28605 ZIP Code — Blowing Rock, NC

Watauga County, North Carolina

ZIP code 28605 is located in Blowing Rock, North Carolina, within Watauga County. It covers approximately 32.81 square miles and serves a population of 3,330 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 828.

About ZIP code 28605

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1990s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $387,600. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 68%.

The gap between median ($68,939) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. 35% 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 18 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is high — 54% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher, well above the national average of 33%.

Overall, ZIP code 28605 reflects a community defined by a highly educated population and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

3,330

population

32.81

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

28605 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 28605

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 28605. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Blowing Rock	Acceptable
Blowing Rock	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

28604 Banner Elk (6.4 mi) 28608 Boone (7.5 mi) 28611 Collettsville (8.1 mi) 28607 Boone (8.8 mi) 28679 Sugar Grove (10.6 mi) 28692 Vilas (11.2 mi) 28657 Newland (12.2 mi) 28622 Elk Park (12.6 mi) 28618 Deep Gap (14 mi) 28698 Zionville (15.3 mi) 28684 Todd (16.4 mi) 28645 Lenoir (16.8 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	3,330
Population density	101 / sq mi
State FIPS	37
County FIPS	189

Geography
Land area	32.81 sq mi
Water area	0.21 sq mi
Latitude	36.1223
Longitude	-81.7497
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	35.4%	52.9%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	26.8%	25.6%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	28.9%	15.8%	19.1%
Over $200k	8.9%	5.7%	6.0%

Demographics & statistics

3,330

Population

101

People per sq mi

49.9

Median age

$68,939

Median household income

$55,924

Per capita income

$387,600

Median home value

$1,104

Median monthly rent

68.4%

Home ownership

13.7%

Poverty rate

3.9%

Unemployment

3,785

Housing units

54.1%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

15–19

246

20–24

210

232

25–34

198

143

35–44

123

221

45–54

189

188

55–59

160

164

60–64

141

304

65–74

260

106

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	238	7.1%
18 and over	3,092	92.9%
65 and over	841	25.3%
Median age	49.9 years

Race & ethnicity

White 89.7%

Hispanic or Latino 2.9%

Other race 2.4%

Two or more races 1.8%

Black or African American 1.5%

Asian 1%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%

Group	Count	%
White	3,078	89.7%
Hispanic or Latino	100	2.9%
Other race	83	2.4%
Two or more races	62	1.8%
Black or African American	50	1.5%
Asian	34	1%
American Indian / Alaska Native	23	0.7%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	35.4%	52.9%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	26.8%	25.6%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	28.9%	15.8%	19.1%
Over $200k	8.9%	5.7%	6.0%

Under $10k 6.1%

$10k–$15k 4.5%

$15k–$25k 7.2%

$25k–$35k 5.5%

$35k–$50k 12.6%

$50k–$75k 16.4%

$75k–$100k 9.6%

$100k–$150k 11.6%

$150k–$200k 12.5%

$200k+ 14.2%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	6.1%
$10k–$15k	4.5%
$15k–$25k	7.2%
$25k–$35k	5.5%
$35k–$50k	12.6%
$50k–$75k	16.4%
$75k–$100k	9.6%
$100k–$150k	11.6%
$150k–$200k	12.5%
$200k+	14.2%
Median income	$68,939

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 1.5%

$50k–$100k 4.8%

$100k–$150k 0.8%

$150k–$200k 9.9%

$200k–$300k 17.6%

$300k–$500k 28.7%

$500k–$1M 31.3%

$1M+ 5.5%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$387,600
Median rent / month	$1,104
Owner occupied	68.4%
Renter occupied	31.6%
Vacant	61.4%
Single-family detached	70.9%
Large apartment buildings	0.2%
Mobile homes	3.8%
Median rooms	5.9
Avg household size (owned)	2.00

