Highlands is a town in Macon County, North Carolina, home to about 1,074 people across 6.1 square miles. Its ZIP code is 28741.
Homes sold for a median of $625 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a buyer’s market.
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Highlands. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Highlands’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | McGhee Tyson Airport (TYS)67 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Asheville Regional Airport (AVL)46 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Atlanta, GA113 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Chicago, IL526 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Highlands; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Highlands had 1,072 residents in the 2020 census, up 18% since 2000.
It’s the 441st largest of 771 towns in North Carolina by population.
Macon County grew from 12,104 residents in 1900 to 37,014 in 2020.
Macon County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 78°F in summer, and winter lows average 24°F. About 88.5 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 10 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Highlands, NC weather station (about a mile away).
10,736 jobs at 1,282 businesses in Macon County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
40 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Highlands.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 7 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 10 |
| Dentists | 4 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 9 |
| Mental health providers | 8 |
| Chiropractors | 2 |
| Pharmacies | 4 |
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.
Parks (2 nearby)
Grocery stores (2 nearby)
Libraries (1 nearby)
Museums
Theaters and performance venues (1 nearby)
Counts are within about 2 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.
Public schools here are run by Macon County Schools. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highlands SchoolHighlands | K–12 | 344 | Public | 2.0 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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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.