28774 ZIP Code — Sapphire, NC

Transylvania County, North Carolina

ZIP code 28774 is located in Sapphire, North Carolina, within Transylvania County. It covers approximately 54.44 square miles and serves a population of 1,274 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 828.

About ZIP code 28774

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 $593,500. Owner-occupancy is high at 83%, well above the national average.

The gap between median ($113,798) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. 58% 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. Remote work is prevalent — 25% of workers work from home.

Educational attainment is high — 52% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher, well above the national average of 33%.

Overall, ZIP code 28774 reflects a community defined by a highly educated population, high homeownership, a high rate of remote workers, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

1,274

population

54.44

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

28774 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 28774

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 28774. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Sapphire	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

28747 Lake Toxaway (5 mi) 28717 Cashiers (5.2 mi) 28736 Glenville (7.6 mi) 28783 Tuckasegee (9.1 mi) 28772 Rosman (9.4 mi) 28741 Highlands (11.4 mi) 28708 Balsam Grove (11.6 mi) 29676 Salem (11.7 mi) 29685 Sunset (11.8 mi) 28723 Cullowhee (12.3 mi) 29686 Tamassee (13.7 mi) 28712 Brevard (16 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	1,274
Population density	23 / sq mi
State FIPS	37
County FIPS	175

Geography
Land area	54.44 sq mi
Water area	0.33 sq mi
Latitude	35.0941
Longitude	-83.0032
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	27.9%	48.1%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	15.9%	31.2%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	27.6%	15.8%	19.1%
Over $200k	28.6%	4.8%	6.0%

Demographics & statistics

1,274

Population

People per sq mi

63.7

Median age

$113,798

Median household income

$65,868

Per capita income

$593,500

Median home value

$1,644

Median monthly rent

83.4%

Home ownership

9.2%

Poverty rate

1.8%

Unemployment

2,349

Housing units

52.2%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

5–9

10–14

15–19

20–24

25–34

35–44

45–54

55–59

60–64

140

65–74

201

75–84

104

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	57	4.5%
18 and over	1,217	95.5%
65 and over	592	46.5%
Median age	63.7 years

Race & ethnicity

White 89%

Hispanic or Latino 4.9%

Two or more races 3.5%

Other race 1.8%

Asian 0.8%

Group	Count	%
White	1,192	89%
Hispanic or Latino	66	4.9%
Two or more races	47	3.5%
Other race	24	1.8%
Asian	11	0.8%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	27.9%	48.1%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	15.9%	31.2%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	27.6%	15.8%	19.1%
Over $200k	28.6%	4.8%	6.0%

Under $10k 1.5%

$15k–$25k 6.1%

$25k–$35k 4.3%

$35k–$50k 13.8%

$50k–$75k 14.4%

$75k–$100k 4.8%

$100k–$150k 18.4%

$150k–$200k 6.4%

$200k+ 30.3%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	1.5%
$15k–$25k	6.1%
$25k–$35k	4.3%
$35k–$50k	13.8%
$50k–$75k	14.4%
$75k–$100k	4.8%
$100k–$150k	18.4%
$150k–$200k	6.4%
$200k+	30.3%
Median income	$113,798

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 0.2%

$150k–$200k 8.7%

$200k–$300k 1.4%

$300k–$500k 31.2%

$500k–$1M 45.8%

$1M+ 12.7%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$593,500
Median rent / month	$1,644
Owner occupied	83.4%
Renter occupied	16.6%
Vacant	72.7%
Single-family detached	75.4%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	0.7%
Median rooms	4.3
Avg household size (owned)	1.83

