28759 ZIP Code — Mills River, NC

Henderson County, North Carolina

ZIP code 28759 is located in Mills River, North Carolina, within Henderson County. It covers approximately 24.49 square miles and serves a population of 7,514 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 828.

About ZIP code 28759

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 2000s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $351,000. Owner-occupancy is high at 86%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $80,566. The poverty rate of 3% is below the national average. 39% 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.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 44% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Overall, ZIP code 28759 reflects a community defined by high homeownership and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

7,514

population

24.49

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

28759 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 28759

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 28759. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Mills River	Acceptable

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	7,514
Population density	307 / sq mi
State FIPS	37
County FIPS	089

Geography
Land area	24.49 sq mi
Water area	0.21 sq mi
Latitude	35.3740
Longitude	-82.5979
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	38.1%	42.5%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	32.4%	33.7%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	21.8%	19.3%	19.1%
Over $200k	7.7%	4.6%	6.0%

Demographics & statistics

7,514

Population

307

People per sq mi

44.3

Median age

$80,566

Median household income

$40,716

Per capita income

$351,000

Median home value

$1,186

Median monthly rent

85.5%

Home ownership

3.1%

Poverty rate

5.3%

Unemployment

2,783

Housing units

43.9%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

180

Under 5

179

175

5–9

175

292

10–14

292

355

15–19

353

154

20–24

153

274

25–34

274

473

35–44

472

499

45–54

498

337

55–59

335

169

60–64

168

605

65–74

604

204

75–84

203

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	1,801	24.0%
18 and over	5,713	76.0%
65 and over	1,707	22.7%
Median age	44.3 years

Race & ethnicity

White 86.4%

Asian 5%

Black or African American 2.9%

Two or more races 1.9%

Hispanic or Latino 1.5%

American Indian / Alaska Native 1.5%

Other race 0.9%

Group	Count	%
White	6,590	86.4%
Asian	379	5%
Black or African American	219	2.9%
Two or more races	145	1.9%
Hispanic or Latino	117	1.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native	112	1.5%
Other race	69	0.9%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	38.1%	42.5%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	32.4%	33.7%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	21.8%	19.3%	19.1%
Over $200k	7.7%	4.6%	6.0%

Under $10k 0.9%

$10k–$15k 1.0%

$15k–$25k 12.5%

$25k–$35k 5.6%

$35k–$50k 8.4%

$50k–$75k 16.8%

$75k–$100k 12.0%

$100k–$150k 23.7%

$150k–$200k 10.1%

$200k+ 9.0%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	0.9%
$10k–$15k	1.0%
$15k–$25k	12.5%
$25k–$35k	5.6%
$35k–$50k	8.4%
$50k–$75k	16.8%
$75k–$100k	12.0%
$100k–$150k	23.7%
$150k–$200k	10.1%
$200k+	9.0%
Median income	$80,566

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 6.3%

$50k–$100k 9.2%

$100k–$150k 6.4%

$150k–$200k 3.5%

$200k–$300k 15.8%

$300k–$500k 30.6%

$500k–$1M 24.4%

$1M+ 3.8%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$351,000
Median rent / month	$1,186
Owner occupied	85.5%
Renter occupied	14.5%
Vacant	9.3%
Single-family detached	74.8%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	21.4%
Median rooms	6.2
Avg household size (owned)	2.47

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.7%
2010–2019	15.9%
2000–2009	23.9%
1990–1999	20.6%
1980–1989	18.9%
1970–1979	7.1%
1960–1969	7.7%
1950–1959	3.0%
1940–1949	0.5%
1939 or earlier	1.7%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	4.0%
1 bedroom	0.9%
2 bedrooms	19.6%
3 bedrooms	50.7%
4 bedrooms	20.8%
5+ bedrooms	4.1%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	1.4%
1 vehicle	27.7%
2 vehicles	40.6%
3 or more	30.4%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	18.3%
Electricity	64.4%
Propane / LP gas	10.9%
Fuel oil	2.0%
Wood	2.9%
No fuel used	1.5%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	1,768	60.8%
Cohabiting couple	130	4.5%
Male householder, no spouse	319	11.0%
Female householder, no spouse	692	23.8%
Households with children under 18	948	32.6%
Households with seniors (65+)	1,126	38.7%
Average household size	2.58

