Marion, NC · standard
ZIP Code 28752
McDowell County, North Carolina — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 30,600
- 48/sq mi
- $55,783
- Median income
- $166,000
- Median home value
- 17.0%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
Marion pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 22th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- 33th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 48
- people per sq mi
- 73%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 28752 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 28752 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 634.9 square miles in Marion, McDowell County, North Carolina. The area is home to 30,600 residents, producing a population density of 48 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 28752 against North Carolina and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 28752 sits at $55,783 (19% below the North Carolina average), while per-capita income is $27,922. The poverty rate stands at 15.4% and the unemployment rate at 3.6%. On housing, the median home value is $166,000 (36% below the state average) with median rent at $777 per month, and 72.9% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 28752 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 17.0% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 41.7, and the average commute is 24 minutes. We also surface 2 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 3 additional ZIPs sharing McDowell County, so you can benchmark 28752 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 28752
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 28752.
- Retail trade
Retail trade
119 establishments
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
78 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
73 establishments
- Construction
Construction
72 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
65 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 28752, Marion, 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
30,600
Population
634.9
Area (sq mi)
48
People / sq mi
New York
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 28752?
41.7
Median Age
49.2%
Male
50.8%
Female
4.0%
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?
$55,783
Median Household Income
-19% vs state
$27,922
Per Capita Income
15.4%
Poverty Rate
3.6%
Unemployment Rate
23.5 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 28752 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$55,783 22nd percentile higher than 22% 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?
14,264
Total Housing Units
12,424
Occupied Units
1,840
Vacant Units
2.35
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$166,000
Median Home Value
-36% vs state
$777
Median Rent
1982
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
+5.9%
YoY Change (2024)
278
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+178%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 28752 have increased 5.9% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +178% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +4.2% | 171 |
| 2021 | +12.6% | 192 |
| 2022 | +25.5% | 241 |
| 2023 | +9.0% | 263 |
| 2024 | +5.9% | 278 |
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 636 business establishments in ZIP 28752, employing approximately 11,114 people with a combined annual payroll of $516,323,000.
636
Businesses
11,114
Employees
$516.3M
Annual Payroll
17
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 119 | 18.7% |
| Health care and social assistance | 78 | 12.3% |
| Accommodation and food services | 73 | 11.5% |
| Construction | 72 | 11.3% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 65 | 10.2% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 41 | 6.5% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 35 | 5.5% |
| Manufacturing | 32 | 5.0% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 30 | 4.7% |
| Finance and insurance | 27 | 4.3% |
| Wholesale trade | 19 | 3.0% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 11 | 1.7% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 10 | 1.6% |
| Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction | 7 | 1.1% |
| Information | 6 | 0.9% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting | 5 | 0.8% |
| Utilities | 3 | 0.5% |
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 28752 vs 28761 →
ZIP 28752 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 28752
Marion (28752)
30,600 residents
- 28761 7,816
Nebo (28761)
7,816 residents
- 28749 50
Little Switzerland (28749)
50 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 28752 ranks the most populous — useful context the national average alone can't give.
More ZIP Codes in McDowell County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
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How many businesses are in ZIP code 28752? ▼
What are the main industries in ZIP code 28752? ▼
How have home values changed in ZIP code 28752? ▼
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What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 28752? ▼
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ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for Marion, 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.