28741 ZIP Code — Highlands, NC

Macon County, North Carolina

ZIP code 28741 is located in Highlands, North Carolina, within Macon County. It covers approximately 90.26 square miles and serves a population of 4,209 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 828.

About ZIP code 28741

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1980s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $509,400. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 70%.

The gap between median ($65,606) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. 47% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with arts, entertainment, and food service as the leading industry. The average commute of 19 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is high — 48% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher, well above the national average of 33%.

21% of residents lack health insurance, above the national average.

4,209

population

90.26

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

28741 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 28741

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 28741. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Highlands	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

28717 Cashiers (6.2 mi) 28775 Scaly Mountain (7.7 mi) 28736 Glenville (9 mi) 30537 Dillard (10.6 mi) 28774 Sapphire (11.4 mi) 28763 Otto (11.6 mi) 29664 Mountain Rest (12.9 mi) 28723 Cullowhee (13.4 mi) 28783 Tuckasegee (13.9 mi) 28734 Franklin (14.4 mi) 30568 Rabun Gap (14.5 mi) 29686 Tamassee (15.3 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	4,209
Population density	47 / sq mi
State FIPS	37
County FIPS	113

Geography
Land area	90.26 sq mi
Water area	0.36 sq mi
Latitude	35.0755
Longitude	-83.2028
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	44.8%	52.1%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	23.5%	30.5%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	21.9%	13.6%	19.1%
Over $200k	9.8%	3.9%	6.0%

Demographics & statistics

4,209

Population

People per sq mi

61.8

Median age

$65,606

Median household income

$62,228

Per capita income

$509,400

Median home value

$787

Median monthly rent

70.0%

Home ownership

8.5%

Poverty rate

1.8%

Unemployment

5,511

Housing units

48.3%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

15–19

20–24

244

25–34

216

129

35–44

113

138

45–54

121

150

55–59

133

307

60–64

271

614

65–74

542

284

75–84

251

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	415	9.9%
18 and over	3,794	90.1%
65 and over	1,815	43.1%
Median age	61.8 years

Race & ethnicity

White 93.9%

Black or African American 2%

Hispanic or Latino 1.9%

Other race 1.8%

Two or more races 0.2%

Asian 0.2%

Group	Count	%
White	4,028	93.9%
Black or African American	87	2%
Hispanic or Latino	81	1.9%
Other race	78	1.8%
Two or more races	9	0.2%
Asian	7	0.2%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	44.8%	52.1%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	23.5%	30.5%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	21.9%	13.6%	19.1%
Over $200k	9.8%	3.9%	6.0%

Under $10k 7.5%

$10k–$15k 2.7%

$15k–$25k 10.3%

$25k–$35k 7.5%

$35k–$50k 7.7%

$50k–$75k 20.8%

$75k–$100k 8.1%

$100k–$150k 14.8%

$150k–$200k 9.0%

$200k+ 11.7%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	7.5%
$10k–$15k	2.7%
$15k–$25k	10.3%
$25k–$35k	7.5%
$35k–$50k	7.7%
$50k–$75k	20.8%
$75k–$100k	8.1%
$100k–$150k	14.8%
$150k–$200k	9.0%
$200k+	11.7%
Median income	$65,606

Housing

Home values

$50k–$100k 1.6%

$100k–$150k 1.2%

$150k–$200k 4.2%

$200k–$300k 14.2%

$300k–$500k 27.9%

$500k–$1M 35.8%

$1M+ 15.2%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$509,400
Median rent / month	$787
Owner occupied	70.0%
Renter occupied	30.0%
Vacant	63.0%
Single-family detached	83.8%
Large apartment buildings	0.8%
Mobile homes	4.4%
Median rooms	5.0
Avg household size (owned)	1.97

