28785 ZIP Code — Waynesville, NC

Haywood County, North Carolina

ZIP code 28785 is located in Waynesville, North Carolina, within Haywood County. It covers approximately 168.36 square miles and serves a population of 8,124 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 828.

About ZIP code 28785

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 $263,800. Owner-occupancy is high at 82%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $59,700. 49% 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.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 32% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Notable community characteristics include a notable veteran presence at 13% of civilians, above the national average of 7%.

Overall, ZIP code 28785 reflects a community defined by a strong veteran community, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

8,124

population

168.36

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

28785 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 28785

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 28785. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Waynesville	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

28721 Clyde (4 mi) 28745 Lake Junaluska (6.4 mi) 28751 Maggie Valley (8.1 mi) 28786 Waynesville (11.2 mi) 28719 Cherokee (11.7 mi) 28716 Canton (13.4 mi) 28748 Leicester (14.7 mi) 37753 Hartford (16 mi) 28743 Hot Springs (17.2 mi) 37722 Cosby (17.8 mi) 28789 Whittier (18.3 mi) 28715 Candler (18.5 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	8,124
Population density	48 / sq mi
State FIPS	37
County FIPS	087

Geography
Land area	168.36 sq mi
Water area	0.47 sq mi
Latitude	35.6078
Longitude	-83.0226
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	42.1%	48.4%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	34.4%	32.2%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	17.4%	15.4%	19.1%
Over $200k	6.1%	3.9%	6.0%

Demographics & statistics

8,124

Population

People per sq mi

47.9

Median age

$59,700

Median household income

$34,724

Per capita income

$263,800

Median home value

$1,009

Median monthly rent

82.2%

Home ownership

9.9%

Poverty rate

4.0%

Unemployment

4,171

Housing units

31.8%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

117

5–9

115

262

10–14

255

307

15–19

300

205

20–24

201

369

25–34

361

479

35–44

467

580

45–54

566

263

55–59

256

360

60–64

351

666

65–74

650

339

75–84

331

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	1,286	15.8%
18 and over	6,838	84.2%
65 and over	2,142	26.4%
Median age	47.9 years

Race & ethnicity

White 92.6%

Two or more races 4.9%

Hispanic or Latino 1.7%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%

Other race 0.2%

Asian 0.2%

Group	Count	%
White	7,657	92.6%
Two or more races	406	4.9%
Hispanic or Latino	143	1.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native	24	0.3%
Other race	19	0.2%
Asian	18	0.2%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	42.1%	48.4%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	34.4%	32.2%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	17.4%	15.4%	19.1%
Over $200k	6.1%	3.9%	6.0%

Under $10k 6.3%

$10k–$15k 3.5%

$15k–$25k 5.8%

$25k–$35k 7.8%

$35k–$50k 17.0%

$50k–$75k 16.9%

$75k–$100k 11.5%

$100k–$150k 20.4%

$150k–$200k 4.4%

$200k+ 6.5%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	6.3%
$10k–$15k	3.5%
$15k–$25k	5.8%
$25k–$35k	7.8%
$35k–$50k	17.0%
$50k–$75k	16.9%
$75k–$100k	11.5%
$100k–$150k	20.4%
$150k–$200k	4.4%
$200k+	6.5%
Median income	$59,700

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 9.5%

$50k–$100k 4.9%

$100k–$150k 9.7%

$150k–$200k 10.8%

$200k–$300k 23.9%

$300k–$500k 26.9%

$500k–$1M 11.8%

$1M+ 2.6%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$263,800
Median rent / month	$1,009
Owner occupied	82.2%
Renter occupied	17.8%
Vacant	31.6%
Single-family detached	76.4%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	17.8%
Median rooms	5.4
Avg household size (owned)	2.62

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.9%
2010–2019	5.9%
2000–2009	26.5%
1990–1999	22.3%
1980–1989	15.5%
1970–1979	9.6%
1960–1969	6.3%
1950–1959	6.9%
1940–1949	1.3%
1939 or earlier	4.7%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	1.0%
1 bedroom	6.8%
2 bedrooms	31.0%
3 bedrooms	50.6%
4 bedrooms	7.7%
5+ bedrooms	3.0%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	2.7%
1 vehicle	27.8%
2 vehicles	43.9%
3 or more	25.6%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	1.8%
Electricity	57.2%
Propane / LP gas	18.4%
Fuel oil	13.1%
Wood	9.2%
No fuel used	0.3%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	1,800	55.4%
Cohabiting couple	177	5.4%
Male householder, no spouse	297	9.1%
Female householder, no spouse	974	30.0%
Households with children under 18	715	22.0%
Households with seniors (65+)	1,517	46.7%
Average household size	2.50

