Mills River, NC · standard
ZIP Code 28759
Henderson County, North Carolina — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 6,922
- 115/sq mi
- $107,609
- Median income
- $444,300
- Median home value
- 44.2%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
Mills River pairs an upper-quartile household income with upper-quartile home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 15%
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 17%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 115
- people per sq mi
- 86%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 28759 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 28759 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 60.1 square miles in Mills River, Henderson County, North Carolina. The area is home to 6,922 residents, producing a population density of 115 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 28759 against North Carolina and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 28759 sits at $107,609 (56% above the North Carolina average), while per-capita income is $47,088. The poverty rate stands at 2.5% and the unemployment rate at 3.0%. On housing, the median home value is $444,300 (71% above the state average) with median rent at $1,551 per month, and 86.2% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 28759 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 44.2% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 46.8, and the average commute is 21 minutes. We also surface 10 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Henderson County, so you can benchmark 28759 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 28759
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 28759.
- Construction
Construction
43 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
27 establishments
- Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services
19 establishments
- Retail trade 16
Retail trade
16 establishments
- Health care and social assistance 16
Health care and social assistance
16 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 28759, Mills River, 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
6,922
Population
60.1
Area (sq mi)
115
People / sq mi
New York
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 28759?
46.8
Median Age
47.0%
Male
53.0%
Female
7.7%
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?
$107,609
Median Household Income
+56% vs state
$47,088
Per Capita Income
2.5%
Poverty Rate
3.0%
Unemployment Rate
20.8 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 28759 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$107,609 Top 15% higher than 85% 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?
3,333
Total Housing Units
2,856
Occupied Units
477
Vacant Units
2.64
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$444,300
Median Home Value
+71% vs state
$1,551
Median Rent
1997
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
+12.9%
YoY Change (2024)
289
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+189%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 28759 have increased 12.9% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +189% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +0.1% | 172 |
| 2021 | +15.9% | 199 |
| 2022 | +18.8% | 236 |
| 2023 | +8.3% | 256 |
| 2024 | +12.9% | 289 |
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 220 business establishments in ZIP 28759, employing approximately 3,384 people with a combined annual payroll of $171,414,000.
220
Businesses
3,384
Employees
$171.4M
Annual Payroll
15
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | 43 | 19.6% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 27 | 12.3% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 19 | 8.6% |
| Retail trade | 16 | 7.3% |
| Health care and social assistance | 16 | 7.3% |
| Manufacturing | 15 | 6.8% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 15 | 6.8% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 14 | 6.4% |
| Accommodation and food services | 14 | 6.4% |
| Wholesale trade | 10 | 4.5% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 10 | 4.5% |
| Finance and insurance | 8 | 3.6% |
| Information | 4 | 1.8% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting | 3 | 1.4% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 3 | 1.4% |
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 28759 vs 28742 →
ZIP 28759 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 28803
Asheville (28803)
28,693 residents
- 28715
Candler (28715)
24,582 residents
- 28739
Hendersonville (28739)
19,786 residents
- 28704
Arden (28704)
18,821 residents
- 28732
Fletcher (28732)
16,491 residents
- 28791
Hendersonville (28791)
14,171 residents
- 28759 6,922
Mills River (28759)
6,922 residents
- 28768 6,813
Pisgah Forest (28768)
6,813 residents
- 28729 2,894
Etowah (28729)
2,894 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 28759 ranks #7 by population — useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 28759 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 28759
Mills River (28759)
$107,609 median income
- 28742
Horse Shoe (28742)
$99,007 median income
- 28729
Etowah (28729)
$84,413 median income
- 28732
Fletcher (28732)
$81,852 median income
- 28704
Arden (28704)
$81,096 median income
- 28791
Hendersonville (28791)
$78,827 median income
- 28803
Asheville (28803)
$76,662 median income
- 28739
Hendersonville (28739)
$73,582 median income
- 28715
Candler (28715)
$71,716 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 28759 ranks the highest 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 | 2.3 mi |
| 28729 | Etowah, NC | 2,894 | 4.4 mi |
| 28704 | Arden, NC | 18,821 | 5.5 mi |
| 28791 | Hendersonville, NC | 14,171 | 4.7 mi |
| 28739 | Hendersonville, NC | 19,786 | 8.5 mi |
| 28766 | Penrose, NC | 1,262 | 9.2 mi |
| 28732 | Fletcher, NC | 16,491 | 8.0 mi |
| 28768 | Pisgah Forest, NC | 6,813 | 8.8 mi |
| 28803 | Asheville, NC | 28,693 | 10.9 mi |
| 28715 | Candler, NC | 24,582 | 11.5 mi |
More ZIP Codes in Henderson County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 28759 in? ▼
What is the population of ZIP code 28759? ▼
What is the median household income in ZIP 28759? ▼
What is the average home value in ZIP 28759? ▼
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 28759? ▼
How many businesses are in ZIP code 28759? ▼
What are the main industries in ZIP code 28759? ▼
How have home values changed in ZIP code 28759? ▼
What is the education level in ZIP code 28759? ▼
What is the average commute time in ZIP 28759? ▼
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 28759? ▼
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 28759? ▼
ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for Mills River, 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.