ZIP Code 28779 — Sylva town, NC Demographics & Data

ZIP code 28779 covers Sylva, NC in Jackson County with a population of about 17,845.

At a glance, the area shows median age of 42.1 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.

Sylva, NC sits in a university / college context (near southwestern community college (0.7 mi)). Expect stronger interest in student housing, rentals, walkability, transit, and a younger adult age mix versus typical suburban ZIPs.

Median household income in ZIP 28779 is about $54,407 — about 28% below the U.S. median ($75,149).

On socioeconomic markers, US5 shows a poverty rate of 16.4%; unemployment rate near 3.1%; 28.2% of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher (about 5.5 points below the national share (33.7%)).

Labor and commute patterns include leading industry context around Healthcare, Education, and Retail trade; about 5.9% of workers reporting work-from-home (about 9.3 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 $234,200 — about 33% below the U.S. median home value ($348,079).

Housing tenure and rents show median gross rent around $644 (about 45% below the U.S. median rent ($1,163)), and owner-occupancy near 66.6% (about 1.2 points above the national owner-occupancy rate (65.4%)).

To comfortably buy a median-priced home in ZIP 28779 in Sylva, NC, a household would need roughly $64,000 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 $1,504. That is about 18% above the local median household income ($54,407), 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 Sylva town, NC as Relatively Low (composite score 80.5), which is elevated versus much of the country. The strongest component scores on US5 are flood (83.2) and hurricane (66.6). 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 Sylva town, NC show little to no average snow and around 54.2 inches of annual precipitation.

IRS migration statistics show a net inflow of about 741 for ZIP 28779 (Sylva 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.