ZipCodesToGo
North Carolina ZIP Codes
Avery County
Banner Elk, NC
28604
28604 ZIP Code — Banner Elk, NC
Avery County, North Carolina
ZIP code 28604 is located in
Banner Elk ,
North Carolina ,
within Avery County .
It covers approximately 68.65 square miles and serves a population of
7,671 residents.
This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone,
served by area code 828 .
About ZIP code 28604
The housing stock consists of a mix of housing types. Most homes were built in the 1980s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $296,500. Owner-occupancy is high at 76%, well above the national average.
The gap between median ($61,161) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. 41% 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 24 minutes is near the national average.
Educational attainment is near the national average, with 41% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.
Overall, ZIP code 28604 reflects a community defined by high homeownership and a significant Social Security-dependent population.
28604 ZIP code map
View map of 28604
Cities in ZIP code 28604
Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 28604. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.
Nearby ZIP codes
Demographics
updated 05/2026
Population
Total population
7,671
Population density
112 / sq mi
State FIPS
37
County FIPS
011
Geography
Land area
68.65 sq mi
Water area
0.10 sq mi
Latitude
36.1871
Longitude
-81.8312
Timezone
Eastern (ET)
Area code
828
Economics
updated 05/2026
Household income
Income range
This ZIP
County avg
State avg
Under $50k
48.4%
55.9%
44.4%
$50k – $100k
32.1%
28.1%
30.6%
$100k – $200k
13.5%
11.9%
19.1%
Over $200k
5.9%
4.1%
6.0%
Demographics & statistics
$61,161
Median household income
$296,500
Median home value
41.3%
Bachelor's or higher
Age distribution
Age summary
Group Count % Under 18 1,346 17.5% 18 and over 6,325 82.5% 65 and over 1,852 24.1% Median age 45.2 years
Race & ethnicity
American Indian / Alaska Native
2.3%
Black or African American
1.7%
Group Count % White 6,756 84% Two or more races 396 4.9% Hispanic or Latino 371 4.6% American Indian / Alaska Native 186 2.3% Black or African American 134 1.7% Other race 112 1.4% Asian 83 1%
Household income
Income range
This ZIP
County avg
State avg
Under $50k
48.4%
55.9%
44.4%
$50k – $100k
32.1%
28.1%
30.6%
$100k – $200k
13.5%
11.9%
19.1%
Over $200k
5.9%
4.1%
6.0%
Range % of households Under $10k 5.9% $10k–$15k 0.8% $15k–$25k 8.0% $25k–$35k 8.1% $35k–$50k 17.9% $50k–$75k 16.4% $75k–$100k 16.5% $100k–$150k 14.6% $150k–$200k 4.7% $200k+ 7.3% Median income $61,161
Housing
Housing overview
Metric Value Median home value $296,500 Median rent / month $973 Owner occupied 75.7% Renter occupied 24.3% Vacant 65.2% Single-family detached 61.1% Large apartment buildings 8.5% Mobile homes 3.2% Median rooms 5.3 Avg household size (owned) 2.23
Year built
Era % 2020 or later 0.0% 2010–2019 3.8% 2000–2009 23.1% 1990–1999 13.4% 1980–1989 29.5% 1970–1979 19.6% 1960–1969 4.7% 1950–1959 1.4% 1940–1949 2.5% 1939 or earlier 2.1%
Bedrooms
Size % of units No bedroom (studio) 1.9% 1 bedroom 5.7% 2 bedrooms 35.8% 3 bedrooms 35.3% 4 bedrooms 16.8% 5+ bedrooms 4.5%
Vehicles per household
Vehicles % of households No vehicle 1.0% 1 vehicle 38.9% 2 vehicles 38.7% 3 or more 21.5%
Heating fuel
Fuel type % Utility gas 9.4% Electricity 41.3% Propane / LP gas 32.0% Fuel oil 13.0% Wood 3.5% Solar 0.1% No fuel used 0.1%
Households & families
Household type Count % Married-couple family 1,657 52.6% Cohabiting couple 146 4.6% Male householder, no spouse 593 18.8% Female householder, no spouse 754 23.9% Households with children under 18 752 23.9% Households with seniors (65+) 1,206 38.3% Average household size 2.20
Marital status
Status Male Female Never married 32.2% 26.3% Married 53.0% 52.4% Separated 2.7% 2.3% Widowed 2.5% 7.8% Divorced 9.6% 11.2%
