Penrose, NC · standard
ZIP Code 28766
Transylvania County, North Carolina - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 1,262
- 84/sq mi Moderate-density area
- $57,708
- Median income Below-median income area
- $307,000
- Median home value Above-median home value
- 20.4%
- Bachelor's or higher Near-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Penrose pairs a below-median household income with above-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 25th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 32%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 84
- people per sq mi
- 84%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 28766 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 28766 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Penrose, Transylvania County, North Carolina, home to just 1,262 residents across 15.1 square miles, a density of 84 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.
ZIP 28766 reports a modest median household income of $57,708 (17% below the average North Carolina ZIP), while per-capita income is $28,931. The poverty rate is 13.3%, with unemployment at 0.0%; those measures add context to the income figure. Housing is both higher-cost and owner-heavy: median home value is $307,000 (18% above the average North Carolina ZIP), while 83.9% of occupied homes are owner-occupied and median rent is $1,217.
Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 20.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 53.1, and the average commute is -. The page also surfaces 8 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Transylvania County, so 28766 can be compared with both its immediate and county-level context.
Every figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (including median rent) and the FHFA House Price Index, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with Census →
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 28766, Penrose, NC · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.
Quick Facts
1,262
Population
15.1
Area (sq mi)
84
People / sq mi
New York
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 28766?
53.1
Median Age
39.4%
Male
60.6%
Female
1.0%
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?
$57,708
Median Household Income
-17% vs state ZIP avg
$28,931
Per Capita Income
13.3%
Poverty Rate
0.0%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 28766 ranks among North Carolina ZIPs
Penrose, NC household income vs. every North Carolina ZIP code
Median household income among 749 reporting North Carolina ZIPs (this ZIP's population is too small for a reliable national-corpus placement)
$57,708 32nd percentile higher than 32% of 749 North Carolina ZIPs
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more North Carolina 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?
Housing stock: occupied vs vacant
652housing units
652
Total Housing Units
552
Occupied Units
100
Vacant Units
2.28
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$307,000
Median Home Value
+18% vs state ZIP avg
$1,217
Median Rent
1992
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 20 business establishments in ZIP 28766, employing approximately 85 people with a combined annual payroll of $3,784,000.
20
Businesses
85
Employees
$3.8M
Annual Payroll
2
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | 8 | 40.0% |
| Retail trade | 3 | 15.0% |
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 28766 vs 28739 →
ZIP 28766 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 28739
Hendersonville (28739)
19,786 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
- 28790 3,205
Zirconia (28790)
3,205 residents
- 28729 2,894
Etowah (28729)
2,894 residents
- 28742 2,710
Horse Shoe (28742)
2,710 residents
- 28766 1,262
Penrose (28766)
1,262 residents
- 28718 553
Cedar Mountain (28718)
553 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 28766 ranks #8 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 28766 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
- 28790
Zirconia (28790)
$97,042 median income
- 28729
Etowah (28729)
$84,413 median income
- 28791
Hendersonville (28791)
$78,827 median income
- 28718
Cedar Mountain (28718)
$74,031 median income
- 28739
Hendersonville (28739)
$73,582 median income
- 28768
Pisgah Forest (28768)
$71,383 median income
- 28766
Penrose (28766)
$57,708 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 28766 ranks #9 of 9 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
| ZIP Code | City | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28739 | Hendersonville, NC | 19,786 | 4.2 mi |
| 28729 | Etowah, NC | 2,894 | 4.9 mi |
| 28718 | Cedar Mountain, NC | 553 | 5.9 mi |
| 28742 | Horse Shoe, NC | 2,710 | 8.6 mi |
| 28768 | Pisgah Forest, NC | 6,813 | 6.2 mi |
| 28759 | Mills River, NC | 6,922 | 9.2 mi |
| 28790 | Zirconia, NC | 3,205 | 8.2 mi |
| 28791 | Hendersonville, NC | 14,171 | 9.6 mi |
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 28766, both outside NC so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment (Nearby and same-county blocks stay local).
Similar population
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by resident population (1,262 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Transylvania County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 28766 in?
ZIP code 28766 (Penrose) is located in Transylvania County, North Carolina. Transylvania County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/transylvania-nc.
What is the population of ZIP code 28766?
ZIP code 28766 in Penrose, NC has a population of 1,262 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 28766?
The median household income in ZIP 28766 is $57,708, which is 24% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 28766?
The median home value in ZIP 28766 is $307,000, which is 10% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 28766?
The largest racial group in ZIP 28766 is White at 91.5%.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 28766?
ZIP code 28766 has 20 business establishments employing approximately 85 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What is the education level in ZIP code 28766?
In ZIP code 28766, 61.9% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 20.4% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 28766?
In ZIP code 28766, approximately 83.9% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 16.1% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 28766?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 28766 is 13.3% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.
Related
Take this with you
What to do with ZIP 28766's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 28766 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Penrose, NC ranks among every U.S. ZIP code on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
- Save this ZIP to your shortlist to track alongside others you're considering View your shortlist
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.