ZIP Codes of Clay County, NC

Population & People
Population & People
Total Population
12,038
Household Income
Household Income
Median Income
$75,270
Housing
Housing
Total Housing Units
7,721
Business & Economy
Business & Economy
Total Businesses
260
Employment
Employment
Employment Rate
44.82%
Education
Education
Bachelor's Degree+
32.38%
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates · rolled up across the 3 ZIPs in this county.
Data Last Updated: June 1, 2026
ZIP Codes:3 ZIP Codes (3 Standard, 0 PO Box, 0 Unique) [See All]
Area Code:828
Timezone:Eastern (GMT -05:00)
Local Time:2:12:56 PM
Population:12,038 [See All]
FIPS:37043
Land Area:226 sq mi
Water Area:6 sq mi
Coordinates:35.0388, -83.8700
Quick Link:
https://www.zip-codes.com/county/nc-clay.asp
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Among North Carolina's 5 oldest counties
Median age 54.8.

Standout ZIPs in this County


Most Populous
Hayesville · 10,050 people
83.5% of county total
Highest Income
Brasstown · $88,456 median
1.2× county average
Largest Land Area
Hayesville · 194.5 sq mi
Spans the most ground
Fastest Growth
Hayesville · 21.1% (10-yr)
8,298 → 10,050 residents
Most Educated
Hayesville · 31.8% bachelor's+
2,539 of 7,995 adults 25+

Things worth knowing about Clay County


12,038 residents live across 3 ZIPs covering 226 sq mi, served by 3 distinct USPS-recognized cities.

Population moved from 10,865 to 12,038 from 2014 to 2024 — a +10.8% change. 1 ZIPs gained residents, 2 lost.

The county's wealthiest ZIP 28902 (Brasstown, $88,456 median) and poorest ZIP 28904 (Hayesville, $56,480) are 11.6 miles apart — a 1.6× income gap across local geography.

Median home values vary 1.1× across this county — from $252,700 in 28902 (Brasstown) to $285,400 in 28909 (Warne).

Density varies across the county — from 45 people/sq mi in 28902 (Brasstown) to 98 in 28909 (Warne).

Educational attainment ranges from 21.0% bachelor's+ in 28909 (Warne) to 46.2% in 28902 (Brasstown) — the breadth of educational profiles across the area.

Within North Carolina, this is the #91 most populous of 100 counties and ranks #22 for median household income with the #25 fastest decade growth .

Weighted by population, the typical household earns about $61,130 across the county — reflecting what a typical resident sees, not a simple ZIP average.

32.4% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher (3,036 of 9,376 reporting).

3 Standard delivery, 0 PO Box only, 0 single-entity Unique ZIPs serve this county.

Stories about Clay County


Single-ZIP anchor

One ZIP holds the majority of this county's population — a sign of a county built around a single city or town.

Hayesville

All ZIP Codes in Clay County


ZIPCityTypePopulationMedian IncomeArea (sq mi)10-yr Growth
28904HayesvilleStandard10,050$56,480194.521.1%
28909WarneStandard1,002$80,87510.3-13.9%
28902BrasstownStandard986$88,45621.7-29.7%

Adjacent & Nearby Counties