28160 ZIP Code — Spindale, NC

Rutherford County, North Carolina

ZIP code 28160 is located in Spindale, North Carolina, within Rutherford County. It covers approximately 5.51 square miles and serves a population of 3,957 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 828.

About ZIP code 28160

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1950s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $113,100. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 46%.

Median household income is $38,170. SNAP benefit usage at 18% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 34% 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 24 minutes is near the national average.

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

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (25%) compared to national benchmarks.

Notable community characteristics include disability rates above the national average at 29%.

Overall, ZIP code 28160 reflects a community defined by a significant Social Security-dependent population and elevated reliance on food assistance.

3,957

population

5.51

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

28160 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 28160

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 28160. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Spindale	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

28043 Forest City (4.8 mi) 28139 Rutherfordton (6.5 mi) 28167 Union Mills (9.2 mi) 28040 Ellenboro (9.8 mi) 28018 Bostic (10.5 mi) 28114 Mooresboro (13.1 mi) 28722 Columbus (13.3 mi) 28756 Mill Spring (13.6 mi) 28746 Lake Lure (15.8 mi) 28782 Tryon (16.9 mi) 29323 Chesnee (17.3 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	3,957
Population density	718 / sq mi
State FIPS	37
County FIPS	161

Geography
Land area	5.51 sq mi
Water area	0.00 sq mi
Latitude	35.3626
Longitude	-81.9255
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	68.2%	58.1%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	21.2%	28.4%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	10.7%	10.0%	19.1%
Over $200k	0.0%	3.5%	6.0%

Demographics & statistics

3,957

Population

718

People per sq mi

50.2

Median age

$38,170

Median household income

$28,220

Per capita income

$113,100

Median home value

$674

Median monthly rent

45.9%

Home ownership

14.6%

Poverty rate

9.0%

Unemployment

1,174

Housing units

20.3%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

108

15–19

107

102

20–24

101

237

25–34

233

303

35–44

298

329

45–54

323

145

55–59

143

213

60–64

210

344

65–74

337

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	356	9.0%
18 and over	3,601	91.0%
65 and over	830	21.0%
Median age	50.2 years

Race & ethnicity

White 74.2%

Black or African American 16.9%

Two or more races 4.4%

Hispanic or Latino 1.8%

Other race 1.5%

Asian 1.1%

Group	Count	%
White	2,989	74.2%
Black or African American	682	16.9%
Two or more races	178	4.4%
Hispanic or Latino	71	1.8%
Other race	62	1.5%
Asian	46	1.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	68.2%	58.1%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	21.2%	28.4%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	10.7%	10.0%	19.1%
Over $200k	0.0%	3.5%	6.0%

Under $10k 3.7%

$10k–$15k 6.9%

$15k–$25k 17.4%

$25k–$35k 17.3%

$35k–$50k 18.7%

$50k–$75k 16.0%

$75k–$100k 3.4%

$100k–$150k 7.7%

$150k–$200k 5.1%

$200k+ 3.7%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	3.7%
$10k–$15k	6.9%
$15k–$25k	17.4%
$25k–$35k	17.3%
$35k–$50k	18.7%
$50k–$75k	16.0%
$75k–$100k	3.4%
$100k–$150k	7.7%
$150k–$200k	5.1%
$200k+	3.7%
Median income	$38,170

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 16.6%

$50k–$100k 29.6%

$100k–$150k 15.2%

$150k–$200k 23.6%

$200k–$300k 13.6%

$300k–$500k 1.3%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$113,100
Median rent / month	$674
Owner occupied	45.9%
Renter occupied	54.1%
Vacant	12.5%
Single-family detached	84.7%
Large apartment buildings	3.9%
Mobile homes	1.8%
Median rooms	5.3
Avg household size (owned)	2.11

