28604 ZIP Code Profile, Map, Data & Demographics

Preferred Name, USPS

Banner Elk, NC 28604

Acceptable Alternative

Beech Mountain, NC 28604

Beech Mtn, NC 28604

Seven Devils, NC 28604

Sugar Mountain, NC 28604

Sugar Mtn, NC 28604

Not Acceptable, USPS

Balm, NC 28604

Elk Valley, NC 28604

Foscoe, NC 28604

Grandfather, NC 28604

Kellersville, NC 28604

Matney, NC 28604

Norwood Hollow, NC 28604

Rominger, NC 28604

White Rock, NC 28604

ZIP Code Type: STANDARD
County: Avery County
Centroid: Latitude 36.172, Longitude -81.825
Time Zone: Eastern Time Zone (UTC -5 hours)
Observes DST: Yes

ZIP Code 28604 has segments in 2 Counties (Avery, Watauga).

Businesses Addresses: 455
PO Box Addresses: 755
Residential Addresses: 6,320

Multi-Family Addresses: 529
Single Family Addresses: 5,791

The ZIP Code maps and database are updated 4 times per year.
Database updated: June 1, 2025, Maps updated: May 1, 2024.

Banner Elk, NC 28604 Data & Demographics (As of July 1, 2025)

POPULATION
Total Population	7,323 (100%)
Population in Households	6,862 (93.7%)
Population in Families	5,272 (72.0%)
Population in Group Quarters¹	461 ( 6.3%)
Population Density	109
Diversity Index²	27


INCOME
Median Household Income	$71,063
Average Household Income	$101,838
% of Income for Mortgage⁴	34%
Per Capita Income	$44,649
Wealth Index⁵	102
Socioeconomic Status Index⁶	Moderate (50.9)

HOUSING
Total HU (Housing Units)	9,910 (100%)
Owner Occupied HU	2,452 (24.7%)
Renter Occupied HU	743 ( 7.5%)
Vacant Housing Units	6,715 (67.8%)
Median Home Value	$382,801
Average Home Value	$471,902
Housing Affordability Index³	74

HOUSEHOLDS
Total Households	3,195
Average Household Size	2.15
Family Households	1,976
Average Family Size	3.00

NOTES

Group Quarters - a place where people live or stay in a group living arrangement. Includes college residents halls, nursing facilities, military barracks, and correctional facilities.
The Diversity Index is a scale of 0 to 100 that represents the likelihood that two persons, chosen at random from the same area, belong to different races or ethnic groups. If an area's entire population belongs to one race AND one ethnic group, then the area has zero diversity. An area's diversity index increases to 100 when the population is evenly divided into two or more race/ethnic groups.
The Housing Affordability Index base is 100 and represents a balance point where a resident with a median household income can normally qualify to purchase a median price home. Values above 100 indicate increased affordability, while values below 100 indicate decreased affordability.
The % of Income for Mortgage quantifies the percentage of median household income dedicated to mortgage payments on a home priced at the median value (assuming a 30-year mortgage and a 20% down payment).
The Wealth Index is based on a number of indicators of affluence including average household income and average net worth, but it also includes the value of material possessions and resources. It represents the wealth of the area relative to the national level. Values above or below 100 represent above-average wealth or below-average wealth compared to the national level.
The Socioeconomic Index ranges from zero (lowest relative status) to 100 (highest relative status). This measure quantifies disparities in social position of an area's inhabitants and is built from a broad range of demographic, housing, and socioeconomic inputs. More information on this measure can be found in Esri's SEI tutorial.

Banner Elk, NC 28604 - Peer Comparisons by Rank and Percentile

The table below compares 28604 to the other 766 ZIP Codes in North Carolina by rank and percentile using July 1, 2025 data. The location Ranked # 1 has the highest value. A location that ranks higher than 75% of its peers would be in the 75th percentile of the peer group.

GROWTH RATE / YEAR	2020-2025	2025-2030
Population	0.86%	0.49%
Households	1.17%	0.62%
Families		0.30%
Median Household Income		2.10%
Per Capita Income		2.37%
Owner Occupied HU		0.76%

Variable Description	Rank	Percentile
Total Population	# 369	52nd
Population Density	# 420	45th
Median Household Income	# 279	64th
Housing Affordability Index	# 172	22nd
Per Capita Income	# 177	77th
Diversity Index	# 667	13th

28604 ZIP Code Profile, Map, Data & Demographics

ZIP Code 28604: Basic Data & USPS Preferred City Name

Banner Elk, NC 28604 Data & Demographics (As of July 1, 2025)

POPULATION

INCOME

HOUSING

HOUSEHOLDS

GROWTH RATE / YEAR

Banner Elk, NC 28604 - Peer Comparisons by Rank and Percentile

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