28801 ZIP Code — Asheville, NC

Buncombe County, North Carolina

ZIP code 28801 is located in Asheville, North Carolina, within Buncombe County. It covers approximately 5.11 square miles and serves a population of 13,498 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 828.

About ZIP code 28801

The housing stock consists of a significant share of large multi-unit buildings. Most homes were built in the pre-1940, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $448,700. Renters make up the majority at 64%, typical of denser urban areas.

The gap between median ($46,496) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. Poverty affects 23% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 18% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 32% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 15 minutes is near the national average. Remote work is prevalent — 21% of workers work from home.

Educational attainment is high — 50% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher, well above the national average of 33%.

Overall, ZIP code 28801 reflects a community defined by a highly educated population, economic challenges above the national average, a high rate of remote workers, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

13,498

population

5.11

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

28801 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 28801

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 28801. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Asheville	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

28810 Asheville (0.5 mi) 28806 Asheville (3.8 mi) 28804 Asheville (4 mi) 28803 Asheville (4.5 mi) 28805 Asheville (4.9 mi) 28704 Arden (8.9 mi) 28778 Swannanoa (8.9 mi) 28701 Alexander (9.6 mi) 28787 Weaverville (10 mi) 28732 Fletcher (10.1 mi) 28715 Candler (10.3 mi) 28730 Fairview (11.1 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	13,498
Population density	2,641 / sq mi
State FIPS	37
County FIPS	021

Geography
Land area	5.11 sq mi
Water area	0.09 sq mi
Latitude	35.5901
Longitude	-82.5582
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	828

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	57.5%	45.7%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	22.7%	30.8%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	12.3%	17.8%	19.1%
Over $200k	7.5%	5.8%	6.0%

Demographics & statistics

13,498

Population

2,641

People per sq mi

43.9

Median age

$46,496

Median household income

$40,788

Per capita income

$448,700

Median home value

$1,001

Median monthly rent

36.2%

Home ownership

22.9%

Poverty rate

3.6%

Unemployment

4,428

Housing units

50.1%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

197

Under 5

204

206

5–9

213

10–14

219

259

15–19

267

423

20–24

436

1,209

25–34

1,247

882

35–44

911

963

45–54

993

581

55–59

600

415

60–64

429

832

65–74

859

348

75–84

359

115

85+

118

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	1,552	11.5%
18 and over	11,946	88.5%
65 and over	2,631	19.5%
Median age	43.9 years

Race & ethnicity

White 67.9%

Black or African American 20.7%

Two or more races 5.1%

Hispanic or Latino 3.7%

Other race 1.5%

Asian 0.9%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%

Group	Count	%
White	9,508	67.9%
Black or African American	2,896	20.7%
Two or more races	721	5.1%
Hispanic or Latino	515	3.7%
Other race	217	1.5%
Asian	120	0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native	36	0.3%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	57.5%	45.7%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	22.7%	30.8%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	12.3%	17.8%	19.1%
Over $200k	7.5%	5.8%	6.0%

Under $10k 13.6%

$10k–$15k 6.6%

$15k–$25k 12.4%

$25k–$35k 7.5%

$35k–$50k 12.2%

$50k–$75k 14.0%

$75k–$100k 8.2%

$100k–$150k 11.3%

$150k–$200k 5.7%

$200k+ 8.5%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	13.6%
$10k–$15k	6.6%
$15k–$25k	12.4%
$25k–$35k	7.5%
$35k–$50k	12.2%
$50k–$75k	14.0%
$75k–$100k	8.2%
$100k–$150k	11.3%
$150k–$200k	5.7%
$200k+	8.5%
Median income	$46,496

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 2.4%

$100k–$150k 1.6%

$150k–$200k 4.7%

$200k–$300k 13.9%

$300k–$500k 40.3%

$500k–$1M 28.6%

$1M+ 8.5%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$448,700
Median rent / month	$1,001
Owner occupied	36.2%
Renter occupied	63.8%
Vacant	25.2%
Single-family detached	43.2%
Large apartment buildings	21.2%
Mobile homes	0.5%
Median rooms	4.6
Avg household size (owned)	2.36

