28778 ZIP Code — Swannanoa, NC

Buncombe County, North Carolina

ZIP code 28778 is located in Swannanoa, North Carolina, within Buncombe County. It covers approximately 32.48 square miles and serves a population of 11,776 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 828.

About ZIP code 28778

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 $227,700. Owner-occupancy is high at 80%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $67,992. 37% 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 16 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 31% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Notable community characteristics include a notable veteran presence at 12% of civilians, above the national average of 7%.

Overall, ZIP code 28778 reflects a community defined by a strong veteran community, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

11,776

population

32.48

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

28778 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 28778

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 28778. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Swannanoa	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

28805 Asheville (4.1 mi) 28730 Fairview (7.2 mi) 28711 Black Mountain (7.5 mi) 28804 Asheville (8.4 mi) 28709 Barnardsville (8.6 mi) 28810 Asheville (8.7 mi) 28801 Asheville (8.9 mi) 28787 Weaverville (9.3 mi) 28803 Asheville (9.3 mi) 28735 Gerton (10.6 mi) 28762 Old Fort (12 mi) 28732 Fletcher (12.5 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	11,776
Population density	363 / sq mi
State FIPS	37
County FIPS	021

Geography
Land area	32.48 sq mi
Water area	0.11 sq mi
Latitude	35.6281
Longitude	-82.4063
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	53.4%	45.7%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	35.2%	30.8%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	10.3%	17.8%	19.1%
Over $200k	1.1%	5.8%	6.0%

Demographics & statistics

11,776

Population

363

People per sq mi

41.9

Median age

$67,992

Median household income

$28,038

Per capita income

$227,700

Median home value

$990

Median monthly rent

79.9%

Home ownership

13.2%

Poverty rate

1.2%

Unemployment

4,079

Housing units

30.7%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

282

Under 5

321

421

5–9

481

155

10–14

178

332

15–19

380

332

20–24

380

664

25–34

757

751

35–44

857

540

45–54

616

392

55–59

448

657

60–64

749

556

65–74

635

285

75–84

326

131

85+

150

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	1,994	16.9%
18 and over	9,782	83.1%
65 and over	2,083	17.7%
Median age	41.9 years

Race & ethnicity

White 82.9%

Two or more races 6.5%

Hispanic or Latino 5.3%

Black or African American 4.3%

Other race 0.5%

Asian 0.4%

Group	Count	%
White	10,317	82.9%
Two or more races	811	6.5%
Hispanic or Latino	665	5.3%
Black or African American	538	4.3%
Other race	57	0.5%
Asian	51	0.4%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	53.4%	45.7%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	35.2%	30.8%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	10.3%	17.8%	19.1%
Over $200k	1.1%	5.8%	6.0%

Under $10k 2.6%

$10k–$15k 4.2%

$15k–$25k 8.4%

$25k–$35k 6.8%

$35k–$50k 14.5%

$50k–$75k 22.2%

$75k–$100k 18.5%

$100k–$150k 16.5%

$150k–$200k 2.4%

$200k+ 4.0%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	2.6%
$10k–$15k	4.2%
$15k–$25k	8.4%
$25k–$35k	6.8%
$35k–$50k	14.5%
$50k–$75k	22.2%
$75k–$100k	18.5%
$100k–$150k	16.5%
$150k–$200k	2.4%
$200k+	4.0%
Median income	$67,992

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 5.8%

$50k–$100k 6.7%

$100k–$150k 7.7%

$150k–$200k 17.5%

$200k–$300k 30.0%

$300k–$500k 24.6%

$500k–$1M 6.2%

$1M+ 1.5%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$227,700
Median rent / month	$990
Owner occupied	79.9%
Renter occupied	20.1%
Vacant	21.0%
Single-family detached	72.6%
Large apartment buildings	1.3%
Mobile homes	18.6%
Median rooms	5.5
Avg household size (owned)	2.79

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	2.7%
2010–2019	4.6%
2000–2009	20.0%
1990–1999	14.1%
1980–1989	17.6%
1970–1979	14.6%
1960–1969	7.3%
1950–1959	4.8%
1940–1949	4.4%
1939 or earlier	10.1%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	3.4%
1 bedroom	5.3%
2 bedrooms	29.1%
3 bedrooms	53.4%
4 bedrooms	6.5%
5+ bedrooms	2.4%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	2.6%
1 vehicle	29.0%
2 vehicles	51.7%
3 or more	16.7%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	9.5%
Electricity	73.4%
Propane / LP gas	6.1%
Fuel oil	7.4%
Wood	3.2%
No fuel used	0.3%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	1,877	49.0%
Cohabiting couple	498	13.0%
Male householder, no spouse	664	17.3%
Female householder, no spouse	791	20.7%
Households with children under 18	981	25.6%
Households with seniors (65+)	1,309	34.2%
Average household size	2.85

