28657 ZIP Code — Newland, NC

Avery County, North Carolina

ZIP code 28657 is located in Newland, North Carolina, within Avery County. It covers approximately 160.00 square miles and serves a population of 8,201 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 828.

About ZIP code 28657

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 $198,500. Owner-occupancy is high at 80%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $50,216. 52% 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.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 27% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (21%) compared to national benchmarks. 16% of residents lack health insurance, above the national average.

Notable community characteristics include disability rates above the national average at 23%.

Overall, ZIP code 28657 reflects a community defined by high homeownership and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

8,201

population

160.00

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

28657 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 28657

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 28657. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Newland	Acceptable
Newland	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

28611 Collettsville (10.2 mi) 28777 Spruce Pine (11.2 mi) 28605 Blowing Rock (12.2 mi) 28622 Elk Park (12.3 mi) 28604 Banner Elk (12.5 mi) 37687 Roan Mountain (14.4 mi) 28679 Sugar Grove (16.4 mi) 28705 Bakersville (16.8 mi) 28740 Green Mountain (18.7 mi) 28692 Vilas (18.9 mi) 28608 Boone (19.2 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	8,201
Population density	51 / sq mi
State FIPS	37
County FIPS	011

Geography
Land area	160.00 sq mi
Water area	0.07 sq mi
Latitude	36.0264
Longitude	-81.9335
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	61.7%	55.9%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	24.5%	28.1%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	11.3%	11.9%	19.1%
Over $200k	2.5%	4.1%	6.0%

Demographics & statistics

8,201

Population

People per sq mi

49.9

Median age

$50,216

Median household income

$32,236

Per capita income

$198,500

Median home value

$718

Median monthly rent

80.1%

Home ownership

10.8%

Poverty rate

3.9%

Unemployment

5,575

Housing units

26.7%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

165

Under 5

179

194

5–9

212

157

10–14

172

150

15–19

163

172

20–24

187

464

25–34

507

399

35–44

436

552

45–54

603

169

55–59

184

371

60–64

405

641

65–74

699

354

75–84

386

134

85+

146

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	1,326	16.2%
18 and over	6,875	83.8%
65 and over	2,360	28.8%
Median age	49.9 years

Race & ethnicity

White 95.6%

Two or more races 1.9%

Hispanic or Latino 1.4%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.8%

Other race 0.2%

Asian 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	7,947	95.6%
Two or more races	162	1.9%
Hispanic or Latino	116	1.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native	69	0.8%
Other race	16	0.2%
Asian	5	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	61.7%	55.9%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	24.5%	28.1%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	11.3%	11.9%	19.1%
Over $200k	2.5%	4.1%	6.0%

Under $10k 4.5%

$10k–$15k 5.9%

$15k–$25k 13.6%

$25k–$35k 11.3%

$35k–$50k 14.7%

$50k–$75k 16.7%

$75k–$100k 11.4%

$100k–$150k 14.8%

$150k–$200k 3.7%

$200k+ 3.5%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	4.5%
$10k–$15k	5.9%
$15k–$25k	13.6%
$25k–$35k	11.3%
$35k–$50k	14.7%
$50k–$75k	16.7%
$75k–$100k	11.4%
$100k–$150k	14.8%
$150k–$200k	3.7%
$200k+	3.5%
Median income	$50,216

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 10.8%

$50k–$100k 11.4%

$100k–$150k 12.3%

$150k–$200k 16.1%

$200k–$300k 22.5%

$300k–$500k 18.1%

$500k–$1M 5.9%

$1M+ 3.0%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$198,500
Median rent / month	$718
Owner occupied	80.1%
Renter occupied	19.9%
Vacant	42.3%
Single-family detached	81.0%
Large apartment buildings	2.4%
Mobile homes	15.6%
Median rooms	5.3
Avg household size (owned)	2.32

