Town guide

Mars Hill, North Carolina

Mars Hill is a town in Madison County, North Carolina, home to about 3,025 people across 2.0 square miles. Its ZIP code is 28754.

Homes sold for a median of $248 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a buyer’s market.

Population3,0251,520 per sq mi
Median home value$294,700Census, as estimated by owners
Price per sq ft$248Sold homes, 3 months to August 2026
Sold over asking14%Latest 3 months

ZIP codes in Mars Hill

1 ZIP code

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

The Mars Hill guide is on the way

We’re writing up Mars Hill’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.

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

Are you a local agent who knows Mars Hill well? Agents who advertise here will be able to write the guide. Advertise on OfferBacked

Around Mars Hill

Distances

Nearest major airportMcGhee Tyson Airport (TYS)82 miles away
Closer regional airportAsheville Regional Airport (AVL)29 miles away
Nearest city of 250,000+Charlotte, NC105 miles away
Nearest city of 1 million+Philadelphia, PA494 miles away

Straight-line distances from the center of Mars Hill; driving is longer.

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

Who represents Mars Hill

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

Mars Hill had 2,007 residents in the 2020 census, up 14% since 2000.

It’s the 258th largest of 771 towns in North Carolina by population.

Madison County grew from 20,644 residents in 1900 to 21,193 in 2020.

Mars Hill population by census2000: 1,764, 2010: 1,869, 2020: 2,0071,76420001,86920102,0072020

Madison County, 1900–2020

Madison County population, 1900 to 20201900: 20,644, 1910: 20,132, 1920: 20,083, 1930: 20,306, 1940: 22,522, 1950: 20,522, 1960: 17,217, 1970: 16,003, 1980: 16,827, 1990: 16,953, 2000: 19,635, 2010: 20,764, 2020: 21,19321K’00’1020K’20’3023K’40’5017K’60’7017K’80’9020K’00’1021K’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 85°F in summer, and winter lows average 24°F. About 41.7 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 Mars HillJan: high 47°F, low 24°F, 3.3 in; Feb: high 51°F, low 26°F, 2.8 in; Mar: high 59°F, low 31°F, 3.8 in; Apr: high 69°F, low 38°F, 3.7 in; May: high 76°F, low 48°F, 3.8 in; Jun: high 82°F, low 57°F, 4.2 in; Jul: high 85°F, low 61°F, 4.4 in; Aug: high 84°F, low 60°F, 3.8 in; Sep: high 79°F, low 54°F, 3.4 in; Oct: high 70°F, low 41°F, 2.3 in; Nov: high 59°F, low 30°F, 2.8 in; Dec: high 49°F, low 26°F, 3.4 in47°24°Jan3.351°26°Feb2.859°31°Mar3.869°38°Apr3.776°48°May3.882°57°Jun4.285°61°Jul4.484°60°Aug3.879°54°Sep3.470°41°Oct2.359°30°Nov2.849°26°Dec3.4Rain and melted snow, inches

Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Marshall, NC weather station (9 miles away).

Jobs in Madison County

3,298 jobs at 402 businesses in Madison County. The biggest industries by employees:

Largest industries in Madison CountyRetail trade: 617 jobs; Health care and social assistance: 553 jobs; Manufacturing: 465 jobs; Hotels and restaurants: 405 jobs; Construction: 364 jobs; Educational services: 258 jobs; Other services: 164 jobs; Administrative and support: 101 jobsRetail trade 19% Health care and social assistance 17% Manufacturing 14% Hotels and restaurants 12% Construction 11% Educational services 8% Other services 5% Administrative and support 3%

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

Health care

31 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Mars Hill.

Nearest hospitals

  • Asheville-Oteen Va Medical CenterVA hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 4 of 5 · Asheville18.5 miles
  • Memorial Mission Hospital and Asheville Surgery CeGeneral hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 3 of 5 · Asheville19.0 miles
  • Blue Ridge Regional HospitalCritical access hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 3 of 5 · Spruce Pine26.2 miles

Providers with an office here

Primary care doctors7
Dentists3
Nurse practitioners and physician assistants4
Mental health providers10
Physical and occupational therapists1
Optometrists1
Chiropractors5
Pharmacies4

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 Mars Hill

Grocery stores

  • Ingles2.2 mi

Pharmacies

  • Mars Hill Medical Pharmacy2.1 mi
  • CVS Pharmacy2.2 mi

Libraries

  • Mars Hill Public Library2.1 mi
  • Renfro Library2.3 mi

Museums

  • Rural Heritage Museum2.3 mi

Theaters and performance venues

  • Owen Theatre2.2 mi
  • Anderson Amphitheatre2.2 mi
  • Ellen Amphitheatre2.3 mi

Counts are within about 1 mile 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 Mars Hill

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

Public schools (1)
SchoolGradesStudentsTypeDistance
Mars Hill ElementaryMars HillK–5445Public2.0 mi
Private schools (1)
SchoolGradesStudentsAffiliationDistance
Wolf Creek AcademyMars Hill7–1219Other religious6.1 mi

Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools; Private School Universe Survey (2023-2024) for private schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.

From OfferBacked · Free

Get matched with a local agent.

Buying or selling around Mars Hill? Tell us what you need and when. No agents advertise here yet, so we’ll keep your request for up to 30 days and send it to local agents who join. No obligation, and you choose who to work with.

Get matched

Where Mars Hill is

Loading map…

Towns near Mars Hill

All North Carolina towns →

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.