Sapphire, NC · standard
ZIP Code 28774
Transylvania County, North Carolina — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 1,013
- 9/sq mi
- $154,635
- Median income
- $797,900
- Median home value
- 68.3%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
Sapphire pairs a top-decile household income with top-decile home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 3%
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 5%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 9
- people per sq mi
- 89%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 28774 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 28774 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 117.8 square miles in Sapphire, Transylvania County, North Carolina. The area is home to 1,013 residents, producing a population density of 9 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 28774 against North Carolina and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 28774 sits at $154,635 (124% above the North Carolina average), while per-capita income is $83,680. The poverty rate stands at 3.2% and the unemployment rate at 0.0%. On housing, the median home value is $797,900 (207% above the state average) with median rent at — per month, and 88.6% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 28774 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 68.3% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 63.2, and the average commute is —. We also surface 4 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Transylvania County, so you can benchmark 28774 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 28774
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 28774.
- Construction
Construction
16 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
12 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
8 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
7 establishments
- Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services
7 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 28774, Sapphire, 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
1,013
Population
117.8
Area (sq mi)
9
People / sq mi
New York
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 28774?
63.2
Median Age
41.6%
Male
58.4%
Female
3.9%
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?
$154,635
Median Household Income
+124% vs state
$83,680
Per Capita Income
3.2%
Poverty Rate
0.0%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 28774 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$154,635 Top 3% higher than 97% 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?
2,859
Total Housing Units
703
Occupied Units
2,156
Vacant Units
2.06
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$797,900
Median Home Value
+207% vs state
1996
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 66 business establishments in ZIP 28774, employing approximately 629 people with a combined annual payroll of $34,529,000.
66
Businesses
629
Employees
$34.5M
Annual Payroll
7
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | 16 | 24.2% |
| Accommodation and food services | 12 | 18.2% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 8 | 12.1% |
| Retail trade | 7 | 10.6% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 7 | 10.6% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 5 | 7.6% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 3 | 4.5% |
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 28774 vs 28717 →
ZIP 28774 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 28747
Lake Toxaway (28747)
2,198 residents
- 28717
Cashiers (28717)
1,729 residents
- 29685
Sunset (29685)
1,230 residents
- 28774
Sapphire (28774)
1,013 residents
- 28736 787
Glenville (28736)
787 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 28774 ranks #4 by population — useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 28774 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 28774
Sapphire (28774)
$154,635 median income
- 29685
Sunset (29685)
$116,742 median income
- 28717
Cashiers (28717)
$76,085 median income
- 28736
Glenville (28736)
$70,855 median income
- 28747
Lake Toxaway (28747)
$66,000 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 28774 ranks the highest of 5 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 28774 in? ▼
What is the population of ZIP code 28774? ▼
What is the median household income in ZIP 28774? ▼
What is the average home value in ZIP 28774? ▼
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 28774? ▼
How many businesses are in ZIP code 28774? ▼
What are the main industries in ZIP code 28774? ▼
What is the education level in ZIP code 28774? ▼
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 28774? ▼
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 28774? ▼
ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for Sapphire, 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.