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	3.7%
2000–2009	16.8%
1990–1999	17.9%
1980–1989	21.3%
1970–1979	17.6%
1960–1969	7.2%
1950–1959	6.9%
1940–1949	5.8%
1939 or earlier	2.8%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	4.3%
1 bedroom	6.3%
2 bedrooms	27.9%
3 bedrooms	43.2%
4 bedrooms	16.9%
5+ bedrooms	1.5%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	4.6%
1 vehicle	40.6%
2 vehicles	38.4%
3 or more	16.4%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	1.7%
Electricity	45.7%
Propane / LP gas	40.7%
Fuel oil	2.9%
Wood	9.0%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	1,058	46.1%
Cohabiting couple	150	6.5%
Male householder, no spouse	595	25.9%
Female householder, no spouse	494	21.5%
Households with children under 18	294	12.8%
Households with seniors (65+)	1,127	49.1%
Average household size	1.79

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	21.9%	14.0%
Married	56.6%	60.9%
Separated	0.8%	0.0%
Widowed	2.7%	11.9%
Divorced	18.0%	13.2%

Education

Less than 9th grade 2.0%

Some HS, no diploma 7.5%

HS graduate 14.3%

Some college, no degree 21.6%

Associate's degree 6.3%

Bachelor's degree 28.8%

Graduate / professional 19.4%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	90.5%
Bachelor's or higher	48.3%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	15	2.9%
Kindergarten	108	20.7%
Elementary school	170	32.6%
High school	31	6.0%
College / grad school	197	37.8%

Employment

Industry of employment

Arts, food & hospitality 29.8%

Professional & management 17.2%

Retail trade 15.0%

Education & healthcare 8.6%

Finance & real estate 7.6%

Construction 7.5%

Manufacturing 4.4%

Other services 3.6%

Transportation & utilities 2.5%

Agriculture & mining 1.5%

Information 1.5%

Public administration 0.7%

Wholesale trade 0.2%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	38.6%
Service	24.3%
Sales & office	25.2%
Natural resources & construction	5.4%
Production & transportation	6.5%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	81.8%
Government	6.7%
Self-employed	11.5%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	72.4%
Carpool	7.9%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	8.5%
Work from home	11.0%
Other means	0.2%
Avg commute (minutes)	19.0

Poverty

All people 8.5%

Under 18 years 0.0%

18 and over 9.2%

Married-couple families 4.5%

Female-led households 0.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	47.1%
Retirement income	32.2%
Supplemental Security	1.6%
Cash public assistance	0.1%
Food stamps / SNAP	2.0%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	29.6%
High blood pressure	39.0%
High cholesterol	43.0%
Diabetes	11.9%
Heart disease	9.2%
Stroke	3.9%
Asthma	8.2%
Arthritis	32.4%
Kidney disease	3.8%
Pulmonary disease	7.8%
Cancer	10.4%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	13.2%
Binge drinking	12.5%
No physical activity	20.2%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	27.1%
Depression	20.7%
Fair or poor health	12.8%
Poor mental health	11.2%
Poor physical health	10.6%
No health insurance	13.1%
Visited doctor (checkup)	82.0%
Visited dentist	71.8%
Cholesterol screening	94.0%
Teeth loss	10.1%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	363	9.6%

Disability	%
Any disability	11.2%
Under 18	1.2%
18–64 years	9.7%
65 and over	15.1%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	59.0%
Public insurance	47.8%
No insurance	20.5%
Uninsured under 19	31.4%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	4,107	97.6%
Spanish	47	1.1%
Other Indo-European	30	0.7%
Asian & Pacific Islander	17	0.4%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	4,019	95.5%
Born in same state	3,849	91.4%
Born in different state	1,197	28.4%
Foreign born	170	4.0%
Naturalized citizen	190	4.5%
Not a US citizen	121	63.7%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	746	17.7%
Italian	674	16%
French	594	14.1%
English	32	0.8%

Ancestry	Count	%
Irish	18	0.4%
Polish	16	0.4%
Norwegian	9	0.2%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	54.6%
Internet access	82.6%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 28741

What city is ZIP code 28741 in?

ZIP code 28741 is primarily assigned to Highlands, North Carolina.

What county is ZIP code 28741 in?

ZIP code 28741 falls within Macon County, North Carolina.

Does ZIP code 28741 have an older population?

43% of residents in ZIP code 28741 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

Does ZIP code 28741 have a large retiree population?

47% of households in ZIP code 28741 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 28741?

48% 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 28741?

The median home value in ZIP code 28741 is $509,400.

What timezone is ZIP code 28741 in?

ZIP code 28741 observes the EST timezone.