| ZIP Codes: | 9 ZIP Codes (6 Standard, 3 PO Box, 0 Unique) [See All] |
| Area Code: | 828 |
| Timezone: | Eastern (GMT -05:00) |
| Local Time: | 11:54:16 PM |
| Population: | 41,407 [See All] |
| FIPS: | 37099 |
| Land Area: | 438 sq mi |
| Water Area: | 4 sq mi |
| Coordinates: | 35.2911, -83.1623 |
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41,407 residents live across 9 ZIPs covering 438 sq mi, served by 9 distinct USPS-recognized cities.
Population moved from 36,399 to 41,209 from 2014 to 2024 — a +13.2% change. 7 ZIPs gained residents, 1 lost.
The county's wealthiest ZIP 28717 (Cashiers, $76,085 median) and poorest ZIP 28723 (Cullowhee, $45,568) are 14.0 miles apart — a 1.7× income gap across local geography.
Median home values vary 2.0× across this county — from $221,600 in 28789 (Whittier) to $440,000 in 28717 (Cashiers).
Density varies 6× across the county — from 25 people/sq mi in 28783 (Tuckasegee) to 158 in 28779 (Sylva).
Educational attainment ranges from 24.5% bachelor's+ in 28789 (Whittier) to 43.7% in 28717 (Cashiers) — the breadth of educational profiles across the area.
Within North Carolina, this is the #61 most populous of 100 counties and ranks #53 for median household income with the #17 fastest decade growth .
Weighted by population, the typical household earns about $53,811 across the county — reflecting what a typical resident sees, not a simple ZIP average.
29.9% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher (7,861 of 26,253 reporting).
6 Standard delivery, 3 PO Box only, 0 single-entity Unique ZIPs serve this county.
| ZIP | City | Type | Population | Median Income | Area (sq mi) | 10-yr Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28779 | Sylva | Standard | 18,064 | $57,727 | 114.4 | 6.3% |
| 28723 | Cullowhee | Standard | 12,756 | $45,568 | 110.1 | 23.4% |
| 28789 | Whittier | Standard | 5,788 | $51,713 | 59.1 | 19.0% |
| 28783 | Tuckasegee | Standard | 1,785 | $51,350 | 70.0 | 65.3% |
| 28717 | Cashiers | Standard | 1,265 | $76,085 | 42.4 | -44.4% |
| 28736 | Glenville | Standard | 1,000 | $70,855 | 33.7 | 36.8% |
| 28707 | Balsam | PO Box | 461 | — | 8.5 | 476.3% |
| 28788 | Webster | PO Box | 198 | $80,938 | 0.0 | — |
| 28725 | Dillsboro | PO Box | 90 | $57,750 | 0.0 | 172.7% |