PlainZIP

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 a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Sapphire, Transylvania County, North Carolina, home to just 1,013 residents across 117.8 square miles, a density of 9 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.

ZIP 28774 skews affluent, with a median household income of $154,635 (124% above the North Carolina average), while per-capita income is $83,680. Poverty here runs at 3.2%, with unemployment measured 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.

This is a highly-educated ZIP: 68.3% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 63.2, and the average commute is -. A geography-based comparison follows: 4 ZIP codes within about 10 miles of 28774, 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 →

Top industries in ZIP 28774

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Sapphire, NC

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 28774.

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 + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, 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; 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

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 28774?

63.2

Median Age

41.6%

Male

58.4%

Female

3.9%

Foreign-Born

White 93.7%
African American 0.0%
Asian 0.0%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 4.7%
Hispanic or Latino 3.9%

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

Sapphire, NC 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

$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%). Below this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). Below this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 2,855 US ZIPs (9%). Below this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 1,362 US ZIPs (4%). Below this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 686 US ZIPs (2%). This entry sits in this band. $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 80.2%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 68.3%

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

Owner 88.6%
Renter 11.4%

$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.

residents

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 28774 ranks #4 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 28774 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 28774 ranks the highest of 5 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
28717 Cashiers, NC 1,729 5.5 mi
28747 Lake Toxaway, NC 2,198 6.1 mi
28736 Glenville, NC 787 8.2 mi
29685 Sunset, SC 1,230 11.0 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
28766 standard
Penrose, NC
Pop: 1,262
28772 standard
Rosman, NC
Pop: 1,239
28708 standard
Balsam Grove, NC
Pop: 754

Related Areas

Transylvania County Sapphire, NC North Carolina

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 28774 in? ▼
ZIP code 28774 (Sapphire) 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 28774? ▼
ZIP code 28774 in Sapphire, NC has a population of 1,013 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 28774? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 28774 is $154,635, which is 103% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 28774? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 28774 is $797,900, which is 187% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 28774? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 28774 is White at 93.7%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 3.9% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 28774? ▼
ZIP code 28774 has 66 business establishments employing approximately 629 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 28774? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 28774 are: Construction (16), Accommodation and food services (12), Other services (except public administration) (8). There are 7 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 28774? ▼
In ZIP code 28774, 80.2% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 68.3% 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 28774? ▼
In ZIP code 28774, approximately 88.6% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 11.4% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 28774? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 28774 is 3.2% 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.