28615 ZIP Code — Creston, NC

Ashe County, North Carolina

ZIP code 28615 is located in Creston, North Carolina, within Ashe County. It covers approximately 70.37 square miles and serves a population of 1,717 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 336.

About ZIP code 28615

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the pre-1940, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $168,400. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 73%.

Median household income is $50,383. Poverty affects 19% of residents, above the national average. 50% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is production, transportation, and material moving, with manufacturing as the leading industry. The average commute of 32 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 17% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (23%) compared to national benchmarks.

Notable community characteristics include a notable veteran presence at 11% of civilians, above the national average of 7%; and disability rates above the national average at 28%.

Overall, ZIP code 28615 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, economic challenges above the national average, a strong veteran community, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

1,717

population

70.37

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

28615 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 28615

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 28615. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Creston	Acceptable
Creston	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

28693 Warrensville (5 mi) 28643 Lansing (6.3 mi) 37691 Trade (8.9 mi) 28684 Todd (9.6 mi) 28698 Zionville (10.2 mi) 24292 Whitetop (10.6 mi) 37683 Mountain City (10.8 mi) 28694 West Jefferson (12.2 mi) 28631 Grassy Creek (13.4 mi) 37688 Shady Valley (13.5 mi) 24236 Damascus (13.6 mi) 28640 Jefferson (14 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	1,717
Population density	24 / sq mi
State FIPS	37
County FIPS	009

Geography
Land area	70.37 sq mi
Water area	0.23 sq mi
Latitude	36.4712
Longitude	-81.6448
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	336

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	65.4%	58.6%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	30.6%	27.7%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	4.0%	12.8%	19.1%
Over $200k	0.0%	0.9%	6.0%

Demographics & statistics

1,717

Population

People per sq mi

51.3

Median age

$50,383

Median household income

$27,762

Per capita income

$168,400

Median home value

$670

Median monthly rent

73.3%

Home ownership

19.3%

Poverty rate

4.0%

Unemployment

1,020

Housing units

17.4%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

15–19

20–24

128

25–34

122

35–44

45–54

55–59

60–64

206

65–74

196

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	254	14.8%
18 and over	1,463	85.2%
65 and over	540	31.5%
Median age	51.3 years

Race & ethnicity

White 90.6%

Two or more races 4.9%

Hispanic or Latino 3.8%

Other race 0.7%

Group	Count	%
White	1,617	90.6%
Two or more races	87	4.9%
Hispanic or Latino	67	3.8%
Other race	13	0.7%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	65.4%	58.6%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	30.6%	27.7%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	4.0%	12.8%	19.1%
Over $200k	0.0%	0.9%	6.0%

Under $10k 2.6%

$10k–$15k 8.8%

$15k–$25k 16.2%

$25k–$35k 6.4%

$35k–$50k 14.7%

$50k–$75k 32.7%

$75k–$100k 7.1%

$100k–$150k 3.3%

$150k–$200k 6.9%

$200k+ 1.5%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	2.6%
$10k–$15k	8.8%
$15k–$25k	16.2%
$25k–$35k	6.4%
$35k–$50k	14.7%
$50k–$75k	32.7%
$75k–$100k	7.1%
$100k–$150k	3.3%
$150k–$200k	6.9%
$200k+	1.5%
Median income	$50,383

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 11.9%

$50k–$100k 23.7%

$100k–$150k 8.7%

$150k–$200k 10.5%

$200k–$300k 29.0%

$300k–$500k 5.2%

$500k–$1M 6.7%

$1M+ 4.3%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$168,400
Median rent / month	$670
Owner occupied	73.3%
Renter occupied	26.7%
Vacant	34.0%
Single-family detached	74.9%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	23.2%
Median rooms	5.3
Avg household size (owned)	2.17

