28723 ZIP Code — Cullowhee, NC
Jackson County, North Carolina
ZIP code 28723 is located in Cullowhee, North Carolina, within Jackson County. It covers approximately 111.95 square miles and serves a population of 10,880 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 828.
About ZIP code 28723
The housing stock consists of a mix of housing types. Most homes were built in the 2000s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $304,000. Renters make up the majority at 60%, typical of denser urban areas.
Median household income is $43,649. Poverty affects 32% of residents, above the national average.
The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 20 minutes is near the national average.
Educational attainment is near the national average, with 36% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.
10,880
population
111.95
sq mi land
Standard
ZIP type
Eastern (ET)
timezone
28723 ZIP code map
Cities in ZIP code 28723
Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 28723. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.
| City | Status |
|---|---|
| Cullowhee | Acceptable |
| Cullowhee | Preferred |
Nearby ZIP codes
28783 Tuckasegee (4.4 mi)
28736 Glenville (5.4 mi)
28779 Sylva (8 mi)
28708 Balsam Grove (12 mi)
28717 Cashiers (12 mi)
28774 Sapphire (12.3 mi)
28747 Lake Toxaway (13 mi)
28741 Highlands (13.4 mi)
28786 Waynesville (15.4 mi)
28789 Whittier (15.5 mi)
28772 Rosman (16.9 mi)
28751 Maggie Valley (18.1 mi)
Demographics
updated 05/2026
| Population | |
|---|---|
| Total population | 10,880 |
| Population density | 97 / sq mi |
| State FIPS | 37 |
| County FIPS | 099 |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Land area | 111.95 sq mi |
| Water area | 2.18 sq mi |
| Latitude | 35.2521 |
| Longitude | -83.1037 |
| 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 | 64.5% | 53.4% | 44.4% |
| $50k – $100k | 29.3% | 31.8% | 30.6% |
| $100k – $200k | 5.9% | 11.7% | 19.1% |
| Over $200k | 0.3% | 3.1% | 6.0% |
Demographics & statistics
10,880
Population
97
People per sq mi
22.0
Median age
$43,649
Median household income
$20,868
Per capita income
$304,000
Median home value
$835
Median monthly rent
39.6%
Home ownership
31.6%
Poverty rate
8.4%
Unemployment
3,066
Housing units
35.8%
Bachelor's or higher
Age distribution
Male
Female
92
Under 5
87
75
5–9
72
139
10–14
132
1,296
15–19
1,230
1,856
20–24
1,763
580
25–34
551
233
35–44
222
231
45–54
220
176
55–59
167
259
60–64
246
353
65–74
335
220
75–84
209
70
85+
66
← Male
Female →
Age summary
| Group | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 802 | 7.4% |
| 18 and over | 10,078 | 92.6% |
| 65 and over | 1,253 | 11.5% |
| Median age | 22.0 years | |
Race & ethnicity
White
78.8%
Black or African American
5.9%
Hispanic or Latino
5.6%
Two or more races
5%
Other race
2.3%
Asian
1.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native
1%
| Group | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| White | 9,085 | 78.8% |
| Black or African American | 679 | 5.9% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 647 | 5.6% |
| Two or more races | 580 | 5% |
| Other race | 269 | 2.3% |
| Asian | 150 | 1.3% |
| American Indian / Alaska Native | 114 | 1% |
Household income
| Income range | This ZIP | County avg | State avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under $50k | 64.5% | 53.4% | 44.4% |
| $50k – $100k | 29.3% | 31.8% | 30.6% |
| $100k – $200k | 5.9% | 11.7% | 19.1% |
| Over $200k | 0.3% | 3.1% | 6.0% |
Under $10k
11.1%
$10k–$15k
10.1%
$15k–$25k
7.5%
$25k–$35k
8.4%
$35k–$50k
19.7%
