28786 ZIP Code — Waynesville, NC

Haywood County, North Carolina

ZIP code 28786 is located in Waynesville, North Carolina, within Haywood County. It covers approximately 72.97 square miles and serves a population of 21,927 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 828.

About ZIP code 28786

The housing stock consists of a higher-than-average concentration of mobile homes. Most homes were built in the 1990s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $240,000. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 72%.

The gap between median ($54,008) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. 45% 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 22 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 33% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

21,927

population

72.97

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

28786 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 28786

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 28786. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Waynesville	Acceptable
Waynesville	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

28745 Lake Junaluska (5.2 mi) 28716 Canton (6.3 mi) 28751 Maggie Valley (8.7 mi) 28785 Waynesville (11.2 mi) 28779 Sylva (13.6 mi) 28721 Clyde (13.8 mi) 28723 Cullowhee (15.4 mi) 28715 Candler (15.5 mi) 28708 Balsam Grove (15.6 mi) 28783 Tuckasegee (16 mi) 28789 Whittier (16.2 mi) 28719 Cherokee (17.8 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	21,927
Population density	300 / sq mi
State FIPS	37
County FIPS	087

Geography
Land area	72.97 sq mi
Water area	0.00 sq mi
Latitude	35.4501
Longitude	-82.9788
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	50.8%	48.4%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	30.8%	32.2%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	14.3%	15.4%	19.1%
Over $200k	4.1%	3.9%	6.0%

Demographics & statistics

21,927

Population

300

People per sq mi

50.2

Median age

$54,008

Median household income

$36,310

Per capita income

$240,000

Median home value

$1,020

Median monthly rent

71.7%

Home ownership

14.6%

Poverty rate

3.7%

Unemployment

9,061

Housing units

32.6%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

373

Under 5

412

629

5–9

696

538

10–14

595

497

15–19

549

510

20–24

564

974

25–34

1,077

1,134

35–44

1,252

1,467

45–54

1,621

903

55–59

998

723

60–64

799

1,496

65–74

1,652

771

75–84

851

402

85+

444

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	4,004	18.3%
18 and over	17,923	81.7%
65 and over	5,616	25.6%
Median age	50.2 years

Race & ethnicity

White 90.1%

Two or more races 4%

Hispanic or Latino 3.2%

Black or African American 1.2%

Other race 0.9%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%

Asian 0.2%

Group	Count	%
White	20,405	90.1%
Two or more races	904	4%
Hispanic or Latino	724	3.2%
Black or African American	281	1.2%
Other race	209	0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native	80	0.4%
Asian	48	0.2%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	50.8%	48.4%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	30.8%	32.2%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	14.3%	15.4%	19.1%
Over $200k	4.1%	3.9%	6.0%

Under $10k 4.2%

$10k–$15k 5.4%

$15k–$25k 12.7%

$25k–$35k 11.1%

$35k–$50k 14.7%

$50k–$75k 12.6%

$75k–$100k 13.5%

$100k–$150k 15.7%

$150k–$200k 3.7%

$200k+ 6.4%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	4.2%
$10k–$15k	5.4%
$15k–$25k	12.7%
$25k–$35k	11.1%
$35k–$50k	14.7%
$50k–$75k	12.6%
$75k–$100k	13.5%
$100k–$150k	15.7%
$150k–$200k	3.7%
$200k+	6.4%
Median income	$54,008

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 11.2%

$50k–$100k 5.4%

$100k–$150k 10.4%

$150k–$200k 14.7%

$200k–$300k 23.2%

$300k–$500k 22.9%

$500k–$1M 10.0%

$1M+ 2.1%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$240,000
Median rent / month	$1,020
Owner occupied	71.7%
Renter occupied	28.3%
Vacant	18.4%
Single-family detached	67.9%
Large apartment buildings	1.8%
Mobile homes	16.7%
Median rooms	5.6
Avg household size (owned)	2.36

