Pisgah Forest, NC · standard
ZIP Code 28768
Transylvania County, North Carolina — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 6,813
- 32/sq mi
- $71,383
- Median income
- $341,400
- Median home value
- 40.5%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
Pisgah Forest pairs a below-median household income with above-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 49th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 28%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 32
- people per sq mi
- 86%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 28768 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 28768 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 214.9 square miles in Pisgah Forest, Transylvania County, North Carolina. The area is home to 6,813 residents, producing a population density of 32 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 28768 against North Carolina and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 28768 sits at $71,383 (3% above the North Carolina average), while per-capita income is $36,651. The poverty rate stands at 14.4% and the unemployment rate at 4.1%. On housing, the median home value is $341,400 (32% above the state average) with median rent at $852 per month, and 85.5% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 28768 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 40.5% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 52.5, and the average commute is 24 minutes. We also surface 6 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Transylvania County, so you can benchmark 28768 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 28768
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 28768.
- Construction
Construction
30 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
21 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
20 establishments
- Professional, scientific, and technical services
Professional, scientific, and technical services
20 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
18 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 28768, Pisgah Forest, 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
6,813
Population
214.9
Area (sq mi)
32
People / sq mi
New York
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 28768?
52.5
Median Age
54.3%
Male
45.7%
Female
8.8%
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?
$71,383
Median Household Income
+3% vs state
$36,651
Per Capita Income
14.4%
Poverty Rate
4.1%
Unemployment Rate
23.8 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 28768 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$71,383 49th percentile higher than 49% 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?
3,550
Total Housing Units
2,736
Occupied Units
814
Vacant Units
2.47
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$341,400
Median Home Value
+32% vs state
$852
Median Rent
1984
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
+18.6%
YoY Change (2024)
253
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+153%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 28768 have increased 18.6% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +153% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | -0.2% | 167 |
| 2021 | +10.3% | 184 |
| 2022 | +18.0% | 217 |
| 2023 | -1.5% | 213 |
| 2024 | +18.6% | 253 |
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 168 business establishments in ZIP 28768, employing approximately 1,210 people with a combined annual payroll of $44,159,000.
168
Businesses
1,210
Employees
$44.2M
Annual Payroll
13
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | 30 | 17.9% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 21 | 12.5% |
| Retail trade | 20 | 11.9% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 20 | 11.9% |
| Accommodation and food services | 18 | 10.7% |
| Health care and social assistance | 14 | 8.3% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 12 | 7.1% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 9 | 5.4% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 7 | 4.2% |
| Finance and insurance | 5 | 3.0% |
| Wholesale trade | 4 | 2.4% |
| Manufacturing | 3 | 1.8% |
| Educational services | 3 | 1.8% |
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 28768 vs 28729 →
ZIP 28768 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 28712
Brevard (28712)
19,347 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
- 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 28768 ranks #3 by population — useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 28768 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
- 28718
Cedar Mountain (28718)
$74,031 median income
- 28768
Pisgah Forest (28768)
$71,383 median income
- 28712
Brevard (28712)
$63,045 median income
- 28766
Penrose (28766)
$57,708 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 28768 ranks #5 of 7 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
More ZIP Codes in Transylvania County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 28768 in? ▼
What is the population of ZIP code 28768? ▼
What is the median household income in ZIP 28768? ▼
What is the average home value in ZIP 28768? ▼
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 28768? ▼
How many businesses are in ZIP code 28768? ▼
What are the main industries in ZIP code 28768? ▼
How have home values changed in ZIP code 28768? ▼
What is the education level in ZIP code 28768? ▼
What is the average commute time in ZIP 28768? ▼
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 28768? ▼
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 28768? ▼
ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for Pisgah Forest, 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.