28719 ZIP Code — Cherokee, NC

Swain County, North Carolina

ZIP code 28719 is located in Cherokee, North Carolina, within Swain County. It covers approximately 399.49 square miles and serves a population of 6,854 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 828.

About ZIP code 28719

The housing stock consists of a higher-than-average concentration of mobile homes. Most homes were built in the 1970s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $129,500. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 71%.

Median household income is $47,929. Poverty affects 22% of residents, above the national average. 44% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is service, with arts, entertainment, and food service as the leading industry. The average commute of 14 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 14% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (30%) compared to national benchmarks. 40% of residents lack health insurance, above the national average.

Overall, ZIP code 28719 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, economic challenges above the national average, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

6,854

population

399.49

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

28719 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 28719

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 28719. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Cherokee	Acceptable
Cherokee	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

28751 Maggie Valley (9.3 mi) 28785 Waynesville (11.7 mi) 28789 Whittier (12.2 mi) 37738 Gatlinburg (13.5 mi) 37722 Cosby (14.2 mi) 28721 Clyde (14.7 mi) 28745 Lake Junaluska (15.5 mi) 37753 Hartford (17.2 mi) 28786 Waynesville (17.8 mi) 28779 Sylva (18.2 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	6,854
Population density	17 / sq mi
State FIPS	37
County FIPS	173

Geography
Land area	399.49 sq mi
Water area	6.41 sq mi
Latitude	35.6069
Longitude	-83.2301
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	57.1%	54.4%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	30.8%	30.1%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	10.6%	14.4%	19.1%
Over $200k	1.5%	1.2%	6.0%

Demographics & statistics

6,854

Population

People per sq mi

37.7

Median age

$47,929

Median household income

$23,264

Per capita income

$129,500

Median home value

$584

Median monthly rent

70.9%

Home ownership

22.1%

Poverty rate

10.0%

Unemployment

2,416

Housing units

13.8%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

188

Under 5

178

225

5–9

212

240

10–14

226

300

15–19

282

314

20–24

296

411

25–34

387

355

35–44

334

455

45–54

429

231

55–59

218

198

60–64

186

320

65–74

301

220

75–84

208

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	1,634	23.8%
18 and over	5,220	76.2%
65 and over	1,189	17.3%
Median age	37.7 years

Race & ethnicity

American Indian / Alaska Native 76.5%

White 11%

Two or more races 6%

Hispanic or Latino 3.4%

Asian 1.7%

Black or African American 1.1%

Other race 0.3%

Group	Count	%
American Indian / Alaska Native	5,430	76.5%
White	779	11%
Two or more races	426	6%
Hispanic or Latino	244	3.4%
Asian	120	1.7%
Black or African American	79	1.1%
Other race	20	0.3%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	57.1%	54.4%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	30.8%	30.1%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	10.6%	14.4%	19.1%
Over $200k	1.5%	1.2%	6.0%

Under $10k 4.4%

$10k–$15k 12.8%

$15k–$25k 13.2%

$25k–$35k 6.0%

$35k–$50k 18.6%

$50k–$75k 21.6%

$75k–$100k 9.0%

$100k–$150k 8.9%

$150k–$200k 4.1%

$200k+ 1.5%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	4.4%
$10k–$15k	12.8%
$15k–$25k	13.2%
$25k–$35k	6.0%
$35k–$50k	18.6%
$50k–$75k	21.6%
$75k–$100k	9.0%
$100k–$150k	8.9%
$150k–$200k	4.1%
$200k+	1.5%
Median income	$47,929

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 11.0%

$50k–$100k 22.8%

$100k–$150k 22.4%

$150k–$200k 12.3%

$200k–$300k 15.0%

$300k–$500k 12.4%

$500k–$1M 4.1%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$129,500
Median rent / month	$584
Owner occupied	70.9%
Renter occupied	29.1%
Vacant	11.7%
Single-family detached	69.2%
Large apartment buildings	0.5%
Mobile homes	24.2%
Median rooms	5.2
Avg household size (owned)	2.31

