28742 ZIP Code, Horse Shoe, NC
28742 is a ZIP code in Horse Shoe, North Carolina in Henderson County. It covers 46 square miles of land. The closest ZIP codes are 28759, 28729 and 28768. 2,710 people live here in 1,123 households. It is rural, with fewer than 100 people per square mile, and most homes are owner-occupied (79%). Median household income is $99,007, above the North Carolina median of $72,388; the median age is 47.7, older than most ZIP codes.
Quick facts
- Mailing city: Horse Shoe, NC
- County: Henderson County
- Land area: 46 sq mi
- Population: 2,710
- Median household income: $99,007
- Carrier routes: 5 (1,266 homes)
Key figures
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Residents | 2,710 |
| Households | 1,123 |
| Median household income | $99,007 |
| Income per person | $45,313 |
| Median age | 47.7 |
| Homeowners | 79.3% |
| Median home value | $414,600 |
| Median rent | not published |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 46.4% |
| Average commute (minutes) | 26.1 |
| Households with kids under 18 | 25.4% |
| Moved in the past year | 8.4% |
| Below the poverty line | 13.6% |
| Broadband internet | 75.5% |
| Speak a non-English language at home | 6.3% |
Household income
| % of households | Value |
|---|---|
| <$10K | 3.1% |
| $10–15K | 3.0% |
| $15–25K | 2.0% |
| $25–35K | 8.5% |
| $35–50K | 14.3% |
| $50–75K | 14.5% |
| $75–100K | 5.7% |
| $100–150K | 26.9% |
| $150–200K | 5.2% |
| $200K+ | 16.7% |
Age
| % of all residents | Value |
|---|---|
| <10 | 11.8% |
| 10–19 | 9.6% |
| 20–24 | 6.8% |
| 25–34 | 9.6% |
| 35–44 | 9.5% |
| 45–54 | 12.5% |
| 55–64 | 17.3% |
| 65–74 | 15.4% |
| 75+ | 7.4% |
Tenure
| % of housing units | Value |
|---|---|
| Owned, with mortgage | 40.6% |
| Owned outright | 33.1% |
| Rented | 19.2% |
| Vacant | 7.2% |
Type of building
| % of housing units | Value |
|---|---|
| Detached house | 73.4% |
| Townhome | 0.0% |
| 2–4 units | 0.0% |
| 5–19 units | 0.0% |
| 20+ units | 0.0% |
| Mobile / other | 26.6% |
Businesses in 28742
67 business establishments with 510 employees (ZIP Codes Business Patterns 2023).
- Construction: 15
- Retail Trade: 11
- Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services: 7
- Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services: 6
- Health Care and Social Assistance: 6
- Accommodation and Food Services: 6
- Other Services (except Public Administration): 6
EDDM carrier routes
28742 has 5 USPS carrier routes with 1,266 residential and 24 business mailboxes. Open the EDDM route map.
Carrier routes in 28742
28742 has 5 USPS carrier routes (5 rural (R)) with 1,266 residential and 24 business mailboxes. Routes range from 81 homes (R002) to 437 homes (R005); the median route has 230 homes. The Census counted 1,123 households in 28742 (2020–2024 average); USPS counts current mailboxes, including new and vacant homes.
| Homes per route | Routes |
|---|---|
| 1–249 | 3 |
| 250–499 | 2 |
| 500–749 | 0 |
| 750–999 | 0 |
| 1,000–1,499 | 0 |
| 1,500+ | 0 |
Best routes in 28742 for…
Most businesses
For B2B offers: office supplies, cleaning, IT, catering and commercial services.
- Route R004 — USPS business mailboxes 20, 386 homes
- Route R003 — USPS business mailboxes 3, 230 homes
- Route R005 — USPS business mailboxes 1, 437 homes
Select these 3 routes on the route map
Every carrier route in 28742
| Route | Type | Homes | Businesses | Est. median income | Est. owners | Est. families with kids | Est. moved in past year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R001 | Rural | 132 | 0 | $91,726 | — | — | — |
| R002 | Rural | 81 | 0 | $80,037 | — | — | — |
| R003 | Rural | 230 | 3 | $84,189 | — | — | — |
| R004 | Rural | 386 | 20 | $95,226 | — | — | — |
| R005 | Rural | 437 | 1 | $73,203 | — | — | — |
Income, owners, families and movers are estimates for each route (how we estimate them); mailbox counts are current USPS figures. Open 28742 on the EDDM route map.
