Waynesville, NC · standard
ZIP Code 28785
Haywood County, North Carolina — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 7,338
- 19/sq mi
- $61,769
- Median income
- $310,300
- Median home value
- 34.6%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
Waynesville pairs a below-median household income with above-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 32th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 32%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 19
- people per sq mi
- 83%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 28785 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 28785 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 394.5 square miles in Waynesville, Haywood County, North Carolina. The area is home to 7,338 residents, producing a population density of 19 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 28785 against North Carolina and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 28785 sits at $61,769 (11% below the North Carolina average), while per-capita income is $35,911. The poverty rate stands at 12.2% and the unemployment rate at 2.3%. On housing, the median home value is $310,300 (20% above the state average) with median rent at $1,105 per month, and 83.3% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 28785 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 34.6% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 48.4, and the average commute is 23 minutes. We also surface 3 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 5 additional ZIPs sharing Haywood County, so you can benchmark 28785 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 28785
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 28785.
- Construction
Construction
31 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
17 establishments
- Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services
14 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
13 establishments
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
13 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 28785, Waynesville, 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
7,338
Population
394.5
Area (sq mi)
19
People / sq mi
New York
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 28785?
48.4
Median Age
52.1%
Male
47.9%
Female
1.7%
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?
$61,769
Median Household Income
-11% vs state
$35,911
Per Capita Income
12.2%
Poverty Rate
2.3%
Unemployment Rate
22.7 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 28785 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$61,769 32nd percentile higher than 32% 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?
4,852
Total Housing Units
3,496
Occupied Units
1,356
Vacant Units
2.37
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$310,300
Median Home Value
+20% vs state
$1,105
Median Rent
1992
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
+0.6%
YoY Change (2024)
245
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+145%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 28785 have increased 0.6% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +145% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +6.7% | 160 |
| 2021 | +16.1% | 186 |
| 2022 | +20.5% | 224 |
| 2023 | +8.8% | 244 |
| 2024 | +0.6% | 245 |
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 140 business establishments in ZIP 28785, employing approximately 852 people with a combined annual payroll of $37,228,000.
140
Businesses
852
Employees
$37.2M
Annual Payroll
10
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | 31 | 22.1% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 17 | 12.1% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 14 | 10.0% |
| Retail trade | 13 | 9.3% |
| Health care and social assistance | 13 | 9.3% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 12 | 8.6% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 10 | 7.1% |
| Accommodation and food services | 9 | 6.4% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 8 | 5.7% |
| Finance and insurance | 4 | 2.9% |
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 28785 vs 28721 →
ZIP 28785 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 28721
Clyde (28721)
10,063 residents
- 28785
Waynesville (28785)
7,338 residents
- 28751 2,916
Maggie Valley (28751)
2,916 residents
- 28745 551
Lake Junaluska (28745)
551 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 28785 ranks #2 by population — useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 28785 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 28745
Lake Junaluska (28745)
$117,824 median income
- 28751
Maggie Valley (28751)
$69,057 median income
- 28721
Clyde (28721)
$62,279 median income
- 28785
Waynesville (28785)
$61,769 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 28785 ranks #4 of 4 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
More ZIP Codes in Haywood County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 28785 in? ▼
What is the population of ZIP code 28785? ▼
What is the median household income in ZIP 28785? ▼
What is the average home value in ZIP 28785? ▼
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 28785? ▼
How many businesses are in ZIP code 28785? ▼
What are the main industries in ZIP code 28785? ▼
How have home values changed in ZIP code 28785? ▼
What is the education level in ZIP code 28785? ▼
What is the average commute time in ZIP 28785? ▼
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 28785? ▼
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 28785? ▼
ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for Waynesville, 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.