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.3%
2010–2019	5.9%
2000–2009	11.8%
1990–1999	17.1%
1980–1989	13.9%
1970–1979	15.0%
1960–1969	13.1%
1950–1959	8.3%
1940–1949	6.9%
1939 or earlier	7.7%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	2.4%
1 bedroom	8.1%
2 bedrooms	28.9%
3 bedrooms	47.1%
4 bedrooms	11.0%
5+ bedrooms	2.6%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	4.8%
1 vehicle	33.8%
2 vehicles	37.1%
3 or more	24.2%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	3.5%
Electricity	63.8%
Propane / LP gas	8.4%
Fuel oil	19.0%
Wood	4.7%
Solar	0.1%
No fuel used	0.2%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	4,620	48.1%
Cohabiting couple	446	4.6%
Male householder, no spouse	1,714	17.8%
Female householder, no spouse	2,825	29.4%
Households with children under 18	2,359	24.6%
Households with seniors (65+)	4,149	43.2%
Average household size	2.25

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	28.7%	20.7%
Married	55.9%	49.7%
Separated	0.6%	1.4%
Widowed	5.1%	13.8%
Divorced	9.6%	14.4%

Education

Less than 9th grade 3.0%

Some HS, no diploma 6.4%

HS graduate 23.9%

Some college, no degree 22.6%

Associate's degree 11.3%

Bachelor's degree 20.5%

Graduate / professional 12.1%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	90.6%
Bachelor's or higher	32.6%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	321	7.7%
Kindergarten	227	5.5%
Elementary school	2,003	48.1%
High school	887	21.3%
College / grad school	722	17.4%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 26.6%

Arts, food & hospitality 12.0%

Retail trade 10.8%

Manufacturing 10.4%

Professional & management 10.1%

Construction 7.3%

Finance & real estate 6.6%

Public administration 5.6%

Transportation & utilities 4.0%

Other services 3.5%

Agriculture & mining 2.0%

Wholesale trade 0.6%

Information 0.5%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	38.3%
Service	18.7%
Sales & office	21.5%
Natural resources & construction	10.0%
Production & transportation	11.5%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	70.1%
Government	20.4%
Self-employed	9.5%
Unpaid family workers	0.1%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	76.6%
Carpool	13.2%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	1.8%
Work from home	7.7%
Other means	0.6%
Avg commute (minutes)	22.2

Poverty

All people 14.6%

Under 18 years 26.4%

18 and over 11.9%

Married-couple families 6.1%

Female-led households 33.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	44.5%
Retirement income	31.0%
Supplemental Security	5.9%
Cash public assistance	1.9%
Food stamps / SNAP	13.8%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	33.8%
High blood pressure	35.8%
High cholesterol	37.3%
Diabetes	11.8%
Heart disease	8.3%
Stroke	3.8%
Asthma	9.2%
Arthritis	30.0%
Kidney disease	3.5%
Pulmonary disease	8.4%
Cancer	8.3%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	18.6%
Binge drinking	15.0%
No physical activity	22.6%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	30.6%
Depression	23.7%
Fair or poor health	14.6%
Poor mental health	13.7%
Poor physical health	11.5%
No health insurance	16.0%
Visited doctor (checkup)	78.7%
Visited dentist	66.6%
Cholesterol screening	91.1%
Teeth loss	14.0%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	1,624	9.1%

Disability	%
Any disability	18.7%
Under 18	4.6%
18–64 years	15.4%
65 and over	36.4%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	63.6%
Public insurance	43.0%
No insurance	11.7%
Uninsured under 19	7.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	21,142	96.4%
Spanish	82	0.4%
Other Indo-European	65	0.3%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	17	0.1%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	21,445	97.8%
Born in same state	21,257	96.9%
Born in different state	12,265	55.9%
Foreign born	188	0.9%
Naturalized citizen	482	2.2%
Not a US citizen	198	41.1%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	3,710	16.9%
Italian	2,493	11.4%
Arab	2,157	9.8%
English	269	1.2%

Ancestry	Count	%
Irish	65	0.3%
Dutch	36	0.2%
Polish	31	0.1%
German	24	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	43.8%
Internet access	91.0%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 28786

What city is ZIP code 28786 in?

ZIP code 28786 is primarily assigned to Waynesville, North Carolina.

What county is ZIP code 28786 in?

ZIP code 28786 falls within Haywood County, North Carolina.

Does ZIP code 28786 have an older population?

26% of residents in ZIP code 28786 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

Does ZIP code 28786 have a large retiree population?

45% of households in ZIP code 28786 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Does ZIP code 28786 have a large veteran population?

9% of civilians in ZIP code 28786 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

What is the population of ZIP code 28786?

ZIP code 28786 has an estimated population of 21,927 residents, with a density of 300 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 28786 in?

ZIP code 28786 observes the EST timezone.