28906 ZIP Code — Murphy, NC

Cherokee County, North Carolina

ZIP code 28906 is located in Murphy, North Carolina, within Cherokee County. It covers approximately 333.37 square miles and serves a population of 19,586 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 828.

About ZIP code 28906

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 $201,100. Owner-occupancy is high at 83%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $49,426. 55% 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 28 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 23% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (20%) compared to national benchmarks. 17% of residents lack health insurance, above the national average.

Notable community characteristics include a notable veteran presence at 14% of civilians, above the national average of 7%.

Overall, ZIP code 28906 reflects a community defined by a strong veteran community, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

19,586

population

333.37

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

28906 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 28906

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 28906. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Murphy	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

28905 Marble (10.1 mi) 28902 Brasstown (11.1 mi) 37333 Farner (12.6 mi) 28909 Warne (13.7 mi) 37385 Tellico Plains (15.2 mi) 37391 Turtletown (16 mi) 30559 Mineral Bluff (16.4 mi) 28901 Andrews (17 mi) 30560 Morganton (18.5 mi) 30582 Young Harris (18.5 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	19,586
Population density	59 / sq mi
State FIPS	37
County FIPS	039

Geography
Land area	333.37 sq mi
Water area	11.13 sq mi
Latitude	35.1397
Longitude	-84.1036
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	57.8%	59.8%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	27.6%	27.1%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	12.7%	11.4%	19.1%
Over $200k	1.9%	1.7%	6.0%

Demographics & statistics

19,586

Population

People per sq mi

56.2

Median age

$49,426

Median household income

$29,918

Per capita income

$201,100

Median home value

$813

Median monthly rent

82.6%

Home ownership

13.6%

Poverty rate

3.6%

Unemployment

11,392

Housing units

23.3%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

292

Under 5

287

368

5–9

362

403

10–14

398

468

15–19

461

463

20–24

456

796

25–34

785

783

35–44

772

1,252

45–54

1,234

744

55–59

734

959

60–64

945

2,084

65–74

2,055

1,047

75–84

1,033

204

85+

201

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	2,706	13.8%
18 and over	16,880	86.2%
65 and over	6,624	33.8%
Median age	56.2 years

Race & ethnicity

White 92.4%

Two or more races 3.2%

Hispanic or Latino 1.6%

Black or African American 1%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.8%

Other race 0.7%

Asian 0.3%

Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	18,384	92.4%
Two or more races	635	3.2%
Hispanic or Latino	309	1.6%
Black or African American	190	1%
American Indian / Alaska Native	164	0.8%
Other race	142	0.7%
Asian	56	0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	15	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	57.8%	59.8%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	27.6%	27.1%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	12.7%	11.4%	19.1%
Over $200k	1.9%	1.7%	6.0%

Under $10k 5.3%

$10k–$15k 7.3%

$15k–$25k 10.8%

$25k–$35k 10.9%

$35k–$50k 16.3%

$50k–$75k 18.0%

$75k–$100k 13.8%

$100k–$150k 11.3%

$150k–$200k 2.9%

$200k+ 3.4%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	5.3%
$10k–$15k	7.3%
$15k–$25k	10.8%
$25k–$35k	10.9%
$35k–$50k	16.3%
$50k–$75k	18.0%
$75k–$100k	13.8%
$100k–$150k	11.3%
$150k–$200k	2.9%
$200k+	3.4%
Median income	$49,426

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 6.1%

$50k–$100k 12.3%

$100k–$150k 10.7%

$150k–$200k 20.5%

$200k–$300k 28.0%

$300k–$500k 19.3%

$500k–$1M 2.9%

$1M+ 0.2%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$201,100
Median rent / month	$813
Owner occupied	82.6%
Renter occupied	17.4%
Vacant	31.1%
Single-family detached	80.0%
Large apartment buildings	0.2%
Mobile homes	15.4%
Median rooms	5.3
Avg household size (owned)	2.22

