28762 ZIP Code — Old Fort, NC

Mcdowell County, North Carolina

ZIP code 28762 is located in Old Fort, North Carolina, within Mcdowell County. It covers approximately 95.52 square miles and serves a population of 6,617 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 828.

About ZIP code 28762

The housing stock consists of a higher-than-average concentration of mobile homes. Most homes were built in the 1990s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $147,600. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 71%.

Median household income is $53,553. 46% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is production, transportation, and material moving, with manufacturing as the leading industry. The average commute of 25 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 18% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (21%) compared to national benchmarks.

Notable community characteristics include a notable veteran presence at 11% of civilians, above the national average of 7%.

Overall, ZIP code 28762 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, a strong veteran community, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

6,617

population

95.52

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

28762 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 28762

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 28762. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Old Fort	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

28711 Black Mountain (5 mi) 28752 Marion (11.1 mi) 28746 Lake Lure (11.6 mi) 28778 Swannanoa (12 mi) 28730 Fairview (12.5 mi) 28735 Gerton (13.6 mi) 28709 Barnardsville (15 mi) 28167 Union Mills (15.4 mi) 28805 Asheville (16.1 mi) 28761 Nebo (16.1 mi) 28787 Weaverville (19.4 mi) 28714 Burnsville (19.4 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	6,617
Population density	69 / sq mi
State FIPS	37
County FIPS	111

Geography
Land area	95.52 sq mi
Water area	0.17 sq mi
Latitude	35.6274
Longitude	-82.1930
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	57.0%	53.3%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	28.3%	31.4%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	12.8%	13.3%	19.1%
Over $200k	2.0%	2.1%	6.0%

Demographics & statistics

6,617

Population

People per sq mi

52.7

Median age

$53,553

Median household income

$32,497

Per capita income

$147,600

Median home value

$735

Median monthly rent

70.5%

Home ownership

14.5%

Poverty rate

9.0%

Unemployment

2,619

Housing units

17.8%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

128

Under 5

124

148

5–9

143

174

10–14

168

156

15–19

152

20–24

369

25–34

357

358

35–44

348

357

45–54

346

419

55–59

407

372

60–64

361

531

65–74

516

214

75–84

208

101

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	1,048	15.8%
18 and over	5,569	84.2%
65 and over	1,667	25.2%
Median age	52.7 years

Race & ethnicity

White 88%

Hispanic or Latino 5%

Other race 4.7%

Two or more races 1.6%

Black or African American 0.4%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%

Group	Count	%
White	6,127	88%
Hispanic or Latino	346	5%
Other race	329	4.7%
Two or more races	108	1.6%
Black or African American	31	0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native	22	0.3%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	57.0%	53.3%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	28.3%	31.4%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	12.8%	13.3%	19.1%
Over $200k	2.0%	2.1%	6.0%

Under $10k 3.4%

$10k–$15k 2.6%

$15k–$25k 11.3%

$25k–$35k 10.5%

$35k–$50k 19.0%

$50k–$75k 22.7%

$75k–$100k 9.8%

$100k–$150k 14.4%

$150k–$200k 2.9%

$200k+ 3.5%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	3.4%
$10k–$15k	2.6%
$15k–$25k	11.3%
$25k–$35k	10.5%
$35k–$50k	19.0%
$50k–$75k	22.7%
$75k–$100k	9.8%
$100k–$150k	14.4%
$150k–$200k	2.9%
$200k+	3.5%
Median income	$53,553

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 20.1%

$50k–$100k 11.4%

$100k–$150k 19.1%

$150k–$200k 18.4%

$200k–$300k 15.1%

$300k–$500k 12.9%

$500k–$1M 2.2%

$1M+ 0.8%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$147,600
Median rent / month	$735
Owner occupied	70.5%
Renter occupied	29.5%
Vacant	14.9%
Single-family detached	66.4%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	29.3%
Median rooms	5.4
Avg household size (owned)	2.21

