Town guide

Blowing Rock, North Carolina

Blowing Rock is a town in Watauga County, North Carolina, home to about 992 people across 3.2 square miles. Its ZIP code is 28605.

Homes sold for a median of $507 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a balanced market.

Population992306 per sq mi
Median home value$705,000Census, as estimated by owners
Price per sq ft$507Sold homes, 3 months to August 2026
Sold over asking11%Latest 3 months

ZIP codes in Blowing Rock

1 ZIP code

Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Blowing Rock. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology

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  • History
  • What it’s like to live there
  • Getting around
  • Things to do

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Around Blowing Rock

Distances

Nearest major airportCharlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT)76 miles away
Closer regional airportTri-Cities Regional TN/VA Airport (TRI)46 miles away
Nearest city of 250,000+Winston-Salem, NC80 miles away
Nearest city of 1 million+Philadelphia, PA446 miles away

Straight-line distances from the center of Blowing Rock; driving is longer.

Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Who represents Blowing Rock

Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.

Population over time

Blowing Rock had 1,376 residents in the 2020 census, down 3% since 2000.

It’s the 458th largest of 771 towns in North Carolina by population.

Watauga County grew from 13,417 residents in 1900 to 54,086 in 2020.

Blowing Rock population by census2000: 1,418, 2010: 1,241, 2020: 1,3761,41820001,24120101,3762020

Watauga County, 1900–2020

Watauga County population, 1900 to 20201900: 13,417, 1910: 13,556, 1920: 13,477, 1930: 15,165, 1940: 18,114, 1950: 18,342, 1960: 17,529, 1970: 23,404, 1980: 31,666, 1990: 36,952, 2000: 42,695, 2010: 51,079, 2020: 54,08613K’00’1013K’20’3018K’40’5018K’60’7032K’80’9043K’00’1054K’20

Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).

Weather by month

Average highs peak around 79°F in summer, and winter lows average 22°F. About 59.1 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 26 inches of snow.

Average high and low temperature and precipitation by month near Blowing RockJan: high 41°F, low 22°F, 4.4 in; Feb: high 45°F, low 24°F, 3.6 in; Mar: high 52°F, low 29°F, 4.8 in; Apr: high 62°F, low 37°F, 5.5 in; May: high 69°F, low 46°F, 5.5 in; Jun: high 76°F, low 54°F, 5.6 in; Jul: high 79°F, low 58°F, 5.1 in; Aug: high 78°F, low 56°F, 5.6 in; Sep: high 72°F, low 50°F, 5.7 in; Oct: high 63°F, low 39°F, 4.7 in; Nov: high 53°F, low 30°F, 4.4 in; Dec: high 45°F, low 25°F, 4.2 in41°22°Jan4.445°24°Feb3.652°29°Mar4.862°37°Apr5.569°46°May5.576°54°Jun5.679°58°Jul5.178°56°Aug5.672°50°Sep5.763°39°Oct4.753°30°Nov4.445°25°Dec4.2Rain and melted snow, inches

Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Boone 1 Se, NC weather station (6 miles away).

Jobs in Watauga County

20,781 jobs at 1,740 businesses in Watauga County. The biggest industries by employees:

Largest industries in Watauga CountyHealth care and social assistance: 5,077 jobs; Hotels and restaurants: 4,350 jobs; Retail trade: 4,046 jobs; Construction: 1,136 jobs; Other services: 1,020 jobs; Arts, entertainment and recreation: 778 jobs; Manufacturing: 744 jobs; Professional services: 729 jobsHealth care and social assistance 24% Hotels and restaurants 21% Retail trade 20% Construction 6% Other services 5% Arts, entertainment and recreation 4% Manufacturing 4% Professional services 4%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).

Health care

14 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Blowing Rock.

Nearest hospitals

  • Watauga Medical CenterGeneral hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 3 of 5 · Boone5.0 miles
  • Charles A Cannon Jr Memorial HospitalCritical access hospital · emergency room · Linville10.7 miles
  • Caldwell Memorial HospitalGeneral hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 3 of 5 · Lenoir18.0 miles

Providers with an office here

Primary care doctors2
Specialist doctors1
Dentists2
Nurse practitioners and physician assistants4
Mental health providers3
Physical and occupational therapists1
Chiropractors1
Pharmacies3

Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.

Places in and around Blowing Rock

Parks (3 nearby)

  • Blowing Rock Pool · 4 acres0.9 mi
  • Blowing Rock City Park · 3 acres1.2 mi
  • Broyhill Park1.0 mi

Grocery stores

  • Food Lion1.7 mi
  • Walmart Supercenter4.8 mi
  • Ingles4.8 mi
  • Food Lion4.8 mi

Pharmacies

  • Walgreens4.9 mi
  • Publix4.9 mi
  • CVS Pharmacy5.0 mi

Libraries (1 nearby)

  • Blowing Rock Community Library1.2 mi

Museums (3 nearby)

  • Moses Cone Manor1.0 mi
  • Blowing Rock Art & History Museum1.2 mi
  • Blowing Rock 1888 Museum1.2 mi

Theaters and performance venues (1 nearby)

  • Ensemble Stage1.3 mi

Counts are within about 1.5 miles of the center of town.

Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.

Schools in Blowing Rock

Public schools here are run by Watauga County Schools. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.

Public schools (1)
SchoolGradesStudentsTypeDistance
Blowing Rock ElementaryBlowing RockPre-K–8409Public1.3 mi

Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.

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Towns near Blowing Rock

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Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.