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.5%
2010–2019	11.4%
2000–2009	26.6%
1990–1999	19.0%
1980–1989	19.8%
1970–1979	9.4%
1960–1969	5.9%
1950–1959	3.6%
1940–1949	1.6%
1939 or earlier	2.3%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	1.1%
1 bedroom	5.1%
2 bedrooms	41.0%
3 bedrooms	40.0%
4 bedrooms	11.3%
5+ bedrooms	1.4%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	4.9%
1 vehicle	35.8%
2 vehicles	35.6%
3 or more	23.8%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	2.0%
Electricity	66.2%
Propane / LP gas	20.9%
Fuel oil	3.3%
Wood	6.4%
Solar	0.1%
No fuel used	0.2%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	4,755	53.3%
Cohabiting couple	295	3.3%
Male householder, no spouse	1,762	19.8%
Female householder, no spouse	2,101	23.6%
Households with children under 18	1,342	15.1%
Households with seniors (65+)	4,358	48.9%
Average household size	2.16

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	20.4%	15.3%
Married	60.1%	57.7%
Separated	2.3%	2.5%
Widowed	4.0%	12.5%
Divorced	13.2%	12.1%

Education

Less than 9th grade 2.3%

Some HS, no diploma 5.6%

HS graduate 32.3%

Some college, no degree 24.7%

Associate's degree 11.9%

Bachelor's degree 15.1%

Graduate / professional 8.1%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	92.1%
Bachelor's or higher	23.3%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	140	5.0%
Kindergarten	226	8.1%
Elementary school	1,110	39.7%
High school	878	31.4%
College / grad school	439	15.7%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 19.3%

Retail trade 18.7%

Arts, food & hospitality 11.7%

Construction 10.7%

Manufacturing 9.5%

Finance & real estate 8.4%

Professional & management 7.4%

Other services 4.7%

Transportation & utilities 3.9%

Public administration 2.1%

Information 1.5%

Agriculture & mining 1.3%

Wholesale trade 0.7%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	30.7%
Service	17.9%
Sales & office	28.2%
Natural resources & construction	13.4%
Production & transportation	9.8%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	79.9%
Government	9.7%
Self-employed	9.1%
Unpaid family workers	1.3%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	76.5%
Carpool	8.8%
Public transit	0.5%
Walk	2.4%
Work from home	10.0%
Other means	1.7%
Avg commute (minutes)	27.5

Poverty

All people 13.6%

Under 18 years 13.8%

18 and over 13.6%

Married-couple families 6.9%

Female-led households 35.7%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	54.5%
Retirement income	27.3%
Supplemental Security	4.8%
Cash public assistance	0.9%
Food stamps / SNAP	9.2%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	33.1%
High blood pressure	39.4%
High cholesterol	39.6%
Diabetes	13.1%
Heart disease	9.1%
Stroke	4.2%
Asthma	9.2%
Arthritis	32.1%
Kidney disease	3.8%
Pulmonary disease	9.4%
Cancer	8.6%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	20.2%
Binge drinking	14.4%
No physical activity	24.6%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	30.8%
Depression	23.6%
Fair or poor health	16.0%
Poor mental health	13.8%
Poor physical health	12.5%
No health insurance	16.2%
Visited doctor (checkup)	80.6%
Visited dentist	63.4%
Cholesterol screening	91.5%
Teeth loss	14.9%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	2,312	13.7%

Disability	%
Any disability	18.9%
Under 18	3.9%
18–64 years	13.2%
65 and over	33.9%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	53.5%
Public insurance	51.3%
No insurance	16.7%
Uninsured under 19	10.5%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	19,007	97.0%
Spanish	58	0.3%
Other Indo-European	28	0.1%
Asian & Pacific Islander	5	0.0%
Other languages	25	0.1%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	19,314	98.6%
Born in same state	19,096	97.5%
Born in different state	6,281	32.1%
Foreign born	218	1.1%
Naturalized citizen	272	1.4%
Not a US citizen	208	76.5%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	3,418	17.5%
Arab	3,121	15.9%
Italian	2,286	11.7%
English	289	1.5%

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	135	0.7%
German	39	0.2%
Irish	30	0.2%
Dutch	18	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	45.5%
Internet access	93.3%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 28906

What city is ZIP code 28906 in?

ZIP code 28906 is primarily assigned to Murphy, North Carolina.

What county is ZIP code 28906 in?

ZIP code 28906 falls within Cherokee County, North Carolina.

Does ZIP code 28906 have an older population?

34% of residents in ZIP code 28906 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

Does ZIP code 28906 have a large retiree population?

55% of households in ZIP code 28906 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Is ZIP code 28906 mostly owner-occupied?

83% of occupied units in ZIP code 28906 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

Does ZIP code 28906 have a large veteran population?

14% of civilians in ZIP code 28906 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

What timezone is ZIP code 28906 in?

ZIP code 28906 observes the EST timezone.