28040 ZIP Code — Ellenboro, NC

Rutherford County, North Carolina

ZIP code 28040 is located in Ellenboro, North Carolina, within Rutherford County. It covers approximately 67.76 square miles and serves a population of 7,061 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 828/704/980.

About ZIP code 28040

The housing stock consists of a higher-than-average concentration of mobile homes. Most homes were built in the 1990s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $116,700. Owner-occupancy is high at 86%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $55,634. 40% 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 23 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 16% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (25%) compared to national benchmarks.

Overall, ZIP code 28040 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

7,061

population

67.76

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

28040 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 28040

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 28040. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Ellenboro	Acceptable
Ellenboro	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

28018 Bostic (5.6 mi) 28043 Forest City (8.6 mi) 28114 Mooresboro (9.4 mi) 28160 Spindale (9.8 mi) 28150 Shelby (10.8 mi) 28020 Casar (11.7 mi) 28090 Lawndale (11.9 mi) 28152 Shelby (14 mi) 28167 Union Mills (14.2 mi) 28139 Rutherfordton (16.3 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	7,061
Population density	104 / sq mi
State FIPS	37
County FIPS	161

Geography
Land area	67.76 sq mi
Water area	0.01 sq mi
Latitude	35.3919
Longitude	-81.7560
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	828/704/980

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	56.7%	58.1%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	31.7%	28.4%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	10.0%	10.0%	19.1%
Over $200k	1.5%	3.5%	6.0%

Demographics & statistics

7,061

Population

104

People per sq mi

46.7

Median age

$55,634

Median household income

$28,591

Per capita income

$116,700

Median home value

$671

Median monthly rent

85.7%

Home ownership

11.9%

Poverty rate

9.1%

Unemployment

2,939

Housing units

16.2%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

154

Under 5

167

5–9

150

10–14

164

302

15–19

329

253

20–24

276

362

25–34

394

247

35–44

268

753

45–54

820

248

55–59

269

245

60–64

267

363

65–74

395

181

75–84

197

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	1,262	17.9%
18 and over	5,799	82.1%
65 and over	1,211	17.2%
Median age	46.7 years

Race & ethnicity

White 84.5%

Black or African American 4.6%

Hispanic or Latino 4.3%

Two or more races 3.6%

Other race 2.5%

Asian 0.3%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%

Group	Count	%
White	6,235	84.5%
Black or African American	340	4.6%
Hispanic or Latino	320	4.3%
Two or more races	266	3.6%
Other race	183	2.5%
Asian	19	0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native	18	0.2%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	56.7%	58.1%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	31.7%	28.4%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	10.0%	10.0%	19.1%
Over $200k	1.5%	3.5%	6.0%

Under $10k 6.0%

$10k–$15k 3.3%

$15k–$25k 11.8%

$25k–$35k 10.1%

$35k–$50k 15.6%

$50k–$75k 20.2%

$75k–$100k 13.1%

$100k–$150k 12.2%

$150k–$200k 4.2%

$200k+ 3.5%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	6.0%
$10k–$15k	3.3%
$15k–$25k	11.8%
$25k–$35k	10.1%
$35k–$50k	15.6%
$50k–$75k	20.2%
$75k–$100k	13.1%
$100k–$150k	12.2%
$150k–$200k	4.2%
$200k+	3.5%
Median income	$55,634

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 12.4%

$50k–$100k 30.3%

$100k–$150k 16.6%

$150k–$200k 19.0%

$200k–$300k 15.7%

$300k–$500k 3.8%

$500k–$1M 2.2%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$116,700
Median rent / month	$671
Owner occupied	85.7%
Renter occupied	14.3%
Vacant	15.2%
Single-family detached	65.7%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	32.2%
Median rooms	5.7
Avg household size (owned)	2.51

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	4.9%
2000–2009	13.9%
1990–1999	23.5%
1980–1989	10.8%
1970–1979	14.5%
1960–1969	10.7%
1950–1959	8.9%
1940–1949	7.3%
1939 or earlier	5.4%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.0%
1 bedroom	2.3%
2 bedrooms	27.1%
3 bedrooms	55.4%
4 bedrooms	10.4%
5+ bedrooms	4.9%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	8.7%
1 vehicle	23.8%
2 vehicles	34.2%
3 or more	33.3%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	2.3%
Electricity	81.1%
Propane / LP gas	9.4%
Fuel oil	3.7%
Wood	2.4%
No fuel used	0.8%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	1,446	51.0%
Cohabiting couple	144	5.1%
Male householder, no spouse	397	14.0%
Female householder, no spouse	849	29.9%
Households with children under 18	810	28.6%
Households with seniors (65+)	1,014	35.8%
Average household size	2.49