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	3.8%
2000–2009	14.6%
1990–1999	26.9%
1980–1989	17.6%
1970–1979	13.0%
1960–1969	10.0%
1950–1959	4.6%
1940–1949	3.5%
1939 or earlier	6.1%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	1.3%
1 bedroom	7.2%
2 bedrooms	22.2%
3 bedrooms	49.0%
4 bedrooms	15.3%
5+ bedrooms	5.0%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	0.5%
1 vehicle	33.2%
2 vehicles	49.1%
3 or more	17.2%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	1.2%
Electricity	48.3%
Propane / LP gas	31.7%
Fuel oil	11.6%
Wood	5.7%
No fuel used	1.5%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	814	49.0%
Cohabiting couple	55	3.3%
Male householder, no spouse	404	24.3%
Female householder, no spouse	389	23.4%
Households with children under 18	232	14.0%
Households with seniors (65+)	548	33.0%
Average household size	1.98

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	35.0%	28.0%
Married	53.6%	54.8%
Separated	1.5%	0.0%
Widowed	1.3%	5.5%
Divorced	8.6%	11.7%

Education

Less than 9th grade 3.1%

Some HS, no diploma 2.2%

HS graduate 9.0%

Some college, no degree 18.7%

Associate's degree 13.0%

Bachelor's degree 27.8%

Graduate / professional 26.3%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	94.7%
Bachelor's or higher	54.1%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	28	3.9%
Kindergarten	9	1.3%
Elementary school	94	13.2%
High school	110	15.4%
College / grad school	472	66.2%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 32.3%

Retail trade 15.2%

Arts, food & hospitality 14.5%

Professional & management 11.7%

Finance & real estate 5.9%

Manufacturing 5.6%

Construction 5.0%

Transportation & utilities 3.1%

Other services 2.0%

Public administration 1.7%

Information 1.6%

Wholesale trade 1.4%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	49.1%
Service	12.2%
Sales & office	23.7%
Natural resources & construction	6.0%
Production & transportation	9.1%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	75.8%
Government	17.7%
Self-employed	6.5%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	85.8%
Carpool	4.8%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	1.1%
Work from home	7.4%
Other means	0.9%
Avg commute (minutes)	18.2

Poverty

All people 13.7%

Under 18 years 4.6%

18 and over 14.4%

Married-couple families 0.0%

Female-led households 4.9%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	34.5%
Retirement income	26.8%
Supplemental Security	2.6%
Cash public assistance	0.5%
Food stamps / SNAP	6.0%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	27.7%
High blood pressure	34.6%
High cholesterol	39.6%
Diabetes	9.8%
Heart disease	7.2%
Stroke	3.1%
Asthma	8.4%
Arthritis	27.7%
Kidney disease	3.1%
Pulmonary disease	6.6%
Cancer	8.4%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	13.6%
Binge drinking	14.8%
No physical activity	18.0%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	26.4%
Depression	21.8%
Fair or poor health	11.2%
Poor mental health	12.3%
Poor physical health	9.5%
No health insurance	12.5%
Visited doctor (checkup)	78.1%
Visited dentist	72.0%
Cholesterol screening	91.9%
Teeth loss	9.9%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	237	7.7%

Disability	%
Any disability	7.5%
Under 18	2.9%
18–64 years	5.5%
65 and over	14.4%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	84.8%
Public insurance	29.4%
No insurance	4.4%
Uninsured under 19	0.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	3,275	98.3%
Spanish	74	2.3%
Other Indo-European	51	1.6%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	23	0.7%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	3,140	94.3%
Born in same state	3,137	94.2%
Born in different state	1,888	56.7%
Foreign born	3	0.1%
Naturalized citizen	190	5.7%
Not a US citizen	90	47.4%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	791	23.8%
Italian	242	7.3%
Arab	177	5.3%
English	56	1.7%

Ancestry	Count	%
Norwegian	49	1.5%
Polish	17	0.5%
Dutch	8	0.2%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	49.9%
Internet access	94.8%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 28605

What city is ZIP code 28605 in?

ZIP code 28605 is primarily assigned to Blowing Rock, North Carolina.

What county is ZIP code 28605 in?

ZIP code 28605 falls within Watauga County, North Carolina.

Does ZIP code 28605 have an older population?

25% of residents in ZIP code 28605 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 28605?

54% 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 28605?

The median home value in ZIP code 28605 is $387,600.

What is the population of ZIP code 28605?

ZIP code 28605 has an estimated population of 3,330 residents, with a density of 102 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 28605 in?

ZIP code 28605 observes the EST timezone.