Asheville, NC · standard
ZIP Code 28801
Buncombe County, North Carolina — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 15,019
- 1,142/sq mi
- $58,438
- Median income
- $548,100
- Median home value
- 54.4%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
Asheville pairs a below-median household income with upper-quartile home values, in a low-density, renter-heavy area.
- 26th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 11%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 1,142
- people per sq mi
- 37%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 28801 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 28801 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 13.2 square miles in Asheville, Buncombe County, North Carolina. The area is home to 15,019 residents, producing a population density of 1,142 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 28801 against North Carolina and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 28801 sits at $58,438 (16% below the North Carolina average), while per-capita income is $44,456. The poverty rate stands at 27.3% and the unemployment rate at 3.7%. On housing, the median home value is $548,100 (111% above the state average) with median rent at $1,232 per month, and 37.0% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 28801 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 54.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 43.1, and the average commute is 15 minutes. We also surface 8 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Buncombe County, so you can benchmark 28801 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 28801
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 28801.
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
354 establishments
- Professional, scientific, and technical services
Professional, scientific, and technical services
320 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
235 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
204 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
156 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 28801, Asheville, 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
15,019
Population
13.2
Area (sq mi)
1,142
People / sq mi
New York
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 28801?
43.1
Median Age
46.1%
Male
53.9%
Female
3.2%
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?
$58,438
Median Household Income
-16% vs state
$44,456
Per Capita Income
27.3%
Poverty Rate
3.7%
Unemployment Rate
14.8 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 28801 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$58,438 26th percentile higher than 26% 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?
9,014
Total Housing Units
6,247
Occupied Units
2,767
Vacant Units
2.23
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$548,100
Median Home Value
+111% vs state
$1,232
Median Rent
1963
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
+10.0%
YoY Change (2024)
471
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+371%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 28801 have increased 10.0% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +371% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | -0.1% | 303 |
| 2021 | +12.5% | 341 |
| 2022 | +23.2% | 420 |
| 2023 | +1.9% | 429 |
| 2024 | +10.0% | 471 |
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 1,812 business establishments in ZIP 28801, employing approximately 22,808 people with a combined annual payroll of $1,348,039,000.
1,812
Businesses
22,808
Employees
$1.3B
Annual Payroll
16
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 354 | 19.5% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 320 | 17.7% |
| Accommodation and food services | 235 | 13.0% |
| Retail trade | 204 | 11.3% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 156 | 8.6% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 133 | 7.3% |
| Finance and insurance | 82 | 4.5% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 61 | 3.4% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 53 | 2.9% |
| Construction | 49 | 2.7% |
| Manufacturing | 43 | 2.4% |
| Wholesale trade | 35 | 1.9% |
| Information | 35 | 1.9% |
| Educational services | 35 | 1.9% |
| Management of companies and enterprises | 9 | 0.5% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 6 | 0.3% |
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 28801 vs 28804 →
ZIP 28801 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 28806
Asheville (28806)
38,550 residents
- 28803
Asheville (28803)
28,693 residents
- 28804
Asheville (28804)
20,507 residents
- 28787
Weaverville (28787)
19,718 residents
- 28704
Arden (28704)
18,821 residents
- 28805
Asheville (28805)
17,620 residents
- 28732
Fletcher (28732)
16,491 residents
- 28801 15,019
Asheville (28801)
15,019 residents
- 28701 3,635
Alexander (28701)
3,635 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 28801 ranks #8 by population — useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 28801 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 28701
Alexander (28701)
$108,125 median income
- 28804
Asheville (28804)
$88,312 median income
- 28732
Fletcher (28732)
$81,852 median income
- 28704
Arden (28704)
$81,096 median income
- 28787
Weaverville (28787)
$78,604 median income
- 28803
Asheville (28803)
$76,662 median income
- 28805
Asheville (28805)
$75,151 median income
- 28806
Asheville (28806)
$63,273 median income
- 28801
Asheville (28801)
$58,438 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 28801 ranks #9 of 9 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
| ZIP Code | City | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28804 | Asheville, NC | 20,507 | 3.7 mi |
| 28806 | Asheville, NC | 38,550 | 3.5 mi |
| 28805 | Asheville, NC | 17,620 | 4.5 mi |
| 28803 | Asheville, NC | 28,693 | 4.9 mi |
| 28704 | Arden, NC | 18,821 | 9.2 mi |
| 28787 | Weaverville, NC | 19,718 | 9.3 mi |
| 28701 | Alexander, NC | 3,635 | 8.8 mi |
| 28732 | Fletcher, NC | 16,491 | 11.5 mi |
More ZIP Codes in Buncombe County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 28801 in? ▼
What is the population of ZIP code 28801? ▼
What is the median household income in ZIP 28801? ▼
What is the average home value in ZIP 28801? ▼
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 28801? ▼
How many businesses are in ZIP code 28801? ▼
What are the main industries in ZIP code 28801? ▼
How have home values changed in ZIP code 28801? ▼
What is the education level in ZIP code 28801? ▼
What is the average commute time in ZIP 28801? ▼
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 28801? ▼
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 28801? ▼
ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for Asheville, 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.