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	31.7%	27.7%
Married	50.8%	48.4%
Separated	4.5%	2.3%
Widowed	3.2%	8.0%
Divorced	9.9%	13.7%

Education

Less than 9th grade 1.8%

Some HS, no diploma 12.3%

HS graduate 35.7%

Some college, no degree 22.3%

Associate's degree 11.8%

Bachelor's degree 9.1%

Graduate / professional 7.1%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	85.9%
Bachelor's or higher	16.2%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	0	0.0%
Kindergarten	18	1.3%
Elementary school	404	29.0%
High school	532	38.2%
College / grad school	438	31.5%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 26.7%

Manufacturing 17.4%

Arts, food & hospitality 11.4%

Retail trade 9.9%

Construction 8.3%

Other services 7.5%

Transportation & utilities 5.7%

Professional & management 4.8%

Finance & real estate 3.0%

Public administration 2.3%

Wholesale trade 2.2%

Information 0.6%

Agriculture & mining 0.1%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	26.7%
Service	20.6%
Sales & office	19.5%
Natural resources & construction	16.0%
Production & transportation	17.2%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	80.9%
Government	15.1%
Self-employed	3.9%
Unpaid family workers	0.1%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	78.3%
Carpool	13.7%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	1.0%
Work from home	4.1%
Other means	2.8%
Avg commute (minutes)	22.7

Poverty

All people 11.9%

Under 18 years 13.1%

18 and over 11.7%

Married-couple families 2.5%

Female-led households 21.8%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	39.5%
Retirement income	31.8%
Supplemental Security	8.0%
Cash public assistance	1.8%
Food stamps / SNAP	16.5%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	33.7%
High blood pressure	36.1%
High cholesterol	35.7%
Diabetes	11.7%
Heart disease	7.8%
Stroke	3.8%
Asthma	9.9%
Arthritis	28.7%
Kidney disease	3.4%
Pulmonary disease	9.4%
Cancer	6.7%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	25.0%
Binge drinking	15.5%
No physical activity	26.3%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	34.3%
Depression	25.4%
Fair or poor health	17.1%
Poor mental health	16.1%
Poor physical health	13.0%
No health insurance	18.9%
Visited doctor (checkup)	77.3%
Visited dentist	56.3%
Cholesterol screening	88.1%
Teeth loss	18.5%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	546	9.4%

Disability	%
Any disability	22.0%
Under 18	1.0%
18–64 years	20.2%
65 and over	50.9%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	67.2%
Public insurance	36.4%
No insurance	11.1%
Uninsured under 19	5.8%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	6,740	95.5%
Spanish	188	2.8%
Other Indo-European	148	2.2%
Asian & Pacific Islander	25	0.4%
Other languages	15	0.2%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	6,850	97.0%
Born in same state	6,754	95.7%
Born in different state	5,354	75.8%
Foreign born	96	1.4%
Naturalized citizen	211	3.0%
Not a US citizen	194	91.9%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	1,753	24.8%
Italian	868	12.3%
French	526	7.4%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	45	0.6%
Dutch	13	0.2%
German	3	0%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	40.2%
Internet access	84.9%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 28040

What city is ZIP code 28040 in?

ZIP code 28040 is primarily assigned to Ellenboro, North Carolina.

What county is ZIP code 28040 in?

ZIP code 28040 falls within Rutherford County, North Carolina.

Is ZIP code 28040 mostly owner-occupied?

86% of occupied units in ZIP code 28040 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

Does ZIP code 28040 have a large retiree population?

40% of households in ZIP code 28040 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 28040?

The median home value in ZIP code 28040 is $116,700.

Does ZIP code 28040 have a large veteran population?

9% of civilians in ZIP code 28040 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

What timezone is ZIP code 28040 in?

ZIP code 28040 observes the EST timezone.