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	36.3%	15.7%
Married	53.1%	53.4%
Separated	0.5%	3.1%
Widowed	1.1%	12.2%
Divorced	9.0%	15.6%

Education

Less than 9th grade 1.8%

Some HS, no diploma 8.5%

HS graduate 22.6%

Some college, no degree 18.1%

Associate's degree 17.1%

Bachelor's degree 20.3%

Graduate / professional 11.5%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	89.7%
Bachelor's or higher	31.8%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	79	5.1%
Kindergarten	82	5.3%
Elementary school	625	40.6%
High school	364	23.7%
College / grad school	388	25.2%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 25.8%

Retail trade 16.9%

Arts, food & hospitality 13.4%

Public administration 9.7%

Professional & management 8.9%

Manufacturing 7.2%

Construction 5.0%

Finance & real estate 4.3%

Transportation & utilities 3.4%

Other services 3.3%

Agriculture & mining 1.0%

Information 0.7%

Wholesale trade 0.4%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	41.2%
Service	20.9%
Sales & office	21.2%
Natural resources & construction	7.0%
Production & transportation	9.7%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	70.5%
Government	21.7%
Self-employed	7.8%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	82.2%
Carpool	5.4%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.3%
Work from home	12.0%
Other means	0.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	23.7

Poverty

All people 9.9%

Under 18 years 8.6%

18 and over 10.1%

Married-couple families 8.0%

Female-led households 8.4%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	49.0%
Retirement income	30.4%
Supplemental Security	6.4%
Cash public assistance	1.8%
Food stamps / SNAP	7.4%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	33.4%
High blood pressure	34.8%
High cholesterol	37.4%
Diabetes	11.1%
Heart disease	7.7%
Stroke	3.3%
Asthma	8.9%
Arthritis	29.0%
Kidney disease	3.2%
Pulmonary disease	7.6%
Cancer	8.2%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	17.7%
Binge drinking	15.4%
No physical activity	20.9%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	30.4%
Depression	23.2%
Fair or poor health	12.8%
Poor mental health	13.2%
Poor physical health	10.6%
No health insurance	14.5%
Visited doctor (checkup)	78.6%
Visited dentist	69.4%
Cholesterol screening	91.9%
Teeth loss	11.8%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	852	12.5%

Disability	%
Any disability	14.5%
Under 18	5.5%
18–64 years	10.6%
65 and over	28.4%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	64.7%
Public insurance	39.8%
No insurance	13.4%
Uninsured under 19	11.9%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	7,956	97.9%
Spanish	70	0.9%
Other Indo-European	33	0.4%
Asian & Pacific Islander	18	0.2%
Other languages	19	0.2%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	7,999	98.5%
Born in same state	7,917	97.5%
Born in different state	4,208	51.8%
Foreign born	82	1.0%
Naturalized citizen	125	1.5%
Not a US citizen	64	51.2%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	1,691	20.8%
Arab	819	10.1%
Italian	816	10%
English	99	1.2%
Polish	57	0.7%

Ancestry	Count	%
German	37	0.5%
Norwegian	11	0.1%
Irish	9	0.1%
Dutch	7	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	40.0%
Internet access	90.9%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 28785

What city is ZIP code 28785 in?

ZIP code 28785 is primarily assigned to Waynesville, North Carolina.

What county is ZIP code 28785 in?

ZIP code 28785 falls within Haywood County, North Carolina.

Does ZIP code 28785 have an older population?

26% of residents in ZIP code 28785 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

Does ZIP code 28785 have a large retiree population?

49% of households in ZIP code 28785 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Is ZIP code 28785 mostly owner-occupied?

82% of occupied units in ZIP code 28785 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

Does ZIP code 28785 have a large veteran population?

13% of civilians in ZIP code 28785 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

What timezone is ZIP code 28785 in?

ZIP code 28785 observes the EST timezone.