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	29.1%	20.3%
Married	58.7%	57.7%
Separated	0.2%	0.3%
Widowed	2.7%	8.9%
Divorced	9.3%	12.8%

Education

Less than 9th grade 1.2%

Some HS, no diploma 5.1%

HS graduate 20.7%

Some college, no degree 16.4%

Associate's degree 12.7%

Bachelor's degree 26.1%

Graduate / professional 17.8%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	93.8%
Bachelor's or higher	43.9%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	98	5.2%
Kindergarten	61	3.2%
Elementary school	835	44.3%
High school	637	33.8%
College / grad school	253	13.4%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 28.1%

Retail trade 17.6%

Manufacturing 14.4%

Construction 9.4%

Professional & management 9.3%

Arts, food & hospitality 5.8%

Finance & real estate 4.6%

Transportation & utilities 3.2%

Other services 2.7%

Public administration 2.2%

Agriculture & mining 1.3%

Wholesale trade 1.1%

Information 0.3%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	41.8%
Service	16.9%
Sales & office	22.7%
Natural resources & construction	7.4%
Production & transportation	11.2%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	81.1%
Government	11.3%
Self-employed	7.6%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	79.7%
Carpool	9.2%
Public transit	0.6%
Walk	0.2%
Work from home	8.8%
Other means	1.6%
Avg commute (minutes)	22.6

Poverty

All people 3.1%

Under 18 years 3.0%

18 and over 3.2%

Married-couple families 2.4%

Female-led households 0.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	39.3%
Retirement income	25.7%
Supplemental Security	3.0%
Cash public assistance	0.7%
Food stamps / SNAP	12.3%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	33.7%
High blood pressure	31.8%
High cholesterol	36.1%
Diabetes	9.1%
Heart disease	6.3%
Stroke	2.8%
Asthma	8.3%
Arthritis	26.3%
Kidney disease	2.8%
Pulmonary disease	6.2%
Cancer	7.6%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	15.3%
Binge drinking	15.1%
No physical activity	18.1%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	30.5%
Depression	21.1%
Fair or poor health	10.9%
Poor mental health	12.3%
Poor physical health	9.2%
No health insurance	13.4%
Visited doctor (checkup)	78.6%
Visited dentist	71.7%
Cholesterol screening	92.5%
Teeth loss	9.2%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	410	7.2%

Disability	%
Any disability	13.2%
Under 18	2.6%
18–64 years	10.7%
65 and over	30.1%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	73.5%
Public insurance	33.8%
No insurance	9.5%
Uninsured under 19	3.8%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	7,155	95.2%
Spanish	44	0.6%
Other Indo-European	5	0.1%
Asian & Pacific Islander	39	0.5%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	6,981	92.9%
Born in same state	6,929	92.2%
Born in different state	3,640	48.4%
Foreign born	52	0.7%
Naturalized citizen	533	7.1%
Not a US citizen	307	57.6%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	1,014	13.5%
Italian	1,011	13.5%
Arab	852	11.3%
English	169	2.2%

Ancestry	Count	%
German	60	0.8%
Irish	54	0.7%
Norwegian	14	0.2%
Polish	8	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	38.7%
Internet access	95.8%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 28759

What city is ZIP code 28759 in?

ZIP code 28759 is primarily assigned to Mills River, North Carolina.

What county is ZIP code 28759 in?

ZIP code 28759 falls within Henderson County, North Carolina.

Is ZIP code 28759 mostly owner-occupied?

86% of occupied units in ZIP code 28759 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

Does ZIP code 28759 have a large retiree population?

39% of households in ZIP code 28759 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 28759?

The median home value in ZIP code 28759 is $351,000.

What is the population of ZIP code 28759?

ZIP code 28759 has an estimated population of 7,514 residents, with a density of 307 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 28759 in?

ZIP code 28759 observes the EST timezone.