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	4.6%
2000–2009	9.5%
1990–1999	9.0%
1980–1989	12.1%
1970–1979	17.8%
1960–1969	7.6%
1950–1959	3.8%
1940–1949	11.0%
1939 or earlier	24.6%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.0%
1 bedroom	5.8%
2 bedrooms	33.0%
3 bedrooms	49.0%
4 bedrooms	11.5%
5+ bedrooms	0.6%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	9.1%
1 vehicle	33.0%
2 vehicles	28.3%
3 or more	29.6%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	3.3%
Electricity	34.6%
Propane / LP gas	13.7%
Fuel oil	31.3%
Wood	17.0%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	348	42.6%
Cohabiting couple	50	6.1%
Male householder, no spouse	147	18.0%
Female householder, no spouse	272	33.3%
Households with children under 18	155	19.0%
Households with seniors (65+)	387	47.4%
Average household size	2.10

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	28.7%	17.1%
Married	55.5%	44.2%
Separated	1.5%	6.3%
Widowed	5.4%	25.5%
Divorced	8.9%	7.0%

Education

Less than 9th grade 4.6%

Some HS, no diploma 10.7%

HS graduate 34.4%

Some college, no degree 21.3%

Associate's degree 11.5%

Bachelor's degree 9.2%

Graduate / professional 8.2%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	84.6%
Bachelor's or higher	17.4%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	16	7.7%
Kindergarten	16	7.7%
Elementary school	144	68.9%
High school	17	8.1%
College / grad school	16	7.7%

Employment

Industry of employment

Manufacturing 22.5%

Education & healthcare 18.3%

Finance & real estate 12.8%

Construction 11.3%

Retail trade 9.5%

Arts, food & hospitality 8.8%

Professional & management 5.5%

Other services 3.7%

Transportation & utilities 3.3%

Agriculture & mining 2.4%

Information 2.0%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	18.5%
Service	19.2%
Sales & office	24.7%
Natural resources & construction	7.6%
Production & transportation	29.9%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	77.3%
Government	10.3%
Self-employed	12.4%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	73.0%
Carpool	14.6%
Public transit	1.0%
Walk	4.8%
Work from home	6.6%
Other means	0.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	32.3

Poverty

All people 19.3%

Under 18 years 29.1%

18 and over 17.6%

Married-couple families 10.9%

Female-led households 28.7%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	50.1%
Retirement income	35.1%
Supplemental Security	3.4%
Cash public assistance	0.9%
Food stamps / SNAP	15.7%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	36.5%
High blood pressure	42.2%
High cholesterol	40.2%
Diabetes	14.1%
Heart disease	10.1%
Stroke	4.8%
Asthma	9.6%
Arthritis	34.4%
Kidney disease	4.2%
Pulmonary disease	11.3%
Cancer	8.5%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	23.4%
Binge drinking	13.6%
No physical activity	27.3%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	30.7%
Depression	24.1%
Fair or poor health	19.5%
Poor mental health	14.8%
Poor physical health	14.6%
No health insurance	18.8%
Visited doctor (checkup)	79.1%
Visited dentist	59.7%
Cholesterol screening	90.6%
Teeth loss	19.2%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	163	11.1%

Disability	%
Any disability	27.5%
Under 18	18.1%
18–64 years	19.9%
65 and over	45.0%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	59.2%
Public insurance	48.2%
No insurance	12.8%
Uninsured under 19	1.1%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	1,677	97.7%
Spanish	28	1.7%
Other Indo-European	28	1.7%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	1,672	97.4%
Born in same state	1,672	97.4%
Born in different state	1,173	68.3%
Foreign born	0	0.0%
Naturalized citizen	45	2.6%
Not a US citizen	0	0.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	750	43.7%
French	118	6.9%
Italian	115	6.7%

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	15	0.9%
English	12	0.7%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	47.6%
Internet access	80.5%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 28615

What city is ZIP code 28615 in?

ZIP code 28615 is primarily assigned to Creston, North Carolina.

What county is ZIP code 28615 in?

ZIP code 28615 falls within Ashe County, North Carolina.

Does ZIP code 28615 have an older population?

32% of residents in ZIP code 28615 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

Does ZIP code 28615 have a large retiree population?

50% of households in ZIP code 28615 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 28615?

19% of residents in ZIP code 28615 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

Does ZIP code 28615 have a large veteran population?

11% of civilians in ZIP code 28615 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

What timezone is ZIP code 28615 in?

ZIP code 28615 observes the EST timezone.