28761 ZIP Code — Nebo, NC

Mcdowell County, North Carolina

ZIP code 28761 is located in Nebo, North Carolina, within Mcdowell County. It covers approximately 103.78 square miles and serves a population of 7,595 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 828.

About ZIP code 28761

The housing stock consists of a higher-than-average concentration of mobile homes. Most homes were built in the 2000s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $166,700. Owner-occupancy is high at 81%, well above the national average.

The gap between median ($51,750) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. 44% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with manufacturing as the leading industry. The average commute of 27 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 20% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (22%) compared to national benchmarks.

Overall, ZIP code 28761 reflects a community defined by high homeownership and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

7,595

population

103.78

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

28761 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 28761

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 28761. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Nebo	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

28752 Marion (8.3 mi) 28655 Morganton (11.9 mi) 28167 Union Mills (14.2 mi) 28762 Old Fort (16.1 mi) 28018 Bostic (16.7 mi) 28777 Spruce Pine (17.4 mi) 28690 Valdese (19 mi) 28020 Casar (19.1 mi)

Demographics updated 06/2026

Population
Total population	7,595
Population density	73 / sq mi
State FIPS	37
County FIPS	111

Geography
Land area	103.78 sq mi
Water area	7.16 sq mi
Latitude	35.6869
Longitude	-81.9155
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	828

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 06/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	58.1%	53.3%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	26.3%	31.4%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	10.9%	13.3%	19.1%
Over $200k	4.7%	2.1%	6.0%

Demographics & statistics

7,595

Population

People per sq mi

48.4

Median age

$51,750

Median household income

$37,153

Per capita income

$166,700

Median home value

$578

Median monthly rent

81.4%

Home ownership

12.8%

Poverty rate

2.2%

Unemployment

3,138

Housing units

20.3%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

253

Under 5

224

137

5–9

122

198

10–14

176

241

15–19

213

173

20–24

153

444

25–34

394

407

35–44

361

564

45–54

499

252

55–59

223

468

60–64

414

548

65–74

486

235

75–84

209

107

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	1,261	16.6%
18 and over	6,334	83.4%
65 and over	1,679	22.1%
Median age	48.4 years

Race & ethnicity

White 94.3%

Black or African American 3.2%

Two or more races 1.7%

Hispanic or Latino 0.6%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%

Group	Count	%
White	7,206	94.3%
Black or African American	243	3.2%
Two or more races	130	1.7%
Hispanic or Latino	46	0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native	16	0.2%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	58.1%	53.3%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	26.3%	31.4%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	10.9%	13.3%	19.1%
Over $200k	4.7%	2.1%	6.0%

Under $10k 6.9%

$10k–$15k 5.1%

$15k–$25k 5.1%

$25k–$35k 11.3%

$35k–$50k 21.1%

$50k–$75k 13.3%

$75k–$100k 14.1%

$100k–$150k 9.7%

$150k–$200k 5.8%

$200k+ 7.6%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	6.9%
$10k–$15k	5.1%
$15k–$25k	5.1%
$25k–$35k	11.3%
$35k–$50k	21.1%
$50k–$75k	13.3%
$75k–$100k	14.1%
$100k–$150k	9.7%
$150k–$200k	5.8%
$200k+	7.6%
Median income	$51,750

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 11.8%

$50k–$100k 15.8%

$100k–$150k 17.6%

$150k–$200k 15.7%

$200k–$300k 9.8%

$300k–$500k 15.4%

$500k–$1M 9.8%

$1M+ 4.2%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$166,700
Median rent / month	$578
Owner occupied	81.4%
Renter occupied	18.6%
Vacant	17.2%
Single-family detached	67.1%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	31.6%
Median rooms	5.4
Avg household size (owned)	2.48

