28694 ZIP Code — West Jefferson, NC

Ashe County, North Carolina

ZIP code 28694 is located in West Jefferson, North Carolina, within Ashe County. It covers approximately 69.93 square miles and serves a population of 6,809 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 336.

About ZIP code 28694

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1970s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $204,600. Owner-occupancy is high at 80%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $49,154. 50% 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.

College attainment at 19% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Overall, ZIP code 28694 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

6,809

population

69.93

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

28694 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 28694

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 28694. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
West Jefferson	Acceptable
West Jefferson	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

28640 Jefferson (4.6 mi) 28626 Fleetwood (5.1 mi) 28629 Glendale Springs (6 mi) 28684 Todd (8.1 mi) 28693 Warrensville (8.3 mi) 28617 Crumpler (10 mi) 28618 Deep Gap (11.3 mi) 28643 Lansing (11.6 mi) 28665 Purlear (11.7 mi) 28615 Creston (12.2 mi) 28651 Millers Creek (12.6 mi) 28644 Laurel Springs (12.6 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	6,809
Population density	97 / sq mi
State FIPS	37
County FIPS	009

Geography
Land area	69.93 sq mi
Water area	0.51 sq mi
Latitude	36.3608
Longitude	-81.4735
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	336

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	59.8%	58.6%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	24.7%	27.7%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	14.4%	12.8%	19.1%
Over $200k	1.1%	0.9%	6.0%

Demographics & statistics

6,809

Population

People per sq mi

54.4

Median age

$49,154

Median household income

$30,708

Per capita income

$204,600

Median home value

$722

Median monthly rent

80.2%

Home ownership

9.7%

Poverty rate

10.8%

Unemployment

3,786

Housing units

18.6%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

121

Under 5

152

5–9

112

109

10–14

137

240

15–19

301

20–24

115

284

25–34

354

305

35–44

381

323

45–54

403

216

55–59

269

331

60–64

413

460

65–74

574

270

75–84

337

187

85+

233

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	1,105	16.2%
18 and over	5,704	83.8%
65 and over	2,061	30.3%
Median age	54.4 years

Race & ethnicity

White 91.3%

Two or more races 3.2%

Hispanic or Latino 2.2%

Black or African American 2.1%

Other race 0.6%

Asian 0.6%

Group	Count	%
White	6,357	91.3%
Two or more races	223	3.2%
Hispanic or Latino	155	2.2%
Black or African American	144	2.1%
Other race	45	0.6%
Asian	40	0.6%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	59.8%	58.6%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	24.7%	27.7%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	14.4%	12.8%	19.1%
Over $200k	1.1%	0.9%	6.0%

Under $10k 3.0%

$10k–$15k 6.1%

$15k–$25k 8.4%

$25k–$35k 14.7%

$35k–$50k 19.2%

$50k–$75k 17.2%

$75k–$100k 14.9%

$100k–$150k 9.2%

$150k–$200k 5.5%

$200k+ 1.8%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	3.0%
$10k–$15k	6.1%
$15k–$25k	8.4%
$25k–$35k	14.7%
$35k–$50k	19.2%
$50k–$75k	17.2%
$75k–$100k	14.9%
$100k–$150k	9.2%
$150k–$200k	5.5%
$200k+	1.8%
Median income	$49,154

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 6.3%

$50k–$100k 3.6%

$100k–$150k 21.3%

$150k–$200k 17.7%

$200k–$300k 19.0%

$300k–$500k 25.3%

$500k–$1M 5.1%

$1M+ 1.8%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$204,600
Median rent / month	$722
Owner occupied	80.2%
Renter occupied	19.8%
Vacant	28.5%
Single-family detached	79.5%
Large apartment buildings	1.0%
Mobile homes	13.0%
Median rooms	5.4
Avg household size (owned)	2.09