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	2.0%
2010–2019	7.8%
2000–2009	10.3%
1990–1999	6.2%
1980–1989	10.2%
1970–1979	10.7%
1960–1969	5.7%
1950–1959	5.5%
1940–1949	4.0%
1939 or earlier	37.6%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	23.6%
1 bedroom	13.1%
2 bedrooms	26.0%
3 bedrooms	27.1%
4 bedrooms	8.1%
5+ bedrooms	2.0%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	20.5%
1 vehicle	43.5%
2 vehicles	26.1%
3 or more	9.9%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	31.5%
Electricity	61.5%
Propane / LP gas	1.6%
Fuel oil	1.6%
Wood	0.7%
Solar	0.7%
No fuel used	1.6%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	1,598	25.2%
Cohabiting couple	480	7.6%
Male householder, no spouse	1,931	30.5%
Female householder, no spouse	2,328	36.7%
Households with children under 18	832	13.1%
Households with seniors (65+)	1,909	30.1%
Average household size	1.98

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	52.8%	44.7%
Married	29.1%	28.4%
Separated	2.9%	0.7%
Widowed	3.4%	7.0%
Divorced	11.7%	19.2%

Education

Less than 9th grade 2.0%

Some HS, no diploma 6.1%

HS graduate 18.8%

Some college, no degree 16.0%

Associate's degree 7.0%

Bachelor's degree 30.6%

Graduate / professional 19.4%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	91.9%
Bachelor's or higher	50.1%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	171	7.7%
Kindergarten	125	5.6%
Elementary school	689	30.9%
High school	338	15.1%
College / grad school	909	40.7%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 24.8%

Arts, food & hospitality 18.9%

Professional & management 16.8%

Retail trade 8.4%

Manufacturing 8.1%

Other services 5.1%

Construction 4.8%

Finance & real estate 4.3%

Transportation & utilities 2.3%

Wholesale trade 2.2%

Information 2.1%

Public administration 2.0%

Agriculture & mining 0.3%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	49.3%
Service	20.8%
Sales & office	17.7%
Natural resources & construction	4.2%
Production & transportation	8.1%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	75.0%
Government	12.3%
Self-employed	12.7%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	60.9%
Carpool	7.3%
Public transit	2.6%
Walk	5.5%
Work from home	21.0%
Other means	2.7%
Avg commute (minutes)	14.6

Poverty

All people 22.9%

Under 18 years 24.6%

18 and over 22.7%

Married-couple families 4.4%

Female-led households 46.2%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	32.1%
Retirement income	21.2%
Supplemental Security	2.8%
Cash public assistance	2.9%
Food stamps / SNAP	18.1%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	33.1%
High blood pressure	31.7%
High cholesterol	28.6%
Diabetes	10.7%
Heart disease	6.1%
Stroke	3.5%
Asthma	9.8%
Arthritis	24.0%
Kidney disease	3.2%
Pulmonary disease	6.6%
Cancer	5.6%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	18.2%
Binge drinking	16.1%
No physical activity	20.9%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	32.8%
Depression	23.7%
Fair or poor health	14.1%
Poor mental health	15.2%
Poor physical health	10.6%
No health insurance	16.7%
Visited doctor (checkup)	77.5%
Visited dentist	60.8%
Cholesterol screening	87.7%
Teeth loss	16.3%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	640	5.4%

Disability	%
Any disability	13.3%
Under 18	5.5%
18–64 years	10.0%
65 and over	31.0%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	63.6%
Public insurance	34.8%
No insurance	11.9%
Uninsured under 19	0.6%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	13,097	97.0%
Spanish	114	0.9%
Other Indo-European	68	0.5%
Asian & Pacific Islander	7	0.1%
Other languages	33	0.3%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	13,019	96.5%
Born in same state	12,872	95.4%
Born in different state	6,332	46.9%
Foreign born	147	1.1%
Naturalized citizen	479	3.5%
Not a US citizen	211	44.1%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	2,862	21.2%
Italian	1,644	12.2%
Arab	574	4.3%
Polish	170	1.3%
English	137	1%

Ancestry	Count	%
Dutch	56	0.4%
German	52	0.4%
Norwegian	49	0.4%
Irish	46	0.3%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	46.9%
Internet access	84.7%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 28801

What city is ZIP code 28801 in?

ZIP code 28801 is primarily assigned to Asheville, North Carolina.

What county is ZIP code 28801 in?

ZIP code 28801 falls within Buncombe County, North Carolina.

Is ZIP code 28801 mostly rentals?

64% of occupied units in ZIP code 28801 are renter-occupied.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 28801?

23% of residents in ZIP code 28801 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 28801?

50% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — well above the national average of ~33%, reflecting a highly educated population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 28801?

The median home value in ZIP code 28801 is $448,700.

What timezone is ZIP code 28801 in?

ZIP code 28801 observes the EST timezone.