28781 ZIP Code — Topton, NC

Cherokee County, North Carolina

ZIP code 28781 is located in Topton, North Carolina, within Cherokee County. It covers approximately 71.63 square miles and serves a population of 914 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 828.

About ZIP code 28781

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 $244,200. Owner-occupancy is high at 80%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $40,515. The poverty rate of 5% is below the national average. 70% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is sales and office, with construction as the leading industry. The average commute of 25 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 26% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Health indicators show elevated rates of diabetes (15%), smoking (21%) compared to national benchmarks.

Notable community characteristics include a notable veteran presence at 24% of civilians, above the national average of 7%; and disability rates above the national average at 25%.

Overall, ZIP code 28781 reflects a community defined by a strong veteran community, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

914

population

71.63

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

28781 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 28781

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 28781. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Topton	Acceptable
Topton	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

28901 Andrews (8.8 mi) 28904 Hayesville (10.3 mi) 28702 Almond (11.6 mi) 28734 Franklin (13.1 mi) 28771 Robbinsville (13.8 mi) 28905 Marble (15.8 mi) 28713 Bryson City (15.8 mi) 28733 Fontana Dam (17.4 mi) 28763 Otto (18.5 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	914
Population density	13 / sq mi
State FIPS	37
County FIPS	039

Geography
Land area	71.63 sq mi
Water area	2.40 sq mi
Latitude	35.2172
Longitude	-83.6571
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	72.7%	59.8%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	19.7%	27.1%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	1.9%	11.4%	19.1%
Over $200k	5.7%	1.7%	6.0%

Demographics & statistics

914

Population

People per sq mi

65.0

Median age

$40,515

Median household income

$36,196

Per capita income

$244,200

Median home value

$634

Median monthly rent

80.4%

Home ownership

4.6%

Poverty rate

5.7%

Unemployment

838

Housing units

26.0%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

15–19

25–34

35–44

45–54

55–59

60–64

140

65–74

138

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	42	4.6%
18 and over	872	95.4%
65 and over	456	49.9%
Median age	65.0 years

Race & ethnicity

White 91.2%

Two or more races 6.6%

American Indian / Alaska Native 2.2%

Group	Count	%
White	834	91.2%
Two or more races	60	6.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native	20	2.2%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	72.7%	59.8%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	19.7%	27.1%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	1.9%	11.4%	19.1%
Over $200k	5.7%	1.7%	6.0%

$10k–$15k 10.2%

$15k–$25k 17.3%

$25k–$35k 21.8%

$35k–$50k 9.6%

$50k–$75k 7.7%

$75k–$100k 14.9%

$100k–$150k 10.4%

$150k–$200k 6.1%

$200k+ 2.0%

Range	% of households
$10k–$15k	10.2%
$15k–$25k	17.3%
$25k–$35k	21.8%
$35k–$50k	9.6%
$50k–$75k	7.7%
$75k–$100k	14.9%
$100k–$150k	10.4%
$150k–$200k	6.1%
$200k+	2.0%
Median income	$40,515

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 4.4%

$50k–$100k 9.3%

$100k–$150k 18.8%

$150k–$200k 5.4%

$200k–$300k 37.7%

$300k–$500k 20.8%

$500k–$1M 3.7%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$244,200
Median rent / month	$634
Owner occupied	80.4%
Renter occupied	19.6%
Vacant	45.7%
Single-family detached	81.8%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	13.4%
Median rooms	4.7
Avg household size (owned)	1.65

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	6.5%
2000–2009	24.0%
1990–1999	7.5%
1980–1989	19.6%
1970–1979	23.0%
1960–1969	2.9%
1950–1959	6.1%
1940–1949	1.0%
1939 or earlier	9.5%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.9%
1 bedroom	9.3%
2 bedrooms	44.3%
3 bedrooms	35.7%
4 bedrooms	7.5%
5+ bedrooms	2.3%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	1.6%
1 vehicle	39.1%
2 vehicles	38.9%
3 or more	20.4%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	5.1%
Electricity	42.2%
Propane / LP gas	30.3%
Fuel oil	9.2%
Wood	13.2%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	302	59.3%
Cohabiting couple	0	0.0%
Male householder, no spouse	116	22.8%
Female householder, no spouse	91	17.9%
Households with children under 18	61	12.0%
Households with seniors (65+)	341	67.0%
Average household size	1.80

