This data is based on ZIP codes 28605, 28645, which covers Blowing Rock and Cajah's Mountain and Cedar Rock and Gamewell and Hudson and Lenoir.
The U.S. Census reports business data by ZIP code, not city boundaries. All numbers reflect the combined ZIP codes 28605, 28645 area shared across these towns.
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Blowing Rock ZIP Area Economy · 2023
Wages +5% vs. avg. Watauga Co. town
Blowing Rock's ZIP area supports 16,535 jobs across 1,095 businesses, with workers earning an average of $46K per year, 5% above the Watauga County average. The economy is well-diversified (0.90 index), led by retail trade and other services. 85.3% of businesses have fewer than 20 employees, and each business employs an average of 15.1 people. Jobs grew 5% from the prior year while business count declined 0.5%.
Where Businesses Clusteri
Larger blocks have more businesses.
Local Specialization vs. Watauga Avg.i
Industries sorted by relative concentration in this ZIP area.
Business Size Distributioni
1,095 businesses by employee count. 85.3% are small businesses (under 20 employees).
Micro (<5)
Small (5-9)
Small (10-19)
Medium (20-49)
Medium (50-99)
Large (100-249)
Major (250-499)
Economic Densityi
2.00+
jobs per resident
Capped: ZIP includes employers outside city limits
15.1
employees per business
County avg: 13.4+12%
$770K
payroll per resident
$698K
payroll per business
Blowing Rock ZIP Area vs. Avg. Watauga Co. Towni
All Industries in ZIP Areai
| Sector | Blowing Rock ZIP | Avg. Watauga Co. | Spec. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Trade | 210 | 126 | 1.1x |
| Other Services | 133 | 71 | 1.2x |
| Food & Accommodation | 126 | 91 | 0.9x |
| Healthcare | 104 | 70 | 1.0x |
| Construction | 89 | 78 | 0.8x |
| Professional Services | 76 | 64 | 0.8x |
| Finance & Insurance | 66 | 34 | 1.3x |
| Manufacturing | 61 | 26 | 1.6x |
| Real Estate | 58 | 62 | 0.6x |
| Admin Services | 46 | 32 | 1.0x |
| Wholesale Trade | 38 | 20 | 1.3x |
| Transportation | 27 | 10 | 1.8x |
| Arts & Entertainment | 23 | 22 | 0.7x |
| Information | 17 | 12 | 0.9x |
| Education | 12 | 6 | 1.3x |
| Management | 6 | 3 | 1.3x |