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	4.1%
2000–2009	28.6%
1990–1999	25.8%
1980–1989	25.1%
1970–1979	11.7%
1960–1969	3.9%
1950–1959	0.8%
1940–1949	0.0%
1939 or earlier	0.0%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.0%
1 bedroom	8.9%
2 bedrooms	29.3%
3 bedrooms	46.4%
4 bedrooms	14.2%
5+ bedrooms	1.1%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	0.0%
1 vehicle	28.5%
2 vehicles	67.2%
3 or more	4.3%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	7.4%
Electricity	50.8%
Propane / LP gas	40.7%
Wood	1.0%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	407	60.5%
Cohabiting couple	84	12.5%
Male householder, no spouse	37	5.5%
Female householder, no spouse	145	21.5%
Households with children under 18	51	7.6%
Households with seniors (65+)	440	65.4%
Average household size	1.89

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	11.3%	4.7%
Married	74.8%	68.9%
Separated	0.0%	0.0%
Widowed	4.4%	9.5%
Divorced	9.5%	16.9%

Education

Less than 9th grade 2.5%

Some HS, no diploma 4.9%

HS graduate 17.6%

Some college, no degree 12.1%

Associate's degree 10.6%

Bachelor's degree 25.6%

Graduate / professional 26.6%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	92.5%
Bachelor's or higher	52.2%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	0	0.0%
Kindergarten	33	40.2%
Elementary school	24	29.3%
High school	0	0.0%
College / grad school	25	30.5%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 28.7%

Finance & real estate 24.0%

Arts, food & hospitality 20.1%

Professional & management 9.4%

Retail trade 7.7%

Construction 7.2%

Public administration 1.8%

Other services 1.0%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	55.5%
Service	18.3%
Sales & office	26.2%
Natural resources & construction	0.0%
Production & transportation	0.0%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	86.6%
Government	6.2%
Self-employed	7.2%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	68.5%
Carpool	6.7%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.0%
Work from home	24.8%
Other means	0.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	21.4

Poverty

All people 9.2%

Under 18 years 0.0%

18 and over 9.6%

Married-couple families 6.6%

Female-led households 0.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	58.2%
Retirement income	36.6%
Supplemental Security	2.8%
Cash public assistance	0.0%
Food stamps / SNAP	0.1%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	30.3%
High blood pressure	41.0%
High cholesterol	42.6%
Diabetes	12.7%
Heart disease	9.5%
Stroke	4.1%
Asthma	8.5%
Arthritis	32.9%
Kidney disease	3.9%
Pulmonary disease	8.8%
Cancer	9.9%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	16.0%
Binge drinking	13.1%
No physical activity	22.1%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	28.8%
Depression	21.4%
Fair or poor health	14.4%
Poor mental health	12.1%
Poor physical health	11.6%
No health insurance	14.9%
Visited doctor (checkup)	81.5%
Visited dentist	68.1%
Cholesterol screening	92.8%
Teeth loss	12.1%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	80	6.6%

Disability	%
Any disability	9.3%
Under 18	0.0%
18–64 years	2.4%
65 and over	17.6%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	72.6%
Public insurance	49.5%
No insurance	10.1%
Uninsured under 19	0.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	1,274	100.0%
Spanish	41	3.2%
Other Indo-European	30	2.4%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	11	0.9%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	1,205	94.6%
Born in same state	1,205	94.6%
Born in different state	144	11.3%
Foreign born	0	0.0%
Naturalized citizen	69	5.4%
Not a US citizen	9	13.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	353	27.7%
French	249	19.5%
Italian	182	14.3%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	26	2%
Polish	11	0.9%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	52.8%
Internet access	94.5%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 28774

What city is ZIP code 28774 in?

ZIP code 28774 is primarily assigned to Sapphire, North Carolina.

What county is ZIP code 28774 in?

ZIP code 28774 falls within Jackson County, North Carolina.

Does ZIP code 28774 have an older population?

47% of residents in ZIP code 28774 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

Does ZIP code 28774 have a large retiree population?

58% of households in ZIP code 28774 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 28774?

52% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — well above the national average of ~33%, reflecting a highly educated population.

Is ZIP code 28774 mostly owner-occupied?

83% of occupied units in ZIP code 28774 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

What timezone is ZIP code 28774 in?

ZIP code 28774 observes the EST timezone.