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North Carolina ZIP Codes
Avery County
Linville, NC
28646
28646 ZIP Code — Linville, NC
Avery County, North Carolina
ZIP code 28646 is located in
Linville ,
North Carolina ,
within Avery County .
It covers approximately 23.21 square miles and serves a population of
574 residents.
This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone,
served by area code 828 .
About ZIP code 28646
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 $387,900. Owner-occupancy is high at 76%, well above the national average.
The gap between median ($71,538) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. 65% 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 21 minutes is near the national average. Remote work is prevalent — 20% of workers work from home.
Educational attainment is near the national average, with 31% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.
Notable community characteristics include disability rates above the national average at 35%.
Overall, ZIP code 28646 reflects a community defined by high homeownership, a high rate of remote workers, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.
28646 ZIP code map
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Cities in ZIP code 28646
Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 28646. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.
Demographics
updated 05/2026
Population
Total population
574
Population density
25 / sq mi
State FIPS
37
County FIPS
011
Geography
Land area
23.21 sq mi
Water area
0.06 sq mi
Latitude
36.0802
Longitude
-81.8649
Timezone
Eastern (ET)
Area code
828
Economics
updated 05/2026
Household income
Income range
This ZIP
County avg
State avg
Under $50k
24.0%
55.9%
44.4%
$50k – $100k
42.1%
28.1%
30.6%
$100k – $200k
7.0%
11.9%
19.1%
Over $200k
26.9%
4.1%
6.0%
Demographics & statistics
$71,538
Median household income
$387,900
Median home value
30.6%
Bachelor's or higher
Age distribution
Age summary
Group Count % Under 18 58 10.1% 18 and over 516 89.9% 65 and over 188 32.8% Median age 59.5 years
Race & ethnicity
Household income
Income range
This ZIP
County avg
State avg
Under $50k
24.0%
55.9%
44.4%
$50k – $100k
42.1%
28.1%
30.6%
$100k – $200k
7.0%
11.9%
19.1%
Over $200k
26.9%
4.1%
6.0%
Range % of households Under $10k 0.4% $15k–$25k 0.4% $25k–$35k 24.4% $50k–$75k 33.1% $75k–$100k 7.9% $100k–$150k 13.2% $150k–$200k 2.5% $200k+ 18.2% Median income $71,538
Housing
Housing overview
Metric Value Median home value $387,900 Median rent / month $0 Owner occupied 76.4% Renter occupied 23.6% Vacant 80.5% Single-family detached 81.5% Large apartment buildings 0.0% Mobile homes 2.7% Median rooms 6.4 Avg household size (owned) 2.20
Year built
Era % 2020 or later 0.0% 2010–2019 0.5% 2000–2009 12.9% 1990–1999 16.6% 1980–1989 30.3% 1970–1979 28.4% 1960–1969 2.7% 1950–1959 2.3% 1940–1949 2.3% 1939 or earlier 4.2%
Bedrooms
Size % of units No bedroom (studio) 0.3% 1 bedroom 2.7% 2 bedrooms 14.5% 3 bedrooms 42.0% 4 bedrooms 25.9% 5+ bedrooms 14.6%
Vehicles per household
Vehicles % of households No vehicle 0.4% 1 vehicle 24.8% 2 vehicles 49.2% 3 or more 25.6%
Heating fuel
Fuel type % Utility gas 2.1% Electricity 38.8% Propane / LP gas 25.6% Wood 33.5%
Households & families
Household type Count % Married-couple family 181 74.8% Cohabiting couple 28 11.6% Male householder, no spouse 31 12.8% Female householder, no spouse 2 0.8% Households with children under 18 28 11.6% Households with seniors (65+) 136 56.2% Average household size 2.37
Marital status
Status Male Female Never married 26.4% 30.3% Married 73.2% 69.0% Separated 0.0% 0.0% Widowed 0.0% 0.7% Divorced 0.4% 0.0%
Education
Some college, no degree
19.9%
Graduate / professional
11.4%
Metric % HS diploma or higher 100.0% Bachelor's or higher 30.6%
School enrollment (ages 3–17)
Type Count % Nursery / preschool 0 0.0% Kindergarten 0 0.0% Elementary school 24 82.8% High school 0 0.0% College / grad school 5 17.2%
Employment
Industry of employment
Education & healthcare
34.2%
Finance & real estate
25.0%
Arts, food & hospitality
12.5%
Public administration
4.2%
Professional & management
2.5%
Agriculture & mining
0.4%
Occupation
Category % Management, business & arts 53.8% Service 0.0% Sales & office 37.9% Natural resources & construction 0.8% Production & transportation 7.5%
Employment type
Type % Private sector 59.6% Government 29.2% Self-employed 11.3% Unpaid family workers 0.0%
Commute
Method % Drive alone 78.8% Carpool 0.8% Public transit 0.0% Walk 0.0% Work from home 20.4% Other means 0.0% Avg commute (minutes) 20.8
Poverty
Married-couple families
0.0%
Female-led households
0.0%
Income support
Source % of households Social Security 64.9% Retirement income 20.2% Supplemental Security 0.0% Cash public assistance 0.0% Food stamps / SNAP 0.0%
Health indicators
Condition % Obesity 31.3% High blood pressure 37.2% High cholesterol 38.5% Diabetes 11.1% Heart disease 8.3% Stroke 3.6% Asthma 8.7% Arthritis 29.9% Kidney disease 3.4% Pulmonary disease 7.9% Cancer 8.6%
Behavior / access % Smoking 16.6% Binge drinking 14.2% No physical activity 21.0% Less than 7 hrs sleep 28.7% Depression 21.5% Fair or poor health 13.4% Poor mental health 12.9% Poor physical health 10.8% No health insurance 14.6% Visited doctor (checkup) 79.4% Visited dentist 69.2% Cholesterol screening 92.1% Teeth loss 12.4%
Veterans & disability
Veterans Count % Civilian veterans 48 9.3%
Disability % Any disability 35.0% Under 18 0.0% 18–64 years 16.5% 65 and over 78.2%
Health insurance coverage
Type % Private insurance 71.8% Public insurance 47.9% No insurance 5.4% Uninsured under 19 0.0%
Language & origin
Language spoken at home (age 5+)
Language Count % English only 540 94.1% Spanish 0 0.0% Other Indo-European 0 0.0% Asian & Pacific Islander 0 0.0% Other languages 0 0.0%
Place of birth & citizenship
Origin Count % Native born (US) 519 90.4% Born in same state 519 90.4% Born in different state 240 41.8% Foreign born 0 0.0% Naturalized citizen 55 9.6% Not a US citizen 54 98.2%
Ancestry
Ancestry Count % Italian 62 10.8% French 62 10.8%
Ancestry Count % Arab 33 5.7% English 10 1.7%
Technology access
Metric % of households Computer access 42.2% Internet access 87.2%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.
Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 28646
What city is ZIP code 28646 in?
ZIP code 28646 is primarily assigned to Linville, North Carolina.
What county is ZIP code 28646 in?
ZIP code 28646 falls within Avery County, North Carolina.
Does ZIP code 28646 have a large retiree population?
65% of households in ZIP code 28646 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.
Does ZIP code 28646 have an older population?
33% of residents in ZIP code 28646 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.
What is the typical home value in ZIP code 28646?
The median home value in ZIP code 28646 is $387,900.
Does ZIP code 28646 have a large veteran population?
9% of civilians in ZIP code 28646 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.
What timezone is ZIP code 28646 in?
ZIP code 28646 observes the EST timezone.
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