PlainZIP

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
$57,708
Median income
$307,000
Median home value
20.4%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

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 North Carolina average), while per-capita income is $28,931. Poverty here runs at 13.3%, with unemployment measured at 0.0%. Median home value sits at $307,000 (18% above the state average), median rent at $1,217 a month, and owner-occupancy at 83.9%.

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 -. A geography-based comparison follows: 8 ZIP codes within about 10 miles of 28766, plus 6 more within Transylvania County, give a clearer read than the national average alone.

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

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 28766?

53.1

Median Age

39.4%

Male

60.6%

Female

1.0%

Foreign-Born

White 91.5%
African American 2.1%
Asian 0.0%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.6%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 5.7%
Hispanic or Latino 0.0%

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

$28,931

Per Capita Income

13.3%

Poverty Rate

0.0%

Unemployment Rate

How ZIP 28766 ranks nationally

Penrose, NC household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$57,708 25th percentile higher than 25% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). Above this entry. $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 61.9%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 20.4%

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

What does housing look like?

652

Total Housing Units

552

Occupied Units

100

Vacant Units

2.28

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 83.9%
Renter 16.1%

$307,000

Median Home Value

+18% vs state

$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.

residents

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 28766 ranks #8 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 28766 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 28766 ranks #9 of 9 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
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

More ZIP Codes in Transylvania County

28712 standard
Brevard, NC
Pop: 19,347
28768 standard
Pisgah Forest, NC
Pop: 6,813
28747 standard
Lake Toxaway, NC
Pop: 2,198
28772 standard
Rosman, NC
Pop: 1,239
28774 standard
Sapphire, NC
Pop: 1,013
28708 standard
Balsam Grove, NC
Pop: 754

Related Areas

Transylvania County Penrose, NC North Carolina

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.

Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.