Education
Some college, no degree
21.8%
Graduate / professional
16.3%
Metric % HS diploma or higher 92.2% Bachelor's or higher 41.3%
School enrollment (ages 3–17)
Type Count % Nursery / preschool 67 3.1% Kindergarten 133 6.2% Elementary school 648 30.1% High school 311 14.4% College / grad school 995 46.2%
Employment
Industry of employment
Education & healthcare
21.7%
Arts, food & hospitality
14.5%
Finance & real estate
9.6%
Public administration
7.2%
Professional & management
7.0%
Transportation & utilities
2.0%
Agriculture & mining
0.1%
Occupation
Category % Management, business & arts 42.0% Service 18.7% Sales & office 23.9% Natural resources & construction 7.0% Production & transportation 8.4%
Employment type
Type % Private sector 72.9% Government 20.2% Self-employed 6.7% Unpaid family workers 0.2%
Commute
Method % Drive alone 74.9% Carpool 9.4% Public transit 0.0% Walk 3.0% Work from home 11.9% Other means 0.7% Avg commute (minutes) 23.5
Poverty
Married-couple families
2.7%
Female-led households
29.1%
Income support
Source % of households Social Security 40.6% Retirement income 30.5% Supplemental Security 2.2% Cash public assistance 1.3% Food stamps / SNAP 7.0%
Health indicators
Condition % Obesity 30.2% High blood pressure 32.2% High cholesterol 35.2% Diabetes 9.5% Heart disease 6.7% Stroke 3.1% Asthma 9.1% Arthritis 25.1% Kidney disease 3.0% Pulmonary disease 7.1% Cancer 6.7%
Behavior / access % Smoking 17.0% Binge drinking 16.3% No physical activity 20.3% Less than 7 hrs sleep 28.8% Depression 23.4% Fair or poor health 12.8% Poor mental health 14.6% Poor physical health 10.2% No health insurance 15.8% Visited doctor (checkup) 76.4% Visited dentist 66.6% Cholesterol screening 88.1% Teeth loss 13.3%
Veterans & disability
Veterans Count % Civilian veterans 541 8.6%
Disability % Any disability 12.8% Under 18 5.6% 18–64 years 9.5% 65 and over 26.6%
Health insurance coverage
Type % Private insurance 65.0% Public insurance 38.6% No insurance 10.9% Uninsured under 19 3.7%
Language & origin
Language spoken at home (age 5+)
Language Count % English only 7,399 96.5% Spanish 55 0.7% Other Indo-European 41 0.6% Asian & Pacific Islander 14 0.2% Other languages 0 0.0%
Place of birth & citizenship
Origin Count % Native born (US) 7,352 95.8% Born in same state 7,266 94.7% Born in different state 3,936 51.3% Foreign born 86 1.1% Naturalized citizen 319 4.2% Not a US citizen 97 30.4%
Ancestry
Ancestry Count % French 1,111 14.5% Italian 827 10.8% Arab 702 9.2% English 86 1.1% Polish 81 1.1%
Ancestry Count % Irish 19 0.2% German 14 0.2% Norwegian 10 0.1% Dutch 6 0.1%
Technology access
Metric % of households Computer access 41.1% Internet access 92.2%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.
Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 28604
What city is ZIP code 28604 in?
ZIP code 28604 is primarily assigned to Banner Elk, North Carolina.
What county is ZIP code 28604 in?
ZIP code 28604 falls within Watauga County, North Carolina.
Does ZIP code 28604 have a large retiree population?
41% of households in ZIP code 28604 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.
What is the population of ZIP code 28604?
ZIP code 28604 has an estimated population of 7,671 residents, with a density of 112 people per square mile.
What is the typical home value in ZIP code 28604?
The median home value in ZIP code 28604 is $296,500.
What is the median household income in ZIP code 28604?
The median household income in ZIP code 28604 is $61,161, below the national median of ~$75,000.
What timezone is ZIP code 28604 in?
ZIP code 28604 observes the EST timezone.
Need the complete ZIP code database?
Download all 42,000+ US ZIP codes — Excel, CSV, or Access. Includes lat/lng, county FIPS & timezone.
Download database →
