Old Fort, NC · standard

ZIP Code 28762

McDowell County, North Carolina — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.

6,857
27/sq mi
$66,410
Median income
$196,600
Median home value
21.1%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Old Fort pairs a below-median household income with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

41th pct
household income, US ZIPs
42th pct
home value, US ZIPs
27
people per sq mi
77%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 28762 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 28762 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 258.8 square miles in Old Fort, McDowell County, North Carolina. The area is home to 6,857 residents, producing a population density of 27 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 28762 against North Carolina and the nation.

On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 28762 sits at $66,410 (4% below the North Carolina average), while per-capita income is $34,755. The poverty rate stands at 14.6% and the unemployment rate at 9.4%. On housing, the median home value is $196,600 (24% below the state average) with median rent at $793 per month, and 77.1% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 28762 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.

Education and household profile round out the picture: 21.1% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 52.4, and the average commute is 25 minutes. We also surface 2 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 3 additional ZIPs sharing McDowell County, so you can benchmark 28762 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 28762

Top 5 sectors by establishment count

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 28762.

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 · ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) As of 2023

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 28762, Old Fort, 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

6,857

Population

258.8

Area (sq mi)

27

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 28762?

52.4

Median Age

51.2%

Male

48.8%

Female

2.3%

Foreign-Born

White 92.8%
African American 0.9%
Asian 0.5%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 4.9%
Hispanic or Latino 4.6%

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?

$66,410

Median Household Income

-4% vs state

$34,755

Per Capita Income

14.6%

Poverty Rate

9.4%

Unemployment Rate

25.1 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 28762 ranks nationally

Household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$66,410 41st percentile higher than 41% of 30,318 US ZIPs

$0–$20,000: 118 US ZIPs (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 1,573 US ZIPs (5%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 7,092 US ZIPs (23%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). This entry sits in this band. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 2,855 US ZIPs (9%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 1,362 US ZIPs (4%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 686 US ZIPs (2%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 364 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 186 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 324 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. This ZIP $0 $200K+ every reporting US ZIP, bucketed by value

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 58.4%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 21.1%

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

What does housing look like?

3,425

Total Housing Units

2,978

Occupied Units

447

Vacant Units

2.19

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 77.1%
Renter 22.9%

$196,600

Median Home Value

-24% vs state

$793

Median Rent

1983

Median Year Built

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

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 106 business establishments in ZIP 28762, employing approximately 1,652 people with a combined annual payroll of $77,598,000.

106

Businesses

1,652

Employees

$77.6M

Annual Payroll

11

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Other services (except public administration) 19 17.9%
Construction 16 15.1%
Manufacturing 13 12.3%
Accommodation and food services 11 10.4%
Health care and social assistance 10 9.4%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 8 7.5%
Retail trade 6 5.7%
Transportation and warehousing 6 5.7%
Wholesale trade 5 4.7%
Finance and insurance 5 4.7%
Real estate and rental and leasing 3 2.8%

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 28762 vs 28757 →

ZIP 28762 vs its nearest neighbors, by population

Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

residents

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 28762 ranks #2 by population — useful context the national average alone can't give.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023

ZIP 28762 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income

Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

median income

What this shows By household income, ZIP 28762 ranks #3 of 3 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023
ZIP Code City Population Distance
28757 Montreat, NC 280 6.7 mi
28711 Black Mountain, NC 13,209 6.1 mi

More ZIP Codes in McDowell County

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 28762 in?
ZIP code 28762 (Old Fort) is located in McDowell County, North Carolina. McDowell County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/mcdowell-nc.
What is the population of ZIP code 28762?
ZIP code 28762 in Old Fort, NC has a population of 6,857 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 28762?
The median household income in ZIP 28762 is $66,410, which is 13% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 28762?
The median home value in ZIP 28762 is $196,600, which is 29% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 28762?
The largest racial group in ZIP 28762 is White at 92.8%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 4.6% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 28762?
ZIP code 28762 has 106 business establishments employing approximately 1,652 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 28762?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 28762 are: Other services (except public administration) (19), Construction (16), Manufacturing (13). There are 11 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 28762?
In ZIP code 28762, 58.4% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 21.1% 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 28762?
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 28762 is 25.1 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 28762?
In ZIP code 28762, approximately 77.1% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 22.9% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 28762?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 28762 is 14.6% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.

ZIP Code Research Guides

Official Data Resources for Old Fort, NC

Verify and explore additional data for this area using these official government sources.