Skip to content
ZipNumbers

McDowell County · North Carolina

ZIP code 28761

Population, income, housing costs and the sales tax rate charged on purchases inside ZIP 28761 — Census 2019-2023 ACS 5-year, no modelled estimates.
Population
7,884

ZCTA residents

Median income
$68,152

Household, past 12 months

Median home
$171,600

Owner-occupied value

Sales tax
4.75%

North Carolina state rate

Quick answer

ZIP 28761 sits in McDowell County, North Carolina and is home to 7,884 people. Median household income is $68,152, the median home is worth $171,600 and median gross rent is $1,052. 84.5% of households own their home, and purchases are taxed at 4.75% (North Carolina state rate).

County
McDowell County

FIPS 37111

State
North Carolina (NC)

853 ZIPs covered

Area codes
Not published

No NANPA match for this ZIP

Metro area
Outside covered metros

Rate jurisdiction used for tax

The numbers for 28761

American Community Survey 2019-2023 ACS 5-year estimates for this ZCTA.

Population
7,884ZIP 28761 residents
Median household income
$68,152Past 12 months, inflation adjusted
Median home value
$171,600Owner-occupied units
Median gross rent
$1,052Rent plus utilities, monthly
Median age
46.4 yrsAll residents
Homeownership rate
84.5%Owner-occupied households

Sales tax in 28761

What a purchase inside this ZIP costs at checkout.

Rate applied
4.75%State base rate only
Tax on $100
$5Rounded to the dollar
Tax on $1,000
$48Before any exemptions

North Carolina levies 4.75% statewide, and counties, cities and special districts inside this ZIP can add their own local rate on top. Check the county page for the local component before you quote a price.

Affordability in this ZIP

Derived from the Census medians above — indicative, not an offer.

Rent burden
19%Median rent ÷ median income
Price-to-income
2.5×Home value ÷ household income
Est. mortgage
$890/mo20% down, 30-yr at 6.75%
Poverty rate
10.5%Residents below poverty line

A rent burden above 30% is the federal threshold for cost-burdened households, and a price-to-income multiple above 4× is generally considered a stretched housing market. The mortgage figure is principal and interest only — taxes, insurance and HOA dues are extra.

How 28761 compares

ZIP 28761 against the median ZIP in McDowell County and across North Carolina.

MeasureZIP 28761County medianState medianvs state
Median household income$68,152$55,036$62,646+9%
Median home value$171,600$171,600$203,100-16%
Median gross rent$1,052$757$941+12%
Population7,8847,0955,300+49%

Medians are computed across the 4 ZIP areas in McDowell County and the 853 ZIP areas in North Carolina.

Statewide rank

Where this ZIP places among all 853 North Carolina ZIP areas.

Income

richer than 62% of 766 state ZIPs

#291
Home value

above 35% of 763 state ZIPs

#498
Population

larger than 59% of 853 state ZIPs

#352

Comparable ZIP codes

North Carolina ZIP areas with almost the same household income.

ZIPCountyIncomeHome valueRent
27581Granville County$68,235$214,000$1,101
27207Chatham County$68,240$188,800$588
28470Brunswick County$68,043$252,500$1,060
28547Onslow County$67,981$1,454
27041Surry County$68,328$214,900$796
28690Burke County$67,974$185,000$670

Nearby ZIP codes

Other ZIP codes filed under McDowell County.

ZIP 28761 questions

Common questions about this ZIP code.

Where is ZIP code 28761?
ZIP 28761 lies mostly in McDowell County, North Carolina. County assignment follows the largest share of land area, so a ZIP straddling a county line is filed under its dominant county.
What sales tax do I pay in 28761?
North Carolina charges 4.75% statewide, plus any county, city or district rate that applies locally.
Is 28761 expensive to live in?
Median rent runs $1,052 a month, about 19% of median household income, and the median home is worth $171,600-16% against the typical North Carolina ZIP.
Is a ZCTA the same as a postal ZIP code?
Not exactly. The Census builds ZIP Code Tabulation Areas from the ZIP codes of addresses inside each census block, so a ZCTA can differ slightly from the USPS delivery route of the same number, and PO-box-only ZIPs have no ZCTA at all.

Related pages for this area.

Sources & transparency

Every figure on this page is a published estimate for ZIP Code Tabulation Area 28761, except the affordability ratios and mortgage estimate, which we derive from those medians and label as estimates.

Last reviewed December 2024. Figures are published for reference and can change; verify with the source agency before filing or contracting. How we build and check this data.