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	2.1%
2000–2009	12.3%
1990–1999	3.8%
1980–1989	4.1%
1970–1979	9.1%
1960–1969	6.1%
1950–1959	21.6%
1940–1949	20.4%
1939 or earlier	20.5%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.0%
1 bedroom	13.9%
2 bedrooms	40.9%
3 bedrooms	34.2%
4 bedrooms	5.7%
5+ bedrooms	5.3%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	10.8%
1 vehicle	34.2%
2 vehicles	35.1%
3 or more	20.0%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	14.5%
Electricity	75.1%
Propane / LP gas	5.2%
Fuel oil	5.2%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	650	33.4%
Cohabiting couple	83	4.3%
Male householder, no spouse	398	20.4%
Female householder, no spouse	818	42.0%
Households with children under 18	263	13.5%
Households with seniors (65+)	643	33.0%
Average household size	1.86

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	35.0%	27.6%
Married	37.8%	38.0%
Separated	4.0%	4.4%
Widowed	7.2%	11.0%
Divorced	16.1%	19.0%

Education

Less than 9th grade 6.0%

Some HS, no diploma 12.4%

HS graduate 28.4%

Some college, no degree 26.6%

Associate's degree 6.3%

Bachelor's degree 14.2%

Graduate / professional 6.1%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	81.6%
Bachelor's or higher	20.3%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	34	8.3%
Kindergarten	0	0.0%
Elementary school	208	51.0%
High school	83	20.3%
College / grad school	83	20.3%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 26.7%

Manufacturing 15.5%

Retail trade 13.4%

Arts, food & hospitality 10.4%

Transportation & utilities 10.0%

Construction 9.0%

Professional & management 5.9%

Other services 5.1%

Finance & real estate 2.0%

Wholesale trade 0.9%

Agriculture & mining 0.6%

Information 0.6%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	31.4%
Service	17.6%
Sales & office	19.1%
Natural resources & construction	6.2%
Production & transportation	25.7%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	83.8%
Government	8.5%
Self-employed	7.7%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	81.1%
Carpool	9.4%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.0%
Work from home	7.2%
Other means	2.2%
Avg commute (minutes)	24.3

Poverty

All people 14.6%

Under 18 years 21.3%

18 and over 13.9%

Married-couple families 12.9%

Female-led households 7.3%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	33.8%
Retirement income	25.4%
Supplemental Security	2.8%
Cash public assistance	6.4%
Food stamps / SNAP	17.9%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	35.6%
High blood pressure	39.0%
High cholesterol	33.4%
Diabetes	13.3%
Heart disease	7.9%
Stroke	4.4%
Asthma	10.1%
Arthritis	28.4%
Kidney disease	3.7%
Pulmonary disease	8.9%
Cancer	6.5%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	24.6%
Binge drinking	14.4%
No physical activity	28.3%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	36.5%
Depression	23.2%
Fair or poor health	18.9%
Poor mental health	15.7%
Poor physical health	13.1%
No health insurance	21.7%
Visited doctor (checkup)	78.7%
Visited dentist	53.6%
Cholesterol screening	88.3%
Teeth loss	20.8%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	195	5.4%

Disability	%
Any disability	29.0%
Under 18	0.0%
18–64 years	29.5%
65 and over	39.8%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	59.8%
Public insurance	44.7%
No insurance	13.3%
Uninsured under 19	0.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	3,911	98.8%
Spanish	9	0.2%
Other Indo-European	9	0.2%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	3,927	99.2%
Born in same state	3,926	99.2%
Born in different state	2,681	67.8%
Foreign born	1	0.0%
Naturalized citizen	30	0.8%
Not a US citizen	16	53.3%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	589	14.9%
Arab	549	13.9%
Italian	296	7.5%

Ancestry	Count	%
Irish	20	0.5%
English	14	0.4%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	49.3%
Internet access	84.5%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 28160

What city is ZIP code 28160 in?

ZIP code 28160 is primarily assigned to Spindale, North Carolina.

What county is ZIP code 28160 in?

ZIP code 28160 falls within Rutherford County, North Carolina.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 28160?

The median home value in ZIP code 28160 is $113,100.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 28160?

The median household income in ZIP code 28160 is $38,170, below the national median of ~$75,000.

What is the population of ZIP code 28160?

ZIP code 28160 has an estimated population of 3,957 residents, with a density of 719 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 28160 in?

ZIP code 28160 observes the EST timezone.