ZIP Codes of Mcdowell County, NC

Population & People
Population & People
Total Population
45,041
Household Income
Household Income
Median Income
$59,021
Housing
Housing
Total Housing Units
21,740
Business & Economy
Business & Economy
Total Businesses
895
Employment
Employment
Employment Rate
52.35%
Education
Education
Bachelor's Degree+
18.31%
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates · rolled up across the 5 ZIPs in this county.
Data Last Updated: June 1, 2026
ZIP Codes:5 ZIP Codes (3 Standard, 2 PO Box, 0 Unique) [See All]
Area Codes:706 / 762 / 828
Timezone:Eastern (GMT -05:00)
Local Time:2:12:58 PM
Population:45,041 [See All]
FIPS:37111
CBSA:Marion, NC
Land Area:469 sq mi
Water Area:9 sq mi
Coordinates:35.7167, -82.0545
Quick Link:
https://www.zip-codes.com/county/nc-mcdowell.asp
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North Carolina's #55 most populous county
45,041 residents across 5 ZIPs — #55 of 100 North Carolina counties.

Standout ZIPs in this County


Most Populous
Marion · 30,292 people
67.3% of county total
Highest Income
Old Fort · $66,410 median
1.1× county average
Largest Land Area
Marion · 256.6 sq mi
Spans the most ground
Fastest Growth
Nebo · -0.3% (10-yr)
8,176 → 8,150 residents
Most Educated
Old Fort · 21.1% bachelor's+
1,140 of 5,398 adults 25+

Things worth knowing about Mcdowell County


45,041 residents live across 5 ZIPs covering 469 sq mi, served by 5 distinct USPS-recognized cities.

Population moved from 45,267 to 45,041 from 2014 to 2024 — a -0.5% change. 0 ZIPs gained residents, 3 lost (and 1 held flat).

The county's wealthiest ZIP 28762 (Old Fort, $66,410 median) and poorest ZIP 28761 (Nebo, $54,869) are 17.5 miles apart — a 1.2× income gap across local geography.

Median home values vary 1.2× across this county — from $166,000 in 28752 (Marion) to $196,600 in 28762 (Old Fort).

Density varies across the county — from 67 people/sq mi in 28762 (Old Fort) to 118 in 28752 (Marion).

Educational attainment ranges from 17.0% bachelor's+ in 28752 (Marion) to 21.1% in 28762 (Old Fort) — the breadth of educational profiles across the area.

Within North Carolina, this is the #55 most populous of 100 counties and ranks #63 for median household income .

Weighted by population, the typical household earns about $57,175 across the county — reflecting what a typical resident sees, not a simple ZIP average.

18.3% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher (6,054 of 33,067 reporting).

3 Standard delivery, 2 PO Box only, 0 single-entity Unique ZIPs serve this county.

Stories about Mcdowell 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.

Marion

All ZIP Codes in Mcdowell County


ZIPCityTypePopulationMedian IncomeArea (sq mi)10-yr Growth
28752MarionStandard30,292$55,783256.6-0.4%
28761NeboStandard8,150$54,869114.3-0.3%
28762Old FortStandard6,599$66,41098.0-1.2%
28749Little SwitzerlandPO Box00.3
28737GlenwoodPO Box0.0

Adjacent & Nearby Counties