Waynesville, NC · standard

ZIP Code 28786

Haywood County, North Carolina — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.

Reviewed by PlainZIP Editorial Team, ZIP Code Data Editors · June 13, 2026

20,714
108/sq mi: $59,371
Median income: $297,800
Median home value: 31.4%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Waynesville pairs a below-median household income with above-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

28th pct
household income, US ZIPs: Top 34%
home value, US ZIPs: 108
people per sq mi: 69%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 28786 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 28786 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 192.7 square miles in Waynesville, Haywood County, North Carolina. The area is home to 20,714 residents, producing a population density of 108 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 28786 against North Carolina and the nation.

On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 28786 sits at $59,371 (14% below the North Carolina average), while per-capita income is $37,262. The poverty rate stands at 12.5% and the unemployment rate at 4.4%. On housing, the median home value is $297,800 (15% above the state average) with median rent at $1,081 per month, and 68.7% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 28786 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.

Education and household profile round out the picture: 31.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 49.1, and the average commute is 23 minutes. We also surface 4 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 5 additional ZIPs sharing Haywood County, so you can benchmark 28786 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 28786

Retail trade

148
Other services (except public administration)

91
Accommodation and food services

77
Construction

73
Professional, scientific, and technical services

71

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 28786, Waynesville, NC · 2023 Accessed 2026-06-13 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

20,714

Population

192.7

Area (sq mi)

108

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 28786?

49.1

Median Age

48.1%

Male

51.9%

Female

3.4%

Foreign-Born

White 90.8%

African American 1.4%

Asian 0.2%

American Indian or Alaska Native 0.6%

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%

Two or More Ethnicities 6.3%

Hispanic or Latino 5.1%

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?

$59,371

Median Household Income

-14% vs state

$37,262

Per Capita Income

12.5%

Poverty Rate

4.4%

Unemployment Rate

22.8 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 28786 ranks nationally

Household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$59,371 28th percentile higher than 28% 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?

High School Graduate or Higher 56.8%

Bachelor's Degree or Higher 31.4%

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

What does housing look like?

12,112

Total Housing Units

9,816

Occupied Units

2,296

Vacant Units

2.22

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 68.7%

Renter 31.3%

$297,800

Median Home Value

+15% vs state

$1,081

Median Rent

1977

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

+13.8%

YoY Change (2024)

305

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+205%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 28786 have increased 13.8% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +205% cumulative appreciation.

Year	Annual Change	HPI Index
2020	+6.3%	179
2021	+15.1%	206
2022	+22.9%	254
2023	+5.8%	268
2024	+13.8%	305

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 748 business establishments in ZIP 28786, employing approximately 7,889 people with a combined annual payroll of $310,517,000.

748

Businesses

7,889

Employees

$310.5M

Annual Payroll

Industry Sectors

Industry	Establishments	% of Total
Retail trade	148	19.8%
Other services (except public administration)	91	12.2%
Accommodation and food services	77	10.3%
Construction	73	9.8%
Professional, scientific, and technical services	71	9.5%
Health care and social assistance	70	9.4%
Finance and insurance	57	7.6%
Real estate and rental and leasing	40	5.3%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services	35	4.7%
Wholesale trade	30	4.0%
Manufacturing	15	2.0%
Transportation and warehousing	12	1.6%
Information	11	1.5%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation	5	0.7%
Management of companies and enterprises	4	0.5%
Educational services	4	0.5%

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 28786 vs 28745 →

28786

20,714
28716

17,477
28751

2,916
28745

551
28707

94

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 28786 ranks the most populous — useful context the national average alone can't give.

28745

$117,824
28751

$69,057
28716

$63,141
28786

$59,371

What this shows By household income, ZIP 28786 ranks #4 of 4 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

ZIP Code	City	Population	Distance
28745	Lake Junaluska, NC	551	4.5 mi
28707	Balsam, NC	94	6.1 mi
28716	Canton, NC	17,477	7.6 mi
28751	Maggie Valley, NC	2,916	7.8 mi

More ZIP Codes in Haywood County

Haywood County Waynesville, NC North Carolina

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 28786 in? ▼

ZIP code 28786 (Waynesville) is located in Haywood County, North Carolina. Haywood County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/haywood-nc.

What is the population of ZIP code 28786? ▼

ZIP code 28786 in Waynesville, NC has a population of 20,714 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in ZIP 28786? ▼

The median household income in ZIP 28786 is $59,371, which is 22% below the national average of $76,288.

What is the average home value in ZIP 28786? ▼

The median home value in ZIP 28786 is $297,800, which is 7% above the national average of $278,155.

What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 28786? ▼

The largest racial group in ZIP 28786 is White at 90.8%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 5.1% of the population.

How many businesses are in ZIP code 28786? ▼

ZIP code 28786 has 748 business establishments employing approximately 7,889 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.

What are the main industries in ZIP code 28786? ▼

The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 28786 are: Retail trade (148), Other services (except public administration) (91), Accommodation and food services (77). There are 16 industry sectors represented in total.

How have home values changed in ZIP code 28786? ▼

According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 28786 increased by 13.8% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 205%. This is a developmental index based on repeat sales and appraisal data from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

What is the education level in ZIP code 28786? ▼

In ZIP code 28786, 56.8% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 31.4% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).

What is the average commute time in ZIP 28786? ▼

The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 28786 is 22.8 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend less time traveling to work than typical.

What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 28786? ▼

In ZIP code 28786, approximately 68.7% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 31.3% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 28786? ▼

The poverty rate in ZIP code 28786 is 12.5% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.