Whittier is a community in Jackson County, North Carolina across 0.2 square miles. It has no ZIP code of its own: it’s part of 28789.
Homes sold for a median of $257 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a buyer’s market.
Part is in Whittier, part in Cherokee
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Whittier. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Whittier’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)47 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Asheville Regional Airport (AVL)42 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Atlanta, GA133 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Chicago, IL501 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Whittier; 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.
Jackson County grew from 11,853 residents in 1900 to 43,109 in 2020.
Jackson County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 83°F in summer, and winter lows average 26°F. About 56.6 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 7 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Cherokee, NC weather station (3 miles away).
13,583 jobs at 1,113 businesses in Jackson County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
6 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Whittier.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 1 |
|---|---|
| Dentists | 2 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 1 |
| Mental health providers | 2 |
| Pharmacies | 1 |
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.
Grocery stores
Museums
Theaters and performance venues
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.
Public schools here are run by Jackson County Public Schools. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smokey Mountain ElementaryWhittier | Pre-K–8 | 340 | Public | 2.4 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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Shares ZIP codes with Cherokee.
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.