How route demographics are estimated
Mailbox counts come from USPS; demographics are estimates
The number of homes and businesses on each carrier route is the current USPS EDDM count. The Census Bureau does not publish figures for carrier routes, so income, homeownership, ages, families, movers and housing age on a route are EDDM2GO estimates built from Census block groups (neighborhood areas of roughly 600 to 3,000 people).
How a route gets its figures: the block-group length-share method
We trace each route's streets every 25 meters and record which block group each stretch falls in. The route's homes are spread along its streets in proportion to length, so a route with 60% of its street length in one block group is assumed to have 60% of its homes there. Each block group then contributes its Census counts in proportion to the share of its housing units that sit on the route (capped at the whole block group). Medians are recalculated from the combined income, home-value and age brackets, the way the Census Bureau computes them, not averaged.
Margins of error
Census survey figures carry a margin of error at 90% confidence; we carry it through the calculation and show it as ±. Our margins treat the route-to-block-group split as exact, so the real uncertainty is larger. Routes with fewer than 100 estimated households, large margins, or streets we could not place are flagged.
Different years
USPS mailbox counts are current. Census figures are 5-year averages for 2020–2024, so a new subdivision may have more homes on the route today than the Census counted. Use the route figures to compare routes with each other, not as an exact head count.
Why some routes show identical figures
Two routes that run through the same block group get the same percentages and medians, because the Census publishes one set of figures for the whole block group. Their mailbox counts still differ, and those are exact.
Route and mailbox counts: USPS EDDM route data. Route demographics: EDDM2GO estimates from U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year block-group data (2020–2024) and 2024 cartographic block-group boundaries. This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Nearby ZIP codes
- 28759 — Mills River town, NC (3.5 mi)
- 28729 — Etowah CDP, NC (5.1 mi)
- 28768 — Brevard city, NC (5.1 mi)
- 28704 — Royal Pines CDP, NC (7.1 mi)
- 28791 — Mountain Home CDP, NC (8.3 mi)
- 28758 — Mountain Home CDP, NC (8.8 mi)
- 28766 (9.4 mi)
- 28715 — Asheville city, NC (9.6 mi)
Areas that include 28742
- Etowah, NC ZIP codes — 3 ZIP codes
- Horse Shoe, NC ZIP codes — 4 ZIP codes
- Henderson County ZIP codes — 15 ZIP codes
- North Carolina ZIP code data
Where it ranks
- No. 2 of 12: highest median household income in Henderson County
- No. 3 of 12: highest median home value in Henderson County
Mail every home in 28742
Route counts on this page price as Full Service 6.5 × 9 postcards: we print, bundle by carrier route and hand the mailing to USPS. Prefer to take it to the Post Office yourself? Print only costs less and you pay postage at drop-off.
EDDM guides
ZIP code statistics describe the Census ZIP Code Tabulation Area (ZCTA) 28742, which approximates the USPS ZIP code area. Census figures: American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024.
Frequently asked questions
- What city is 28742 in?
- 28742 is a Horse Shoe, NC mailing address. By land area, 9% lies inside Horse Shoe and 4% lies inside Etowah; the rest is outside any Census-defined city or community.
- What county is 28742 in?
- 28742 is in Henderson County.
- What is the population of 28742?
- About 2,710 people (±688), according to the Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-year estimates for 2020–2024. The 2020 Census counted 2,981.
- What is the median household income in 28742?
- $99,007 (±$47,099), compared with $72,388 for North Carolina as a whole. Half the households in the ZIP code earn more and half earn less.
- How many carrier routes and mailboxes are in 28742?
- 5 USPS carrier routes with 1,266 residential and 24 business mailboxes (1,290 in all), from the route data stored by EDDM2GO. An EDDM mailing can target any combination of these routes.
- What ZIP codes are near 28742?
- The closest, measured center to center: 28759 (3.5 mi, Mills River), 28729 (5.1 mi, Etowah), 28768 (5.1 mi, Brevard), 28704 (7.1 mi, Royal Pines), 28791 (8.3 mi, Mountain Home) and 28758 (8.8 mi, Mountain Home).
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.