macon County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 28741 in? ▼
What is the population of ZIP code 28741? ▼
What is the median household income in ZIP 28741? ▼
What is the average home value in ZIP 28741? ▼
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 28741? ▼
How many businesses are in ZIP code 28741? ▼
What are the main industries in ZIP code 28741? ▼
How have home values changed in ZIP code 28741? ▼
What is the education level in ZIP code 28741? ▼
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 28741? ▼
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 28741? ▼
ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for Highlands, 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.