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	36.6%	38.4%
Married	40.0%	37.4%
Separated	1.7%	0.6%
Widowed	6.6%	13.7%
Divorced	15.1%	9.9%

Education

Less than 9th grade 11.0%

Some HS, no diploma 3.6%

HS graduate 31.7%

Some college, no degree 14.6%

Associate's degree 8.3%

Bachelor's degree 19.5%

Graduate / professional 11.2%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	85.4%
Bachelor's or higher	30.7%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	128	5.2%
Kindergarten	123	5.0%
Elementary school	738	30.3%
High school	279	11.4%
College / grad school	1,171	48.0%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 21.6%

Arts, food & hospitality 14.5%

Retail trade 13.3%

Professional & management 10.2%

Manufacturing 8.9%

Other services 8.7%

Construction 7.5%

Transportation & utilities 4.5%

Finance & real estate 3.3%

Public administration 2.5%

Information 2.3%

Agriculture & mining 1.6%

Wholesale trade 1.0%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	34.3%
Service	28.8%
Sales & office	18.8%
Natural resources & construction	8.8%
Production & transportation	9.2%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	79.8%
Government	13.9%
Self-employed	6.4%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	78.7%
Carpool	3.1%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	4.4%
Work from home	12.2%
Other means	1.5%
Avg commute (minutes)	16.3

Poverty

All people 13.2%

Under 18 years 29.8%

18 and over 9.6%

Married-couple families 6.5%

Female-led households 27.2%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	36.6%
Retirement income	31.9%
Supplemental Security	3.3%
Cash public assistance	0.4%
Food stamps / SNAP	5.4%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	29.4%
High blood pressure	29.3%
High cholesterol	30.9%
Diabetes	9.0%
Heart disease	6.3%
Stroke	2.9%
Asthma	9.0%
Arthritis	24.8%
Kidney disease	2.8%
Pulmonary disease	6.7%
Cancer	6.4%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	17.2%
Binge drinking	16.7%
No physical activity	19.4%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	29.9%
Depression	24.3%
Fair or poor health	12.0%
Poor mental health	14.7%
Poor physical health	10.0%
No health insurance	16.5%
Visited doctor (checkup)	76.5%
Visited dentist	65.1%
Cholesterol screening	88.2%
Teeth loss	13.5%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	1,169	12.0%

Disability	%
Any disability	21.4%
Under 18	4.3%
18–64 years	22.0%
65 and over	36.8%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	60.5%
Public insurance	38.1%
No insurance	13.6%
Uninsured under 19	16.6%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	11,173	94.9%
Spanish	400	3.6%
Other Indo-European	373	3.3%
Asian & Pacific Islander	2	0.0%
Other languages	21	0.2%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	11,406	96.9%
Born in same state	11,261	95.6%
Born in different state	6,667	56.6%
Foreign born	145	1.2%
Naturalized citizen	370	3.1%
Not a US citizen	156	42.2%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	3,335	28.3%
Italian	932	7.9%
Arab	854	7.3%
Polish	66	0.6%

Ancestry	Count	%
Irish	42	0.4%
German	35	0.3%
Norwegian	12	0.1%
English	10	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	32.5%
Internet access	87.6%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 28778

What city is ZIP code 28778 in?

ZIP code 28778 is primarily assigned to Swannanoa, North Carolina.

What county is ZIP code 28778 in?

ZIP code 28778 falls within Buncombe County, North Carolina.

Does ZIP code 28778 have a large veteran population?

12% of civilians in ZIP code 28778 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

Does ZIP code 28778 have a large retiree population?

37% of households in ZIP code 28778 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the population of ZIP code 28778?

ZIP code 28778 has an estimated population of 11,776 residents, with a density of 363 people per square mile.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 28778?

The median home value in ZIP code 28778 is $227,700.

What timezone is ZIP code 28778 in?

ZIP code 28778 observes the EST timezone.