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.2%
2010–2019	7.1%
2000–2009	17.7%
1990–1999	20.3%
1980–1989	19.3%
1970–1979	23.4%
1960–1969	7.0%
1950–1959	1.4%
1940–1949	2.7%
1939 or earlier	0.9%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	1.4%
1 bedroom	4.2%
2 bedrooms	24.5%
3 bedrooms	53.1%
4 bedrooms	12.7%
5+ bedrooms	4.1%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	14.2%
1 vehicle	30.7%
2 vehicles	32.2%
3 or more	22.9%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	1.5%
Electricity	50.6%
Propane / LP gas	32.5%
Fuel oil	5.4%
Wood	9.0%
No fuel used	1.0%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	906	31.6%
Cohabiting couple	155	5.4%
Male householder, no spouse	748	26.1%
Female householder, no spouse	1,060	36.9%
Households with children under 18	1,089	38.0%
Households with seniors (65+)	1,015	35.4%
Average household size	2.33

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	37.1%	34.2%
Married	37.3%	32.6%
Separated	1.2%	2.6%
Widowed	5.7%	11.2%
Divorced	18.6%	19.4%

Education

Less than 9th grade 4.7%

Some HS, no diploma 11.7%

HS graduate 38.3%

Some college, no degree 23.4%

Associate's degree 8.1%

Bachelor's degree 9.8%

Graduate / professional 4.0%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	83.6%
Bachelor's or higher	13.8%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	147	9.6%
Kindergarten	81	5.3%
Elementary school	731	47.8%
High school	434	28.4%
College / grad school	137	9.0%

Employment

Industry of employment

Arts, food & hospitality 27.0%

Education & healthcare 20.7%

Public administration 13.9%

Retail trade 8.2%

Professional & management 8.1%

Agriculture & mining 7.9%

Other services 4.5%

Construction 3.3%

Manufacturing 2.2%

Transportation & utilities 1.8%

Finance & real estate 1.6%

Information 0.6%

Wholesale trade 0.3%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	24.1%
Service	31.4%
Sales & office	24.4%
Natural resources & construction	9.9%
Production & transportation	10.2%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	58.1%
Government	35.2%
Self-employed	6.7%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	82.0%
Carpool	4.6%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	2.9%
Work from home	8.6%
Other means	1.9%
Avg commute (minutes)	13.9

Poverty

All people 22.1%

Under 18 years 30.5%

18 and over 19.5%

Married-couple families 12.4%

Female-led households 22.3%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	43.8%
Retirement income	19.9%
Supplemental Security	7.7%
Cash public assistance	1.3%
Food stamps / SNAP	7.2%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	40.1%
High blood pressure	35.2%
High cholesterol	31.5%
Diabetes	14.7%
Heart disease	7.7%
Stroke	4.5%
Asthma	11.8%
Arthritis	25.5%
Kidney disease	3.6%
Pulmonary disease	8.9%
Cancer	5.5%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	30.0%
Binge drinking	16.5%
No physical activity	27.2%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	36.9%
Depression	26.0%
Fair or poor health	20.9%
Poor mental health	19.3%
Poor physical health	14.6%
No health insurance	20.4%
Visited doctor (checkup)	77.5%
Visited dentist	54.6%
Cholesterol screening	86.8%
Teeth loss	23.8%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	388	7.4%

Disability	%
Any disability	18.2%
Under 18	8.1%
18–64 years	13.4%
65 and over	49.6%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	27.8%
Public insurance	38.6%
No insurance	40.1%
Uninsured under 19	41.4%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	6,488	94.7%
Spanish	115	1.8%
Other Indo-European	83	1.3%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	7	0.1%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	6,664	97.2%
Born in same state	6,592	96.2%
Born in different state	5,585	81.5%
Foreign born	72	1.1%
Naturalized citizen	190	2.8%
Not a US citizen	91	47.9%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	308	4.5%
Italian	96	1.4%

Ancestry	Count	%
French	81	1.2%
English	6	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	41.9%
Internet access	86.7%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 28719

What city is ZIP code 28719 in?

ZIP code 28719 is primarily assigned to Cherokee, North Carolina.

What county is ZIP code 28719 in?

ZIP code 28719 falls within Swain County, North Carolina.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 28719?

22% of residents in ZIP code 28719 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 28719?

14% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — below the national average of ~33%, consistent with a trades-oriented local economy.

Does ZIP code 28719 have a large retiree population?

44% of households in ZIP code 28719 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 28719?

The median home value in ZIP code 28719 is $129,500.

What timezone is ZIP code 28719 in?

ZIP code 28719 observes the EST timezone.