ZIP Codes of Polk County, NC

Population & People
Population & People
Total Population
20,752
Household Income
Household Income
Median Income
$68,768
Housing
Housing
Total Housing Units
11,443
Business & Economy
Business & Economy
Total Businesses
506
Employment
Employment
Employment Rate
52.05%
Education
Education
Bachelor's Degree+
36.38%
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 (4 Standard, 1 PO Box, 0 Unique) [See All]
Area Code:828
Timezone:Eastern (GMT -05:00)
Local Time:2:12:59 PM
Population:20,752 [See All]
FIPS:37149
Land Area:236 sq mi
Water Area:1 sq mi
Coordinates:35.2545, -82.1741
Quick Link:
https://www.zip-codes.com/county/nc-polk.asp
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North Carolina's #78 most populous county
20,752 residents across 5 ZIPs — #78 of 100 North Carolina counties.

Standout ZIPs in this County


Most Populous
Tryon · 6,519 people
31.4% of county total
Highest Income
Tryon · $72,946 median
1.1× county average
Largest Land Area
Mill Spring · 86.3 sq mi
Spans the most ground
Fastest Growth
Saluda · 29.2% (10-yr)
2,664 → 3,441 residents
Most Educated
Tryon · 45.4% bachelor's+
2,518 of 5,548 adults 25+

Things worth knowing about Polk County


20,752 residents live across 5 ZIPs covering 236 sq mi, served by 5 distinct USPS-recognized cities.

Population moved from 20,318 to 20,752 from 2014 to 2024 — a +2.1% change. 3 ZIPs gained residents, 1 lost.

The county's wealthiest ZIP 28782 (Tryon, $72,946 median) and poorest ZIP 28756 (Mill Spring, $63,663) are 11.6 miles apart — a 1.1× income gap across local geography.

Median home values vary 1.5× across this county — from $277,600 in 28756 (Mill Spring) to $413,700 in 28773 (Saluda).

Density varies across the county — from 55 people/sq mi in 28756 (Mill Spring) to 136 in 28722 (Columbus).

Educational attainment ranges from 19.4% bachelor's+ in 28756 (Mill Spring) to 45.4% in 28782 (Tryon) — the breadth of educational profiles across the area.

Within North Carolina, this is the #78 most populous of 100 counties and ranks #37 for median household income .

Weighted by population, the typical household earns about $68,948 across the county — reflecting what a typical resident sees, not a simple ZIP average.

36.4% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher (5,955 of 16,367 reporting).

4 Standard delivery, 1 PO Box only, 0 single-entity Unique ZIPs serve this county.

All ZIP Codes in Polk County


ZIPCityTypePopulationMedian IncomeArea (sq mi)10-yr Growth
28782TryonStandard6,519$72,94649.44.3%
28722ColumbusStandard6,086$67,76044.7-14.1%
28756Mill SpringStandard4,706$63,66386.38.9%
28773SaludaStandard3,441$70,70355.229.2%
28750LynnPO Box0.0

Adjacent & Nearby Counties