Area Code 828

North Carolina

Area code 828 serves North Carolina, primarily Asheville, in the Eastern Time (ET) time zone. It was created from a split of area code 704.

Published: February 17, 2026Verified against NANPA and FCC records

Split Area Code

This area code exists because its parent region ran low on available numbers: the parent territory was divided geographically, this code took over one part of it, and the parent kept serving the rest. Existing customers generally keep their numbers — only the code changes for the newly drawn region.

This area code was split from area code 704 (Charlotte).

In service since: 22-Mar-1998

Learn more about overlay and split area codes →

Demographics & Economics

Total Population: 2,250,536
Population Density: 126 people/sq mi
above U.S. average (U.S.: 95 people/sq mi)
Median Household Income: $58,709
below U.S. median (U.S.: $80,734)
Poverty Rate: 14.1%
above U.S. average (U.S.: 12.5%)
Unemployment Rate: 4.6%
below U.S. average (U.S.: 5.2%)
Education Attainment: Bachelor's Degree+
29.6%
below U.S. average (U.S.: 35.7%)
High School or Lower
32.9%

Statistics are population-weighted aggregations from Census ACS 5-year estimates. Population figures are approximate — see Sources & Methodology for details on how area code populations are derived.

See how this area code compares to all US area codes in the income ranking and density ranking.

Time Zone

Eastern Time (ET)

NANPA Relief Status

According to the latest NANPA analysis (July 2026), area code 828 is currently relief planning in progress.

Planning letters: PL-114, PL-105

Source: NANPA NPA Relief Planning Reports · See all relief planning statuses

Current Time

Eastern Time (ET)

Prefix Utilization

Geographic Coverage

State

Major Cities

Asheville
Hickory
Boone
Lenoir
Morganton
Hendersonville
Newton
Waynesville
St. Stephens
Lake Norman of Catawba
Conover
Black Mountain
Fletcher
Woodfin
Brevard
Etowah
Marion
Cullowhee
Mills River
East Flat Rock
Swannanoa
Sawmills
Long View
Granite Falls

and 104 more cities

Area Code 828 geographic coverage map (light mode)

Demographics

The estimated population served by area code 828 is approximately 2,250,536. The population density is 126 people per square mile, which is higher than the national average of 95. The median household income is $58,709, which is lower than the national median of $80,734. Approximately 29.6% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, compared to the national rate of 35.7%. This rate is lower than the national average. The poverty rate stands at 14.1%, which is higher than the national rate of 12.5%.

History

Area code 828 was created from a split of area code 704. It was introduced in 1998 as part of a geographic division to provide additional numbering resources.

County Coverage

Population-weighted county share based on aggregated ZCTA population (100% = total mapped population for area code 828).

County	Population	Share
Buncombe, NC	339,140	15.1%
Burke, NC	224,058	10.0%
Caldwell, NC	191,329	8.5%
Catawba, NC	180,848	8.0%
Henderson, NC	161,886	7.2%
McDowell, NC	134,348	6.0%
Rutherford, NC	116,572	5.2%
Watauga, NC	106,689	4.7%
Alexander, NC	104,485	4.6%
Polk, NC	84,034	3.7%
Haywood, NC	64,848	2.9%
Madison, NC	63,171	2.8%
Clay, NC	60,806	2.7%
Jackson, NC	57,643	2.6%
Transylvania, NC	57,104	2.5%
Wilkes, NC	48,477	2.2%
Macon, NC	46,243	2.1%
Yancey, NC	45,491	2.0%
Avery, NC	35,619	1.6%
Cherokee, NC	29,618	1.3%
Swain, NC	29,473	1.3%
Lincoln, NC	19,421	0.9%
Mitchell, NC	19,067	0.8%
Cleveland, NC	14,615	0.6%
Graham, NC	8,163	0.4%
Iredell, NC	5,129	0.2%
Ashe, NC	2,259	0.1%