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	1.4%
2000–2009	17.6%
1990–1999	19.8%
1980–1989	11.9%
1970–1979	21.3%
1960–1969	15.3%
1950–1959	6.4%
1940–1949	4.3%
1939 or earlier	2.0%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.4%
1 bedroom	5.6%
2 bedrooms	26.0%
3 bedrooms	55.5%
4 bedrooms	9.0%
5+ bedrooms	3.4%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	3.3%
1 vehicle	32.2%
2 vehicles	40.9%
3 or more	23.6%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	4.2%
Electricity	52.2%
Propane / LP gas	10.0%
Fuel oil	26.6%
Wood	6.1%
No fuel used	0.4%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	1,529	48.5%
Cohabiting couple	122	3.9%
Male householder, no spouse	408	12.9%
Female householder, no spouse	1,095	34.7%
Households with children under 18	684	21.7%
Households with seniors (65+)	1,457	46.2%
Average household size	2.13

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	22.8%	19.9%
Married	64.4%	48.6%
Separated	0.0%	2.3%
Widowed	1.2%	12.8%
Divorced	11.6%	16.4%

Education

Less than 9th grade 4.5%

Some HS, no diploma 8.7%

HS graduate 30.5%

Some college, no degree 27.8%

Associate's degree 9.9%

Bachelor's degree 11.4%

Graduate / professional 7.2%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	86.8%
Bachelor's or higher	18.6%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	47	4.3%
Kindergarten	71	6.4%
Elementary school	350	31.7%
High school	360	32.6%
College / grad school	277	25.1%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 29.1%

Retail trade 15.9%

Manufacturing 11.5%

Construction 9.1%

Transportation & utilities 6.5%

Other services 5.6%

Arts, food & hospitality 5.3%

Professional & management 4.3%

Finance & real estate 3.8%

Wholesale trade 3.4%

Agriculture & mining 2.7%

Public administration 2.0%

Information 0.9%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	33.2%
Service	15.7%
Sales & office	25.3%
Natural resources & construction	15.3%
Production & transportation	10.6%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	76.1%
Government	15.1%
Self-employed	8.7%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	81.0%
Carpool	11.6%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.3%
Work from home	6.4%
Other means	0.7%
Avg commute (minutes)	20.6

Poverty

All people 9.7%

Under 18 years 9.4%

18 and over 9.8%

Married-couple families 2.4%

Female-led households 32.4%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	49.9%
Retirement income	33.5%
Supplemental Security	5.3%
Cash public assistance	0.1%
Food stamps / SNAP	9.1%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	33.5%
High blood pressure	37.2%
High cholesterol	38.3%
Diabetes	11.4%
Heart disease	8.1%
Stroke	3.7%
Asthma	8.9%
Arthritis	29.9%
Kidney disease	3.5%
Pulmonary disease	8.4%
Cancer	8.0%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	19.0%
Binge drinking	14.6%
No physical activity	23.3%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	29.2%
Depression	22.7%
Fair or poor health	15.0%
Poor mental health	13.8%
Poor physical health	11.7%
No health insurance	17.5%
Visited doctor (checkup)	78.3%
Visited dentist	65.6%
Cholesterol screening	90.5%
Teeth loss	14.9%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	383	6.7%

Disability	%
Any disability	19.1%
Under 18	0.2%
18–64 years	11.9%
65 and over	42.6%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	71.5%
Public insurance	46.1%
No insurance	8.1%
Uninsured under 19	2.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	6,536	96.0%
Spanish	44	0.7%
Other Indo-European	23	0.4%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	21	0.3%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	6,507	95.6%
Born in same state	6,483	95.2%
Born in different state	4,717	69.3%
Foreign born	24	0.4%
Naturalized citizen	302	4.4%
Not a US citizen	159	52.6%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	1,784	26.2%
French	1,058	15.5%
Italian	691	10.1%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	51	0.7%
German	26	0.4%
Dutch	21	0.3%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	46.3%
Internet access	88.9%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 28694

What city is ZIP code 28694 in?

ZIP code 28694 is primarily assigned to West Jefferson, North Carolina.

What county is ZIP code 28694 in?

ZIP code 28694 falls within Ashe County, North Carolina.

Does ZIP code 28694 have an older population?

30% of residents in ZIP code 28694 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

Does ZIP code 28694 have a large retiree population?

50% of households in ZIP code 28694 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Is ZIP code 28694 mostly owner-occupied?

80% of occupied units in ZIP code 28694 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

What is the population of ZIP code 28694?

ZIP code 28694 has an estimated population of 6,809 residents, with a density of 97 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 28694 in?

ZIP code 28694 observes the EST timezone.