28671 ZIP Code — Rutherford College, NC

Burke County, North Carolina

ZIP code 28671 is located in Rutherford College, North Carolina, within Burke County. It covers approximately 0.41 square miles and serves a population of 386 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 828.

About ZIP code 28671

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the pre-1940, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $183,900. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 69%.

Median household income is $50,469. The poverty rate of 5% is below the national average. 68% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is service, with arts, entertainment, and food service as the leading industry. The average commute of 21 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 20% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

25% of residents lack health insurance, above the national average.

Notable community characteristics include disability rates above the national average at 34%.

386

population

0.41

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

28671 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 28671

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 28671. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Rutherford College	Acceptable

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	386
Population density	941 / sq mi
State FIPS	37
County FIPS	023

Geography
Land area	0.41 sq mi
Water area	0.00 sq mi
Latitude	35.7528
Longitude	-81.5341
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	68.0%	55.7%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	24.0%	29.5%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	8.0%	12.5%	19.1%
Over $200k	0.0%	2.3%	6.0%

Demographics & statistics

386

Population

941

People per sq mi

63.4

Median age

$50,469

Median household income

$21,102

Per capita income

$183,900

Median home value

$1,049

Median monthly rent

68.9%

Home ownership

5.3%

Poverty rate

0.0%

Unemployment

108

Housing units

20.3%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

20–24

25–34

35–44

45–54

55–59

60–64

65–74

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	19	4.9%
18 and over	367	95.1%
65 and over	189	49.0%
Median age	63.4 years

Race & ethnicity

White 89.4%

Black or African American 5.4%

Two or more races 5.2%

Group	Count	%
White	345	89.4%
Black or African American	21	5.4%
Two or more races	20	5.2%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	68.0%	55.7%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	24.0%	29.5%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	8.0%	12.5%	19.1%
Over $200k	0.0%	2.3%	6.0%

$15k–$25k 25.2%

$25k–$35k 15.1%

$35k–$50k 8.4%

$50k–$75k 37.8%

$75k–$100k 5.9%

$150k–$200k 4.2%

$200k+ 3.4%

Range	% of households
$15k–$25k	25.2%
$25k–$35k	15.1%
$35k–$50k	8.4%
$50k–$75k	37.8%
$75k–$100k	5.9%
$150k–$200k	4.2%
$200k+	3.4%
Median income	$50,469

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 12.2%

$50k–$100k 17.1%

$100k–$150k 11.0%

$150k–$200k 20.7%

$200k–$300k 11.0%

$300k–$500k 28.0%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$183,900
Median rent / month	$1,049
Owner occupied	68.9%
Renter occupied	31.1%
Vacant	17.9%
Single-family detached	93.8%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	0.0%
Median rooms	5.2
Avg household size (owned)	2.05

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	13.1%
2000–2009	4.8%
1990–1999	9.0%
1980–1989	5.5%
1970–1979	12.4%
1960–1969	23.4%
1950–1959	0.0%
1940–1949	4.8%
1939 or earlier	26.9%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	6.2%
1 bedroom	0.0%
2 bedrooms	18.6%
3 bedrooms	64.1%
4 bedrooms	2.8%
5+ bedrooms	8.3%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	4.2%
1 vehicle	42.9%
2 vehicles	41.2%
3 or more	11.8%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	26.1%
Electricity	52.1%
Propane / LP gas	9.2%
Fuel oil	12.6%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	76	63.9%
Cohabiting couple	0	0.0%
Male householder, no spouse	26	21.8%
Female householder, no spouse	17	14.3%
Households with children under 18	9	7.6%
Households with seniors (65+)	63	52.9%
Average household size	2.21

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	33.9%	18.4%
Married	53.1%	34.7%
Separated	0.0%	2.6%
Widowed	6.8%	32.1%
Divorced	6.2%	12.1%

Education

Less than 9th grade 9.0%

Some HS, no diploma 11.0%

HS graduate 33.2%

Some college, no degree 19.0%

Associate's degree 7.4%

Bachelor's degree 18.7%

Graduate / professional 1.6%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	80.0%
Bachelor's or higher	20.3%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	5	26.3%
Kindergarten	0	0.0%
Elementary school	14	73.7%
High school	0	0.0%
College / grad school	0	0.0%

Employment

Industry of employment

Arts, food & hospitality 40.4%

Education & healthcare 18.4%

Construction 17.5%

Manufacturing 9.6%

Professional & management 7.9%

Finance & real estate 3.5%

Retail trade 2.6%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	26.3%
Service	40.4%
Sales & office	6.1%
Natural resources & construction	17.5%
Production & transportation	9.6%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	64.0%
Government	14.0%
Self-employed	4.4%
Unpaid family workers	17.5%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	89.5%
Carpool	0.0%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.0%
Work from home	10.5%
Other means	0.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	21.1

Poverty

All people 5.3%

Under 18 years 31.6%

18 and over 3.3%

Married-couple families 0.0%

Female-led households 100.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	68.1%
Retirement income	43.7%
Supplemental Security	3.4%
Cash public assistance	0.0%
Food stamps / SNAP	7.6%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	28.9%
High blood pressure	39.0%
High cholesterol	38.2%
Diabetes	11.5%
Heart disease	9.3%
Stroke	4.3%
Asthma	8.9%
Arthritis	32.4%
Kidney disease	3.9%
Pulmonary disease	9.1%
Cancer	10.0%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	17.5%
Binge drinking	13.7%
No physical activity	26.0%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	30.9%
Depression	23.5%
Fair or poor health	15.9%
Poor mental health	13.3%
Poor physical health	12.0%
No health insurance	16.3%
Visited doctor (checkup)	81.2%
Visited dentist	63.9%
Cholesterol screening	91.4%
Teeth loss	16.1%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	29	7.9%

Disability	%
Any disability	33.8%
Under 18	15.8%
18–64 years	17.2%
65 and over	67.8%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	51.7%
Public insurance	48.3%
No insurance	25.1%
Uninsured under 19	0.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	381	98.7%
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)	386	100.0%
Born in same state	386	100.0%
Born in different state	358	92.7%
Foreign born	0	0.0%
Naturalized citizen	0	0.0%
Not a US citizen	0	0.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	73	18.9%
Arab	61	15.8%

Ancestry	Count	%
French	29	7.5%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	30.8%
Internet access	77.3%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 28671

What city is ZIP code 28671 in?

ZIP code 28671 is primarily assigned to Rutherford College, North Carolina.

What county is ZIP code 28671 in?

ZIP code 28671 falls within Burke County, North Carolina.

Does ZIP code 28671 have an older population?

49% of residents in ZIP code 28671 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

Does ZIP code 28671 have a large retiree population?

68% of households in ZIP code 28671 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 28671?

The median home value in ZIP code 28671 is $183,900.

What is the population of ZIP code 28671?

ZIP code 28671 has an estimated population of 386 residents, with a density of 937 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 28671 in?

ZIP code 28671 observes the EST timezone.