ZIP Code 28778 — Swannanoa CDP, NC Demographics & Data

ZIP code 28778 covers Swannanoa, NC in Buncombe County with a population of about 11,933.

At a glance, the area shows median age of 41.5 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.

Median household income in ZIP 28778 is about $72,717 — about 3% below the U.S. median ($75,149).

On socioeconomic markers, US5 shows a poverty rate of 11.2%; unemployment rate near 1.2%; 32.4% of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher (about 1.3 points below the national share (33.7%)).

Labor and commute patterns include leading industry context around Healthcare, Food services, and Retail trade; about 13.9% of workers reporting work-from-home (about 1.3 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 $273,800 — about 21% below the U.S. median home value ($348,079).

Housing tenure and rents show median gross rent around $698 (about 40% below the U.S. median rent ($1,163)), and owner-occupancy near 79.7% (about 14.3 points above the national owner-occupancy rate (65.4%)).

To comfortably buy a median-priced home in ZIP 28778 in Swannanoa, NC, a household would need roughly $75,000 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 $1,759. That is roughly in line with the local median household income ($72,717). 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 Swannanoa CDP, NC as Relatively Moderate (composite score 89.3), which is elevated versus much of the country. The strongest component scores on US5 are flood (91.7) and wildfire (80.6). 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 Swannanoa CDP, NC show little to no average snow and around 53.8 inches of annual precipitation.

IRS migration statistics show a net inflow of about 495 for ZIP 28778 (Swannanoa CDP, 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.