Waynesville is a town in Haywood County, North Carolina, home to about 10,502 people across 8.8 square miles. Its ZIP code is 28786.
Homes sold for a median of $245 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a balanced market.
Mostly Waynesville; also Lake Junaluska
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Waynesville. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Waynesville’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)60 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Asheville Regional Airport (AVL)26 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Charlotte, NC123 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Chicago, IL505 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Waynesville; 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.
Waynesville had 10,140 residents in the 2020 census, up 10% since 2000.
It’s the 96th largest of 771 towns in North Carolina by population.
Haywood County grew from 16,222 residents in 1900 to 62,089 in 2020.
Haywood County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 82°F in summer, and winter lows average 24°F. About 50.3 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 11 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Waynesville 1 E, NC weather station (2 miles away).
16,322 jobs at 1,546 businesses in Haywood County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
312 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Waynesville.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 11 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 6 |
| Dentists | 18 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 27 |
| Mental health providers | 208 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 22 |
| Optometrists | 6 |
| Chiropractors | 14 |
| Pharmacies | 13 |
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 (6 nearby)
Grocery stores (2 nearby)
Libraries (1 nearby)
Museums
Theaters and performance venues
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.
Established in 1810.
Notable people born here
Source: Wikidata (wikidata.org), the free knowledge base; people are listed by place of birth.
Public schools here are run by Haywood County Schools, Shining Rock Classical Academy. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hazelwood ElementaryWaynesville | Pre-K–5 | 490 | Public | 2.1 mi |
| Junaluska ElementaryWaynesville | K–5 | 428 | Public | 1.7 mi |
| Shining Rock Classical AcademyWaynesville | K–12 | 616 | Charter | 1.4 mi |
| Bethel MiddleWaynesville | 6–8 | 254 | Public | 5.8 mi |
| Waynesville MiddleWaynesville | 6–8 | 727 | Public | 1.2 mi |
| Central Haywood HighWaynesville | 9–12 | 63 | Alternative Education | 1.1 mi |
| Tuscola HighWaynesville | 9–12 | 873 | Public | 2.7 mi |
| School | Grades | Students | Affiliation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Haywood Christian AcademyWaynesville | Pre-K–12 | 112 | Christian (no specific denomination) | 1.6 mi |
| Blue Ridge Adventist Christian SchoolWaynesville | 3–8 | 5 | Seventh-day Adventist | 1.5 mi |
| Academy at Soar, Soar Inc.Waynesville | 7–12 | 27 | Nonsectarian | 1.8 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.
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Shares ZIP codes with Lake Junaluska.
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.