$50k–$75k
18.5%
$75k–$100k
9.7%
$100k–$150k
9.8%
$150k–$200k
3.6%
$200k+
1.6%
| Range | % of households |
|---|---|
| Under $10k | 11.1% |
| $10k–$15k | 10.1% |
| $15k–$25k | 7.5% |
| $25k–$35k | 8.4% |
| $35k–$50k | 19.7% |
| $50k–$75k | 18.5% |
| $75k–$100k | 9.7% |
| $100k–$150k | 9.8% |
| $150k–$200k | 3.6% |
| $200k+ | 1.6% |
| Median income | $43,649 |
Housing
Home values
Under $50k
3.4%
$50k–$100k
3.6%
$100k–$150k
9.0%
$150k–$200k
10.5%
$200k–$300k
22.5%
$300k–$500k
34.3%
$500k–$1M
7.2%
$1M+
9.5%
Housing overview
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Median home value | $304,000 |
| Median rent / month | $835 |
| Owner occupied | 39.6% |
| Renter occupied | 60.4% |
| Vacant | 31.1% |
| Single-family detached | 55.7% |
| Large apartment buildings | 15.9% |
| Mobile homes | 10.3% |
| Median rooms | 4.6 |
| Avg household size (owned) | 2.19 |
Year built
| Era | % |
|---|---|
| 2020 or later | 1.4% |
| 2010–2019 | 11.0% |
| 2000–2009 | 29.4% |
| 1990–1999 | 12.6% |
| 1980–1989 | 11.3% |
| 1970–1979 | 13.7% |
| 1960–1969 | 7.9% |
| 1950–1959 | 4.6% |
| 1940–1949 | 3.8% |
| 1939 or earlier | 4.2% |
Bedrooms
| Size | % of units |
|---|---|
| No bedroom (studio) | 7.1% |
| 1 bedroom | 12.8% |
| 2 bedrooms | 30.1% |
| 3 bedrooms | 33.0% |
| 4 bedrooms | 15.4% |
| 5+ bedrooms | 1.7% |
Vehicles per household
| Vehicles | % of households |
|---|---|
| No vehicle | 2.2% |
| 1 vehicle | 39.1% |
| 2 vehicles | 38.5% |
| 3 or more | 20.2% |
Heating fuel
| Fuel type | % |
|---|---|
| Utility gas | 2.7% |
| Electricity | 72.8% |
| Propane / LP gas | 13.8% |
| Fuel oil | 2.5% |
| Wood | 8.1% |
Households & families
| Household type | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Married-couple family | 998 | 27.6% |
| Cohabiting couple | 267 | 7.4% |
| Male householder, no spouse | 1,327 | 36.7% |
| Female householder, no spouse | 1,028 | 28.4% |
| Households with children under 18 | 387 | 10.7% |
| Households with seniors (65+) | 906 | 25.0% |
| Average household size | 2.10 | |
Marital status
| Status | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Never married | 67.3% | 69.6% |
| Married | 20.6% | 21.3% |
| Separated | 1.9% | 0.1% |
| Widowed | 1.8% | 4.4% |
| Divorced | 8.5% | 4.6% |
Education
Less than 9th grade
2.8%
Some HS, no diploma
4.7%
HS graduate
26.8%
Some college, no degree
21.0%
Associate's degree
8.9%
Bachelor's degree
18.4%
Graduate / professional
17.4%
| Metric | % |
|---|---|
| HS diploma or higher | 92.5% |
| Bachelor's or higher | 35.8% |
School enrollment (ages 3–17)
| Type | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Nursery / preschool | 47 | 0.7% |
| Kindergarten | 19 | 0.3% |
| Elementary school | 360 | 5.6% |
| High school | 200 | 3.1% |
| College / grad school | 5,844 | 90.3% |
Employment
Industry of employment
Education & healthcare
26.5%
Arts, food & hospitality
22.2%
Retail trade
21.4%
Professional & management
6.2%
Manufacturing
5.1%
Construction
4.5%
Other services
4.0%
Finance & real estate
3.5%
Public administration
2.7%
Transportation & utilities
2.0%
Agriculture & mining
1.6%
Wholesale trade
0.2%
Information
0.1%
Occupation
| Category | % |
|---|---|
| Management, business & arts | 31.0% |
| Service | 30.3% |
| Sales & office | 23.3% |
| Natural resources & construction | 7.0% |
| Production & transportation | 8.3% |
Employment type
| Type | % |
|---|---|
| Private sector | 79.4% |
| Government | 17.0% |
| Self-employed | 3.6% |
| Unpaid family workers | 0.0% |
Commute
| Method | % |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 77.6% |
