ZIP Code 28741 — Highlands town, NC Demographics & Data

ZIP code 28741 covers Highlands, NC in Macon County with a population of about 4,266.

At a glance, the area shows median age of 61.8 versus a U.S. median of about 38.9.

It sits in telephone area code 828; U.S. House district NC-11; the GREENVLL - SPART - ASHEVLL - AND media market.

Highlands, NC fits a retirement-oriented profile (high share of residents 65+ (42.2%)). Residents and relocators commonly research healthcare access, everyday amenities (dining, personal services), and housing costs rather than tech or campus life.

Median household income in ZIP 28741 is about $68,874 — about 8% below the U.S. median ($75,149).

On socioeconomic markers, US5 shows a poverty rate of 8.3%; unemployment rate near 1.6%; 48.4% of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher (about 14.7 points above the national share (33.7%)).

Labor and commute patterns include leading industry context around Food services, Retail trade, and Professional services; about 11.4% of workers reporting work-from-home (about 3.8 points below the U.S. share (15.2%)); a mean commute of about 180.0 minutes (U.S. average near 26.8).

Median home value is about $596,100 — about 71% above the U.S. median home value ($348,079).

Housing tenure and rents show median gross rent around $736 (about 37% below the U.S. median rent ($1,163)), and owner-occupancy near 73.1% (about 7.7 points above the national owner-occupancy rate (65.4%)).

To comfortably buy a median-priced home in ZIP 28741 in Highlands, NC, a household would need roughly $164,000 in annual income under a 20% down, 30-year loan at 6.8% (illustrative), keeping housing costs near 28% of income. Estimated monthly PITI is about $3,829. That is about 138% above the local median household income ($68,874), so the median earner would likely stretch or need a larger down payment. Rates, taxes, insurance, and HOA fees vary — treat this as a planning estimate, not a lender quote.

FEMA’s National Risk Index rates natural-hazard risk for Highlands town, NC as Relatively Low (composite score 73.8), which is elevated versus much of the country. The strongest component scores on US5 are flood (70.8) and hurricane (66.3). These scores are county-linked NRI values published for planning context — all ZIP codes in the same county share the same composite score on US5. Useful when comparing insurance and disaster exposure across areas, not a substitute for a parcel-level flood or fire determination.

Climate normals for Highlands town, NC show little to no average snow and around 88.3 inches of annual precipitation.

IRS migration statistics show a net inflow of about 177 for ZIP 28741 (Highlands town, NC) on US5’s published series — a signal of people/tax filers moving in relative to those leaving. Inflows often track job growth, housing demand, or lifestyle migration; treat the figure as a directional indicator rather than a precise headcount.