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	5.8%
2000–2009	13.8%
1990–1999	15.8%
1980–1989	23.8%
1970–1979	15.8%
1960–1969	8.5%
1950–1959	5.9%
1940–1949	3.9%
1939 or earlier	6.7%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.5%
1 bedroom	6.1%
2 bedrooms	30.1%
3 bedrooms	47.3%
4 bedrooms	14.1%
5+ bedrooms	1.9%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	5.3%
1 vehicle	28.9%
2 vehicles	38.9%
3 or more	27.0%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	2.1%
Electricity	41.8%
Propane / LP gas	18.2%
Fuel oil	28.1%
Wood	8.6%
No fuel used	0.4%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	1,944	53.5%
Cohabiting couple	53	1.5%
Male householder, no spouse	516	14.2%
Female householder, no spouse	1,122	30.9%
Households with children under 18	845	23.2%
Households with seniors (65+)	1,696	46.7%
Average household size	2.23

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	28.4%	16.0%
Married	58.3%	56.4%
Separated	0.1%	2.3%
Widowed	4.2%	14.1%
Divorced	9.0%	11.2%

Education

Less than 9th grade 3.1%

Some HS, no diploma 6.2%

HS graduate 27.6%

Some college, no degree 25.6%

Associate's degree 10.7%

Bachelor's degree 18.1%

Graduate / professional 8.7%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	90.6%
Bachelor's or higher	26.7%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	58	4.8%
Kindergarten	85	7.0%
Elementary school	563	46.5%
High school	327	27.0%
College / grad school	179	14.8%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 27.8%

Arts, food & hospitality 9.6%

Public administration 9.5%

Agriculture & mining 9.3%

Construction 9.0%

Retail trade 7.7%

Professional & management 6.6%

Manufacturing 5.8%

Transportation & utilities 4.4%

Finance & real estate 4.1%

Other services 4.1%

Wholesale trade 1.4%

Information 0.7%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	35.2%
Service	24.7%
Sales & office	19.0%
Natural resources & construction	13.9%
Production & transportation	7.2%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	69.2%
Government	22.1%
Self-employed	8.7%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	84.7%
Carpool	5.4%
Public transit	1.0%
Walk	1.3%
Work from home	5.2%
Other means	2.4%
Avg commute (minutes)	20.7

Poverty

All people 10.8%

Under 18 years 16.0%

18 and over 9.8%

Married-couple families 5.8%

Female-led households 20.8%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	51.9%
Retirement income	29.7%
Supplemental Security	6.7%
Cash public assistance	2.1%
Food stamps / SNAP	9.8%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	33.4%
High blood pressure	37.9%
High cholesterol	38.7%
Diabetes	11.9%
Heart disease	8.6%
Stroke	4.0%
Asthma	9.3%
Arthritis	30.3%
Kidney disease	3.6%
Pulmonary disease	9.3%
Cancer	8.0%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	20.7%
Binge drinking	14.7%
No physical activity	24.5%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	30.4%
Depression	23.3%
Fair or poor health	16.3%
Poor mental health	14.4%
Poor physical health	12.5%
No health insurance	18.1%
Visited doctor (checkup)	78.4%
Visited dentist	63.2%
Cholesterol screening	90.0%
Teeth loss	16.2%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	486	7.1%

Disability	%
Any disability	22.9%
Under 18	3.7%
18–64 years	17.8%
65 and over	43.4%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	61.6%
Public insurance	44.5%
No insurance	15.5%
Uninsured under 19	15.5%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	7,857	95.8%
Spanish	76	1.0%
Other Indo-European	72	0.9%
Asian & Pacific Islander	4	0.1%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	8,076	98.5%
Born in same state	8,036	98.0%
Born in different state	5,770	70.4%
Foreign born	40	0.5%
Naturalized citizen	125	1.5%
Not a US citizen	42	33.6%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	1,143	13.9%
French	828	10.1%
Italian	663	8.1%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	83	1%
Polish	23	0.3%
Irish	11	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	44.3%
Internet access	93.0%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 28657

What city is ZIP code 28657 in?

ZIP code 28657 is primarily assigned to Newland, North Carolina.

What county is ZIP code 28657 in?

ZIP code 28657 falls within Avery County, North Carolina.

Does ZIP code 28657 have an older population?

29% of residents in ZIP code 28657 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

Does ZIP code 28657 have a large retiree population?

52% of households in ZIP code 28657 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Is ZIP code 28657 mostly owner-occupied?

80% of occupied units in ZIP code 28657 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

What is the population of ZIP code 28657?

ZIP code 28657 has an estimated population of 8,201 residents, with a density of 51 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 28657 in?

ZIP code 28657 observes the EST timezone.