| Carpool | 9.9% |
| Public transit | 0.0% |
| Walk | 8.9% |
| Work from home | 3.0% |
| Other means | 0.6% |
| Avg commute (minutes) | 20.3 |
Poverty
All people
31.6%
Under 18 years
20.5%
18 and over
32.9%
Married-couple families
2.1%
Female-led households
30.0%
Income support
| Source | % of households |
|---|---|
| Social Security | 29.4% |
| Retirement income | 24.0% |
| Supplemental Security | 2.3% |
| Cash public assistance | 1.7% |
| Food stamps / SNAP | 4.7% |
Health indicators
| Condition | % |
|---|---|
| Obesity | 29.7% |
| High blood pressure | 22.4% |
| High cholesterol | 24.6% |
| Diabetes | 6.3% |
| Heart disease | 4.2% |
| Stroke | 2.0% |
| Asthma | 10.2% |
| Arthritis | 15.1% |
| Kidney disease | 2.1% |
| Pulmonary disease | 5.1% |
| Cancer | 3.7% |
| Behavior / access | % |
|---|---|
| Smoking | 15.1% |
| Binge drinking | 20.1% |
| No physical activity | 18.0% |
| Less than 7 hrs sleep | 29.6% |
| Depression | 26.3% |
| Fair or poor health | 10.8% |
| Poor mental health | 18.4% |
| Poor physical health | 8.4% |
| No health insurance | 16.6% |
| Visited doctor (checkup) | 74.5% |
| Visited dentist | 63.6% |
| Cholesterol screening | 79.6% |
| Teeth loss | 14.3% |
Veterans & disability
| Veterans | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Civilian veterans | 410 | 4.1% |
| Disability | % |
|---|---|
| Any disability | 9.4% |
| Under 18 | 1.6% |
| 18–64 years | 7.6% |
| 65 and over | 26.6% |
Health insurance coverage
| Type | % |
|---|---|
| Private insurance | 77.5% |
| Public insurance | 22.8% |
| No insurance | 9.7% |
| Uninsured under 19 | 8.5% |
Language & origin
Language spoken at home (age 5+)
| Language | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| English only | 10,701 | 98.4% |
| Spanish | 477 | 4.5% |
| Other Indo-European | 417 | 3.9% |
| Asian & Pacific Islander | 18 | 0.2% |
| Other languages | 17 | 0.2% |
Place of birth & citizenship
| Origin | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Native born (US) | 10,346 | 95.1% |
| Born in same state | 10,164 | 93.4% |
| Born in different state | 6,195 | 56.9% |
| Foreign born | 182 | 1.7% |
| Naturalized citizen | 534 | 4.9% |
| Not a US citizen | 140 | 26.2% |
Ancestry
| Ancestry | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Arab | 2,503 | 23% |
| French | 1,207 | 11.1% |
| Italian | 1,009 | 9.3% |
| Polish | 77 | 0.7% |
| Ancestry | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| English | 41 | 0.4% |
| Norwegian | 40 | 0.4% |
| German | 22 | 0.2% |
Technology access
| Metric | % of households |
|---|---|
| Computer access | 33.3% |
| Internet access | 94.5% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.
Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 28723
What city is ZIP code 28723 in?
ZIP code 28723 is primarily assigned to Cullowhee, North Carolina.
What county is ZIP code 28723 in?
ZIP code 28723 falls within Jackson County, North Carolina.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 28723?
32% of residents in ZIP code 28723 live below the poverty line, above the national average.
Is ZIP code 28723 mostly rentals?
60% of occupied units in ZIP code 28723 are renter-occupied.
What is the median household income in ZIP code 28723?
The median household income in ZIP code 28723 is $43,649, below the national median of ~$75,000.
What is the population of ZIP code 28723?
ZIP code 28723 has an estimated population of 10,880 residents, with a density of 97 people per square mile.
What timezone is ZIP code 28723 in?
ZIP code 28723 observes the EST timezone.