ZIP Code 28746 — Lake Lure town, NC Demographics & Data

ZIP code 28746 covers Lake Lure, NC in Rutherford County with a population of about 2,734.

At a glance, the area shows median age of 60.5 versus a U.S. median of about 38.9.

It sits in telephone area code 828; U.S. House district NC-14; the GREENVLL - SPART - ASHEVLL - AND media market.

Lake Lure, NC fits a retirement-oriented profile (high share of residents 65+ (37.0%)). 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 28746 is about $65,703 — about 13% below the U.S. median ($75,149).

On socioeconomic markers, US5 shows a poverty rate of 14.3%; unemployment rate near 5.0%; 46.1% of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher (about 12.4 points above the national share (33.7%)).

Labor and commute patterns include leading industry context around Healthcare, Manufacturing, and Retail trade; about 21.8% of workers reporting work-from-home (about 6.6 points above 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 $433,100 — about 24% above the U.S. median home value ($348,079).

Housing tenure and rents show median gross rent around $748 (about 36% below the U.S. median rent ($1,163)), and owner-occupancy near 86.7% (about 21.3 points above the national owner-occupancy rate (65.4%)).

To comfortably buy a median-priced home in ZIP 28746 in Lake Lure, NC, a household would need roughly $119,000 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 $2,782. That is about 81% above the local median household income ($65,703), 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 Lake Lure town, NC as Relatively Low (composite score 72.7), which is elevated versus much of the country. The strongest component scores on US5 are flood (79.2) and hurricane (66.7). 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 Lake Lure town, NC show little to no average snow and around 59.3 inches of annual precipitation.

IRS migration statistics show a net inflow of about 114 for ZIP 28746 (Lake Lure 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.