28779 ZIP Code — Sylva, NC

Jackson County, North Carolina

ZIP code 28779 is located in Sylva, North Carolina, within Jackson County. It covers approximately 108.01 square miles and serves a population of 18,421 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 828.

About ZIP code 28779

The housing stock consists of a higher-than-average concentration of mobile homes. Most homes were built in the 1980s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $224,600. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 65%.

Median household income is $53,470. 40% 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.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 29% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

18,421

population

108.01

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

28779 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 28779

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 28779. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Sylva	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

28789 Whittier (7.5 mi) 28723 Cullowhee (8 mi) 28783 Tuckasegee (12 mi) 28751 Maggie Valley (12.3 mi) 28736 Glenville (12.9 mi) 28786 Waynesville (13.6 mi) 28745 Lake Junaluska (17.1 mi) 28719 Cherokee (18.2 mi) 28708 Balsam Grove (18.2 mi) 28741 Highlands (18.8 mi) 28734 Franklin (18.9 mi) 28717 Cashiers (19.2 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	18,421
Population density	171 / sq mi
State FIPS	37
County FIPS	099

Geography
Land area	108.01 sq mi
Water area	0.00 sq mi
Latitude	35.3468
Longitude	-83.1840
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	49.3%	53.4%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	32.7%	31.8%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	15.0%	11.7%	19.1%
Over $200k	3.0%	3.1%	6.0%

Demographics & statistics

18,421

Population

171

People per sq mi

42.9

Median age

$53,470

Median household income

$31,298

Per capita income

$224,600

Median home value

$745

Median monthly rent

65.0%

Home ownership

16.3%

Poverty rate

2.6%

Unemployment

6,857

Housing units

29.4%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

442

Under 5

458

580

5–9

601

508

10–14

527

428

15–19

444

581

20–24

602

1,080

25–34

1,121

1,148

35–44

1,191

1,208

45–54

1,253

404

55–59

420

654

60–64

679

1,283

65–74

1,331

542

75–84

562

184

85+

190

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	3,847	20.9%
18 and over	14,574	79.1%
65 and over	4,092	22.2%
Median age	42.9 years

Race & ethnicity

White 86.8%

Two or more races 5.1%

Hispanic or Latino 2.9%

American Indian / Alaska Native 1.9%

Other race 1.3%

Asian 1.2%

Black or African American 0.8%

Group	Count	%
White	16,467	86.8%
Two or more races	959	5.1%
Hispanic or Latino	544	2.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native	351	1.9%
Other race	255	1.3%
Asian	235	1.2%
Black or African American	154	0.8%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	49.3%	53.4%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	32.7%	31.8%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	15.0%	11.7%	19.1%
Over $200k	3.0%	3.1%	6.0%

Under $10k 5.9%

$10k–$15k 8.4%

$15k–$25k 7.2%

$25k–$35k 11.7%

$35k–$50k 13.5%

$50k–$75k 16.8%

$75k–$100k 15.7%

$100k–$150k 14.1%

$150k–$200k 4.2%

$200k+ 2.3%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	5.9%
$10k–$15k	8.4%
$15k–$25k	7.2%
$25k–$35k	11.7%
$35k–$50k	13.5%
$50k–$75k	16.8%
$75k–$100k	15.7%
$100k–$150k	14.1%
$150k–$200k	4.2%
$200k+	2.3%
Median income	$53,470

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 2.6%

$50k–$100k 5.9%

$100k–$150k 14.2%

$150k–$200k 18.3%

$200k–$300k 34.3%

$300k–$500k 20.0%

$500k–$1M 3.7%

$1M+ 1.0%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$224,600
Median rent / month	$745
Owner occupied	65.0%
Renter occupied	35.0%
Vacant	15.6%
Single-family detached	69.4%
Large apartment buildings	0.4%
Mobile homes	21.4%
Median rooms	4.9
Avg household size (owned)	2.24

