Asheville, NC · standard

ZIP Code 28806

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

38,550
392/sq mi
$63,273
Median income
$359,200
Median home value
45.7%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Asheville pairs a below-median household income with upper-quartile home values, in a low-density, mixed-tenure area.

35th pct
household income, US ZIPs
Top 25%
home value, US ZIPs
392
people per sq mi
60%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 28806 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 28806 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 98.3 square miles in Asheville, Buncombe County, North Carolina. The area is home to 38,550 residents, producing a population density of 392 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 28806 against North Carolina and the nation.

On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 28806 sits at $63,273 (9% below the North Carolina average), while per-capita income is $34,589. The poverty rate stands at 15.1% and the unemployment rate at 4.2%. On housing, the median home value is $359,200 (38% above the state average) with median rent at $1,239 per month, and 59.9% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 28806 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.

Education and household profile round out the picture: 45.7% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 39.2, and the average commute is 21 minutes. We also surface 9 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Buncombe County, so you can benchmark 28806 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 28806

Top 5 sectors by establishment count

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 28806.

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 + HUD FMR + FHFA HPI ACS demographics, ZBP business establishments, HUD Fair Market Rents, FHFA HPI for ZIP 28806, 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

38,550

Population

98.3

Area (sq mi)

392

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 28806?

39.2

Median Age

47.5%

Male

52.5%

Female

8.0%

Foreign-Born

White 80.2%
African American 5.2%
Asian 1.3%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.7%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.2%
Two or More Ethnicities 10.9%
Hispanic or Latino 11.5%

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?

$63,273

Median Household Income

-9% vs state

$34,589

Per Capita Income

15.1%

Poverty Rate

4.2%

Unemployment Rate

20.9 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 28806 ranks nationally

Household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$63,273 35th percentile higher than 35% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 2,855 US ZIPs (9%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 1,362 US ZIPs (4%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 686 US ZIPs (2%). Above this entry. $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 69.8%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 45.7%

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

What does housing look like?

22,031

Total Housing Units

16,604

Occupied Units

5,427

Vacant Units

2.57

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 59.9%
Renter 40.1%

$359,200

Median Home Value

+38% vs state

$1,239

Median Rent

1988

Median Year Built

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

FHFA House Price Index, annual appreciation data based on repeat sales and appraisals

+2.0%

YoY Change (2024)

399

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+299%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 28806 have increased 2.0% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +299% cumulative appreciation.

Year Annual Change HPI Index
2020 +3.2% 260
2021 +12.8% 293
2022 +20.6% 353
2023 +10.7% 391
2024 +2.0% 399

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 1,672 business establishments in ZIP 28806, employing approximately 18,546 people with a combined annual payroll of $826,026,000.

1,672

Businesses

18,546

Employees

$826.0M

Annual Payroll

18

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Retail trade 273 16.3%
Accommodation and food services 190 11.4%
Professional, scientific, and technical services 180 10.8%
Health care and social assistance 177 10.6%
Construction 163 9.8%
Other services (except public administration) 140 8.4%
Real estate and rental and leasing 118 7.1%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 94 5.6%
Finance and insurance 73 4.4%
Wholesale trade 58 3.5%
Manufacturing 46 2.8%
Educational services 40 2.4%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation 37 2.2%
Information 36 2.1%
Transportation and warehousing 32 1.9%
Utilities 6 0.4%
Management of companies and enterprises 4 0.2%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting 3 0.2%

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 28806 vs 28801 →

ZIP 28806 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 28806 ranks the most populous — useful context the national average alone can't give.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023

ZIP 28806 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 28806 ranks #8 of 9 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
28801 Asheville, NC 15,019 3.5 mi
28804 Asheville, NC 20,507 5.9 mi
28803 Asheville, NC 28,693 6.1 mi
28704 Arden, NC 18,821 7.9 mi
28701 Alexander, NC 3,635 9.1 mi
28715 Candler, NC 24,582 6.9 mi
28805 Asheville, NC 17,620 8.0 mi
28748 Leicester, NC 11,334 9.7 mi
28732 Fletcher, NC 16,491 12.1 mi

More ZIP Codes in Buncombe County

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 28806 in?
ZIP code 28806 (Asheville) is located in Buncombe County, North Carolina. Buncombe County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/buncombe-nc.
What is the population of ZIP code 28806?
ZIP code 28806 in Asheville, NC has a population of 38,550 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 28806?
The median household income in ZIP 28806 is $63,273, which is 17% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 28806?
The median home value in ZIP 28806 is $359,200, which is 29% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 28806?
The largest racial group in ZIP 28806 is White at 80.2%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 11.5% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 28806?
ZIP code 28806 has 1,672 business establishments employing approximately 18,546 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 28806?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 28806 are: Retail trade (273), Accommodation and food services (190), Professional, scientific, and technical services (180). There are 18 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 28806?
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 28806 increased by 2.0% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 299%. 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 28806?
In ZIP code 28806, 69.8% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 45.7% 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 28806?
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 28806 is 20.9 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 28806?
In ZIP code 28806, approximately 59.9% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 40.1% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 28806?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 28806 is 15.1% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.

ZIP Code Research Guides

Official Data Resources for Asheville, NC

Verify and explore additional data for this area using these official government sources.