| ZIP Codes: | 8 ZIP Codes (6 Standard, 1 PO Box, 1 Unique) [See All] |
| Area Code: | 828 |
| Timezone: | Eastern (GMT -05:00) |
| Local Time: | 2:13:00 PM |
| Population: | 50,911 [See All] |
| FIPS: | 37189 |
| CBSA: | Boone, NC |
| Land Area: | 268 sq mi |
| Water Area: | 1 sq mi |
| Coordinates: | 36.2276, -81.7108 |
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50,911 residents live across 8 ZIPs covering 268 sq mi, served by 7 distinct USPS-recognized cities.
Population moved from 47,696 to 50,911 from 2014 to 2024 — a +6.7% change. 6 ZIPs gained residents, 0 lost.
The county's wealthiest ZIP 28605 (Blowing Rock, $76,477 median) and poorest ZIP 28692 (Vilas, $43,103) are 10.1 miles apart — a 1.8× income gap across local geography.
Median home values vary 2.5× across this county — from $219,400 in 28698 (Zionville) to $552,400 in 28605 (Blowing Rock).
Density varies 6× across the county — from 55 people/sq mi in 28618 (Deep Gap) to 343 in 28607 (Boone).
Educational attainment ranges from 14.7% bachelor's+ in 28698 (Zionville) to 54.4% in 28607 (Boone) — the breadth of educational profiles across the area.
Within North Carolina, this is the #49 most populous of 100 counties and ranks #69 for median household income with the #35 fastest decade growth .
Hosts 1 single-entity Unique ZIP: 28608Appalachian State Univ .
Weighted by population, the typical household earns about $50,427 across the county — reflecting what a typical resident sees, not a simple ZIP average.
47.9% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher (13,367 of 27,924 reporting).
6 Standard delivery, 1 PO Box only, 1 single-entity Unique ZIPs serve this county.
One ZIP holds the majority of this county's population — a sign of a county built around a single city or town.
| ZIP | City | Type | Population | Median Income | Area (sq mi) | 10-yr Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28607 | Boone | Standard | 35,679 | $46,639 | 104.1 | 4.5% |
| 28692 | Vilas | Standard | 4,367 | $43,103 | 40.0 | 17.6% |
| 28605 | Blowing Rock | Standard | 3,883 | $76,477 | 33.0 | 2.6% |
| 28679 | Sugar Grove | Standard | 2,454 | $65,246 | 26.0 | 17.7% |
| 28698 | Zionville | Standard | 2,320 | $54,402 | 24.2 | 8.4% |
| 28618 | Deep Gap | Standard | 2,208 | $59,653 | 40.4 | 21.2% |
| 28691 | Valle Crucis | PO Box | — | — | 0.0 | — |
| 28608 | Boone | Unique | — | — | 0.0 | — |