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.3%
2010–2019	4.8%
2000–2009	17.7%
1990–1999	16.4%
1980–1989	21.4%
1970–1979	14.3%
1960–1969	7.3%
1950–1959	4.9%
1940–1949	5.6%
1939 or earlier	7.2%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	3.7%
1 bedroom	6.6%
2 bedrooms	33.6%
3 bedrooms	48.0%
4 bedrooms	7.3%
5+ bedrooms	0.9%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	4.8%
1 vehicle	32.4%
2 vehicles	38.0%
3 or more	24.8%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	0.8%
Electricity	70.8%
Propane / LP gas	17.3%
Fuel oil	5.4%
Wood	3.4%
Solar	0.2%
No fuel used	0.7%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	3,830	46.6%
Cohabiting couple	503	6.1%
Male householder, no spouse	1,531	18.6%
Female householder, no spouse	2,350	28.6%
Households with children under 18	1,738	21.2%
Households with seniors (65+)	2,856	34.8%
Average household size	2.22

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	32.2%	21.5%
Married	51.3%	52.1%
Separated	1.8%	2.9%
Widowed	2.2%	10.5%
Divorced	12.4%	12.9%

Education

Less than 9th grade 3.5%

Some HS, no diploma 3.5%

HS graduate 29.7%

Some college, no degree 20.5%

Associate's degree 13.3%

Bachelor's degree 17.5%

Graduate / professional 11.9%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	93.0%
Bachelor's or higher	29.4%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	121	3.1%
Kindergarten	269	6.9%
Elementary school	1,747	45.1%
High school	844	21.8%
College / grad school	896	23.1%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 38.2%

Retail trade 11.4%

Arts, food & hospitality 10.1%

Other services 7.5%

Construction 6.4%

Professional & management 5.7%

Public administration 5.0%

Manufacturing 4.4%

Finance & real estate 3.9%

Transportation & utilities 3.4%

Information 2.0%

Wholesale trade 1.4%

Agriculture & mining 0.5%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	37.0%
Service	27.0%
Sales & office	15.7%
Natural resources & construction	10.3%
Production & transportation	10.0%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	65.0%
Government	27.2%
Self-employed	7.7%
Unpaid family workers	0.1%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	86.2%
Carpool	6.3%
Public transit	0.1%
Walk	1.8%
Work from home	5.4%
Other means	0.3%
Avg commute (minutes)	20.8

Poverty

All people 16.3%

Under 18 years 26.6%

18 and over 13.8%

Married-couple families 3.6%

Female-led households 42.6%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	39.8%
Retirement income	26.6%
Supplemental Security	5.2%
Cash public assistance	1.8%
Food stamps / SNAP	13.8%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	34.0%
High blood pressure	35.0%
High cholesterol	36.8%
Diabetes	10.7%
Heart disease	7.4%
Stroke	3.4%
Asthma	9.2%
Arthritis	26.9%
Kidney disease	3.2%
Pulmonary disease	7.6%
Cancer	7.4%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	17.8%
Binge drinking	15.7%
No physical activity	20.8%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	29.9%
Depression	23.4%
Fair or poor health	13.5%
Poor mental health	14.1%
Poor physical health	10.9%
No health insurance	15.2%
Visited doctor (checkup)	78.1%
Visited dentist	65.7%
Cholesterol screening	90.1%
Teeth loss	13.2%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	1,463	10.1%

Disability	%
Any disability	13.6%
Under 18	1.7%
18–64 years	12.5%
65 and over	28.2%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	66.0%
Public insurance	39.6%
No insurance	12.0%
Uninsured under 19	7.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	17,521	95.1%
Spanish	263	1.5%
Other Indo-European	150	0.9%
Asian & Pacific Islander	101	0.6%
Other languages	12	0.1%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	17,809	96.7%
Born in same state	17,723	96.2%
Born in different state	11,273	61.2%
Foreign born	86	0.5%
Naturalized citizen	612	3.3%
Not a US citizen	253	41.3%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	3,297	17.9%
French	3,144	17.1%
Italian	1,704	9.3%
English	248	1.3%

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	73	0.4%
Dutch	15	0.1%
German	11	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	44.6%
Internet access	93.6%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 28779

What city is ZIP code 28779 in?

ZIP code 28779 is primarily assigned to Sylva, North Carolina.

What county is ZIP code 28779 in?

ZIP code 28779 falls within Jackson County, North Carolina.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 28779?

16% of residents in ZIP code 28779 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

Does ZIP code 28779 have a large retiree population?

40% of households in ZIP code 28779 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Does ZIP code 28779 have a large veteran population?

10% of civilians in ZIP code 28779 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

What is the population of ZIP code 28779?

ZIP code 28779 has an estimated population of 18,421 residents, with a density of 171 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 28779 in?

ZIP code 28779 observes the EST timezone.