Asheville, NC · standard
ZIP Code 28805
Buncombe County, North Carolina — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 17,620
- 262/sq mi
- $75,151
- Median income
- $412,500
- Median home value
- 53.4%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
Asheville pairs an above-median household income with upper-quartile home values, in a low-density, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 45%
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 19%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 262
- people per sq mi
- 64%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 28805 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 28805 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 67.3 square miles in Asheville, Buncombe County, North Carolina. The area is home to 17,620 residents, producing a population density of 262 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 28805 against North Carolina and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 28805 sits at $75,151 (9% above the North Carolina average), while per-capita income is $45,104. The poverty rate stands at 13.0% and the unemployment rate at 2.9%. On housing, the median home value is $412,500 (59% above the state average) with median rent at $1,347 per month, and 64.1% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 28805 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 53.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 45, and the average commute is 19 minutes. We also surface 8 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Buncombe County, so you can benchmark 28805 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 28805
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 28805.
- Retail trade
Retail trade
169 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
97 establishments
- Professional, scientific, and technical services
Professional, scientific, and technical services
77 establishments
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
76 establishments
- Other services (except public administration) 67
Other services (except public administration)
67 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 28805, 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
17,620
Population
67.3
Area (sq mi)
262
People / sq mi
New York
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 28805?
45.0
Median Age
48.8%
Male
51.2%
Female
6.7%
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?
$75,151
Median Household Income
+9% vs state
$45,104
Per Capita Income
13.0%
Poverty Rate
2.9%
Unemployment Rate
18.7 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 28805 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$75,151 Top 45% higher than 55% 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?
10,571
Total Housing Units
8,224
Occupied Units
2,347
Vacant Units
2.40
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$412,500
Median Home Value
+59% vs state
$1,347
Median Rent
1985
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
+3.0%
YoY Change (2024)
330
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+230%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 28805 have increased 3.0% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +230% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +4.6% | 215 |
| 2021 | +11.1% | 239 |
| 2022 | +21.2% | 290 |
| 2023 | +10.6% | 320 |
| 2024 | +3.0% | 330 |
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 735 business establishments in ZIP 28805, employing approximately 10,597 people with a combined annual payroll of $612,682,000.
735
Businesses
10,597
Employees
$612.7M
Annual Payroll
15
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 169 | 23.0% |
| Accommodation and food services | 97 | 13.2% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 77 | 10.5% |
| Health care and social assistance | 76 | 10.3% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 67 | 9.1% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 60 | 8.2% |
| Construction | 48 | 6.5% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 32 | 4.3% |
| Finance and insurance | 25 | 3.4% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 21 | 2.9% |
| Information | 17 | 2.3% |
| Manufacturing | 14 | 1.9% |
| Wholesale trade | 12 | 1.6% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 9 | 1.2% |
| Educational services | 9 | 1.2% |
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 28805 vs 28778 →
ZIP 28805 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
- 28805
Asheville (28805)
17,620 residents
- 28801 15,019
Asheville (28801)
15,019 residents
- 28778 10,381
Swannanoa (28778)
10,381 residents
- 28730 9,133
Fairview (28730)
9,133 residents
- 28735 256
Gerton (28735)
256 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 28805 ranks #5 by population — useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 28805 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 28730
Fairview (28730)
$102,900 median income
- 28804
Asheville (28804)
$88,312 median income
- 28787
Weaverville (28787)
$78,604 median income
- 28803
Asheville (28803)
$76,662 median income
- 28805
Asheville (28805)
$75,151 median income
- 28778
Swannanoa (28778)
$73,408 median income
- 28806
Asheville (28806)
$63,273 median income
- 28801
Asheville (28801)
$58,438 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 28805 ranks #5 of 8 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
| ZIP Code | City | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28778 | Swannanoa, NC | 10,381 | 4.2 mi |
| 28801 | Asheville, NC | 15,019 | 4.5 mi |
| 28804 | Asheville, NC | 20,507 | 5.2 mi |
| 28803 | Asheville, NC | 28,693 | 6.2 mi |
| 28787 | Weaverville, NC | 19,718 | 8.1 mi |
| 28806 | Asheville, NC | 38,550 | 8.0 mi |
| 28730 | Fairview, NC | 9,133 | 8.8 mi |
| 28735 | Gerton, NC | 256 | 12.1 mi |
More ZIP Codes in Buncombe County
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Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 28805 in? ▼
What is the population of ZIP code 28805? ▼
What is the median household income in ZIP 28805? ▼
What is the average home value in ZIP 28805? ▼
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 28805? ▼
How many businesses are in ZIP code 28805? ▼
What are the main industries in ZIP code 28805? ▼
How have home values changed in ZIP code 28805? ▼
What is the education level in ZIP code 28805? ▼
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What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 28805? ▼
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 28805? ▼
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.