| ZIP Codes: | 9 ZIP Codes (3 Standard, 6 PO Box, 0 Unique) [See All] |
| Area Code: | 828 |
| Timezone: | Eastern (GMT -05:00) |
| Local Time: | 11:54:14 PM |
| Population: | 19,332 [See All] |
| FIPS: | 37011 |
| Land Area: | 285 sq mi |
| Water Area: | 0 sq mi |
| Coordinates: | 36.0813, -81.9230 |
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19,332 residents live across 9 ZIPs covering 285 sq mi, served by 9 distinct USPS-recognized cities.
Population moved from 19,413 to 19,251 from 2014 to 2024 — a -0.8% change. 3 ZIPs gained residents, 4 lost.
The county's wealthiest ZIP 28646 (Linville, $76,736 median) and poorest ZIP 28622 (Elk Park, $44,028) are 11.2 miles apart — a 1.7× income gap across local geography.
Median home values vary 2.3× across this county — from $169,900 in 28622 (Elk Park) to $383,800 in 28604 (Banner Elk).
Density varies 9× across the county — from 13 people/sq mi in 28646 (Linville) to 114 in 28604 (Banner Elk).
Educational attainment ranges from 13.6% bachelor's+ in 28622 (Elk Park) to 46.9% in 28604 (Banner Elk) — the breadth of educational profiles across the area.
Within North Carolina, this is the #80 most populous of 100 counties and ranks #50 for median household income .
Weighted by population, the typical household earns about $64,809 across the county — reflecting what a typical resident sees, not a simple ZIP average.
31.6% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher (4,601 of 14,571 reporting).
3 Standard delivery, 6 PO Box only, 0 single-entity Unique ZIPs serve this county.
| ZIP | City | Type | Population | Median Income | Area (sq mi) | 10-yr Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28657 | Newland | Standard | 8,188 | $59,702 | 157.9 | -15.1% |
| 28604 | Banner Elk | Standard | 7,869 | $76,319 | 68.7 | 17.4% |
| 28622 | Elk Park | Standard | 2,565 | $44,028 | 29.5 | 31.6% |
| 28646 | Linville | PO Box | 382 | $76,736 | 28.5 | -32.3% |
| 28652 | Minneapolis | PO Box | 132 | — | 0.0 | 45.1% |
| 28616 | Crossnore | PO Box | 115 | — | 0.0 | -74.2% |
| 28664 | Plumtree | PO Box | 55 | — | 0.0 | — |
| 28653 | Montezuma | PO Box | 26 | — | 0.0 | — |
| 28662 | Pineola | PO Box | 0 | — | 0.0 | -100.0% |