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	8.5%	7.2%
Married	68.2%	72.4%
Separated	4.6%	0.0%
Widowed	6.1%	18.0%
Divorced	12.6%	2.5%

Education

Less than 9th grade 5.9%

Some HS, no diploma 4.5%

HS graduate 44.3%

Some college, no degree 12.2%

Associate's degree 7.1%

Bachelor's degree 15.5%

Graduate / professional 10.5%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	89.6%
Bachelor's or higher	26.0%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	0	0.0%
Kindergarten	0	0.0%
Elementary school	0	0.0%
High school	41	100.0%
College / grad school	0	0.0%

Employment

Industry of employment

Construction 29.2%

Arts, food & hospitality 24.8%

Professional & management 11.7%

Education & healthcare 9.2%

Finance & real estate 8.6%

Agriculture & mining 5.1%

Other services 4.4%

Public administration 3.8%

Retail trade 3.2%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	10.8%
Service	18.7%
Sales & office	34.6%
Natural resources & construction	15.2%
Production & transportation	20.6%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	61.9%
Government	22.9%
Self-employed	15.2%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	84.2%
Carpool	0.0%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	3.3%
Work from home	7.3%
Other means	5.3%
Avg commute (minutes)	25.1

Poverty

All people 4.6%

Under 18 years 0.0%

18 and over 4.8%

Married-couple families 0.0%

Female-led households 0.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	69.9%
Retirement income	36.1%
Supplemental Security	3.3%
Cash public assistance	0.0%
Food stamps / SNAP	6.9%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	34.5%
High blood pressure	43.2%
High cholesterol	43.1%
Diabetes	15.2%
Heart disease	11.3%
Stroke	5.2%
Asthma	9.3%
Arthritis	35.6%
Kidney disease	4.6%
Pulmonary disease	11.7%
Cancer	9.5%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	20.8%
Binge drinking	12.6%
No physical activity	27.2%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	30.4%
Depression	23.5%
Fair or poor health	19.4%
Poor mental health	13.7%
Poor physical health	14.5%
No health insurance	17.2%
Visited doctor (checkup)	81.1%
Visited dentist	59.9%
Cholesterol screening	91.2%
Teeth loss	17.9%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	207	23.7%

Disability	%
Any disability	24.7%
Under 18	0.0%
18–64 years	4.3%
65 and over	45.6%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	57.1%
Public insurance	61.7%
No insurance	5.4%
Uninsured under 19	17.6%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	904	98.9%
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)	914	100.0%
Born in same state	914	100.0%
Born in different state	410	44.9%
Foreign born	0	0.0%
Naturalized citizen	0	0.0%
Not a US citizen	0	0.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	298	32.6%
French	182	19.9%

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	142	15.5%
German	25	2.7%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	55.7%
Internet access	79.4%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 28781

What city is ZIP code 28781 in?

ZIP code 28781 is primarily assigned to Topton, North Carolina.

What county is ZIP code 28781 in?

ZIP code 28781 falls within Macon County, North Carolina.

Does ZIP code 28781 have an older population?

50% of residents in ZIP code 28781 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

Does ZIP code 28781 have a large retiree population?

70% of households in ZIP code 28781 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Does ZIP code 28781 have a large veteran population?

24% of civilians in ZIP code 28781 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

Is ZIP code 28781 mostly owner-occupied?

80% of occupied units in ZIP code 28781 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

What timezone is ZIP code 28781 in?

ZIP code 28781 observes the EST timezone.