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.7%
2010–2019	9.8%
2000–2009	21.3%
1990–1999	20.1%
1980–1989	17.4%
1970–1979	11.6%
1960–1969	7.0%
1950–1959	5.6%
1940–1949	2.7%
1939 or earlier	3.7%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	1.6%
1 bedroom	2.9%
2 bedrooms	25.6%
3 bedrooms	59.8%
4 bedrooms	9.0%
5+ bedrooms	1.1%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	6.0%
1 vehicle	25.5%
2 vehicles	38.6%
3 or more	29.9%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Electricity	65.7%
Propane / LP gas	11.0%
Fuel oil	9.9%
Wood	10.9%
Solar	0.7%
No fuel used	1.7%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	1,863	60.6%
Cohabiting couple	163	5.3%
Male householder, no spouse	646	21.0%
Female householder, no spouse	400	13.0%
Households with children under 18	704	22.9%
Households with seniors (65+)	1,094	35.6%
Average household size	2.40

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	25.5%	20.2%
Married	59.1%	62.8%
Separated	3.0%	0.8%
Widowed	3.7%	10.4%
Divorced	8.7%	5.8%

Education

Less than 9th grade 2.5%

Some HS, no diploma 10.4%

HS graduate 34.1%

Some college, no degree 19.0%

Associate's degree 13.6%

Bachelor's degree 10.6%

Graduate / professional 9.7%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	87.0%
Bachelor's or higher	20.3%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	129	10.1%
Kindergarten	125	9.8%
Elementary school	472	37.0%
High school	215	16.8%
College / grad school	336	26.3%

Employment

Industry of employment

Manufacturing 24.2%

Retail trade 20.3%

Education & healthcare 18.1%

Transportation & utilities 7.8%

Public administration 6.8%

Other services 6.3%

Construction 6.1%

Arts, food & hospitality 3.0%

Finance & real estate 2.9%

Professional & management 2.2%

Agriculture & mining 1.3%

Wholesale trade 0.5%

Information 0.4%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	28.5%
Service	12.8%
Sales & office	21.6%
Natural resources & construction	13.6%
Production & transportation	23.4%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	83.1%
Government	12.6%
Self-employed	4.3%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	84.7%
Carpool	7.6%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	2.0%
Work from home	5.7%
Other means	0.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	27.2

Poverty

All people 12.8%

Under 18 years 7.6%

18 and over 13.8%

Married-couple families 4.2%

Female-led households 52.1%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	43.5%
Retirement income	29.4%
Supplemental Security	4.4%
Cash public assistance	3.8%
Food stamps / SNAP	16.5%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	35.0%
High blood pressure	37.0%
High cholesterol	37.2%
Diabetes	11.9%
Heart disease	8.0%
Stroke	3.8%
Asthma	9.4%
Arthritis	28.8%
Kidney disease	3.4%
Pulmonary disease	9.0%
Cancer	7.2%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	22.4%
Binge drinking	15.3%
No physical activity	25.4%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	31.9%
Depression	24.4%
Fair or poor health	16.2%
Poor mental health	15.0%
Poor physical health	12.5%
No health insurance	17.9%
Visited doctor (checkup)	77.8%
Visited dentist	59.8%
Cholesterol screening	89.6%
Teeth loss	16.3%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	432	6.8%

Disability	%
Any disability	20.9%
Under 18	10.0%
18–64 years	14.1%
65 and over	49.5%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	62.9%
Public insurance	43.0%
No insurance	11.9%
Uninsured under 19	3.2%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	7,118	93.7%
Spanish	6	0.1%
Other Indo-European	6	0.1%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	7,536	99.2%
Born in same state	7,513	98.9%
Born in different state	5,521	72.7%
Foreign born	23	0.3%
Naturalized citizen	59	0.8%
Not a US citizen	53	89.8%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	1,468	19.3%
Italian	830	10.9%
French	828	10.9%
English	168	2.2%

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	41	0.5%
German	18	0.2%
Irish	6	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	40.4%
Internet access	85.4%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 28761

What city is ZIP code 28761 in?

ZIP code 28761 is primarily assigned to Nebo, North Carolina.

What county is ZIP code 28761 in?

ZIP code 28761 falls within Mcdowell County, North Carolina.

Does ZIP code 28761 have a large retiree population?

44% of households in ZIP code 28761 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Is ZIP code 28761 mostly owner-occupied?

81% of occupied units in ZIP code 28761 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 28761?

The median home value in ZIP code 28761 is $166,700.

What is the population of ZIP code 28761?

ZIP code 28761 has an estimated population of 7,595 residents, with a density of 73 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 28761 in?

ZIP code 28761 observes the EST timezone.