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.5%
2010–2019	6.0%
2000–2009	14.8%
1990–1999	16.3%
1980–1989	11.2%
1970–1979	14.0%
1960–1969	11.3%
1950–1959	6.7%
1940–1949	4.8%
1939 or earlier	14.4%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	1.7%
1 bedroom	13.4%
2 bedrooms	25.3%
3 bedrooms	49.0%
4 bedrooms	7.6%
5+ bedrooms	2.9%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	6.1%
1 vehicle	25.2%
2 vehicles	40.7%
3 or more	28.0%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	1.8%
Electricity	59.2%
Propane / LP gas	13.3%
Fuel oil	11.6%
Wood	12.7%
No fuel used	1.3%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	1,451	48.8%
Cohabiting couple	205	6.9%
Male householder, no spouse	532	17.9%
Female householder, no spouse	786	26.4%
Households with children under 18	569	19.1%
Households with seniors (65+)	1,133	38.1%
Average household size	2.20

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	23.7%	14.2%
Married	53.4%	53.4%
Separated	2.6%	2.1%
Widowed	4.8%	15.3%
Divorced	15.4%	14.9%

Education

Less than 9th grade 3.6%

Some HS, no diploma 8.2%

HS graduate 37.7%

Some college, no degree 21.7%

Associate's degree 10.9%

Bachelor's degree 12.9%

Graduate / professional 4.8%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	88.1%
Bachelor's or higher	17.8%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	93	8.6%
Kindergarten	51	4.7%
Elementary school	420	39.0%
High school	360	33.5%
College / grad school	152	14.1%

Employment

Industry of employment

Manufacturing 26.4%

Education & healthcare 21.3%

Retail trade 9.0%

Construction 8.0%

Transportation & utilities 6.6%

Professional & management 6.5%

Arts, food & hospitality 6.0%

Other services 3.9%

Wholesale trade 3.5%

Information 3.3%

Public administration 2.9%

Finance & real estate 2.0%

Agriculture & mining 0.5%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	25.4%
Service	14.9%
Sales & office	19.4%
Natural resources & construction	7.7%
Production & transportation	32.7%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	77.2%
Government	14.4%
Self-employed	7.8%
Unpaid family workers	0.6%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	81.3%
Carpool	9.8%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	1.2%
Work from home	7.6%
Other means	0.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	24.7

Poverty

All people 14.5%

Under 18 years 19.1%

18 and over 13.7%

Married-couple families 7.5%

Female-led households 9.3%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	46.2%
Retirement income	28.6%
Supplemental Security	5.4%
Cash public assistance	0.9%
Food stamps / SNAP	13.4%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	34.6%
High blood pressure	37.5%
High cholesterol	37.0%
Diabetes	12.0%
Heart disease	8.1%
Stroke	3.8%
Asthma	9.3%
Arthritis	29.2%
Kidney disease	3.5%
Pulmonary disease	8.9%
Cancer	7.5%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	21.2%
Binge drinking	15.1%
No physical activity	24.7%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	31.2%
Depression	23.9%
Fair or poor health	15.8%
Poor mental health	14.6%
Poor physical health	12.2%
No health insurance	17.0%
Visited doctor (checkup)	78.3%
Visited dentist	61.2%
Cholesterol screening	90.0%
Teeth loss	16.0%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	620	11.1%

Disability	%
Any disability	21.1%
Under 18	1.7%
18–64 years	19.6%
65 and over	36.8%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	61.9%
Public insurance	47.6%
No insurance	12.9%
Uninsured under 19	5.1%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	6,365	96.2%
Spanish	102	1.6%
Other Indo-European	102	1.6%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	6,369	96.3%
Born in same state	6,324	95.6%
Born in different state	4,237	64.0%
Foreign born	45	0.7%
Naturalized citizen	248	3.7%
Not a US citizen	63	25.4%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	1,256	19%
French	804	12.2%
Italian	742	11.2%
Irish	50	0.8%

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	34	0.5%
English	30	0.5%
Dutch	29	0.4%
German	26	0.4%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	44.9%
Internet access	88.4%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 28762

What city is ZIP code 28762 in?

ZIP code 28762 is primarily assigned to Old Fort, North Carolina.

What county is ZIP code 28762 in?

ZIP code 28762 falls within Mcdowell County, North Carolina.

Does ZIP code 28762 have an older population?

25% of residents in ZIP code 28762 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

Does ZIP code 28762 have a large retiree population?

46% of households in ZIP code 28762 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Does ZIP code 28762 have a large veteran population?

11% of civilians in ZIP code 28762 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 28762?

The median home value in ZIP code 28762 is $147,600.

What timezone is ZIP code 28762 in?

ZIP code 28762 observes the EST timezone.