Pinehurst, NC: ZIP 28370
Population: 17,581 | Median Income: $92,342 | Median Home Value: N/A
About Pinehurst
The Village of Pinehurst sits in the Sandhills region of Moore County, about 70 miles southwest of Raleigh and 43 miles west-northwest of Fayetteville. It carries the official designation of "Home of American Golf," a title granted by both the United States Golf Association and the state of North Carolina. That reputation is well-earned: more than 40 golf courses operate within the surrounding area, and the Pinehurst Resort alone has hosted the U.S. Open four times since 1999, most recently in 2024. The championship is scheduled to return in 2029, 2035, 2041, and 2047.
The village traces its origins to 1895, when Boston businessman James Walker Tufts purchased roughly 598 acres of longleaf pine forest for approximately $1.25 per acre. Tufts had made his fortune as head of the American Soda Fountain Company and wanted to create a health resort for people of modest means. He hired Frederick Law Olmsted, the landscape architect behind Central Park and the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, who drafted the village plan in about three weeks. The result is a layout of curving lanes and a central green that still defines the village today. Originally referred to as "Tuftstown" and briefly "Pinealia" during construction, the settlement was renamed Pinehurst by December 1895. The name itself came from a contest to name a development on Martha's Vineyard; when it was not selected there, Tufts repurposed it for his Carolina resort.
Pinehurst remained a privately held resort under Tufts family ownership for decades before transitioning to corporate ownership in 1920. It did not become an incorporated municipality until 1980. Since then, the village has grown considerably. The 2020 census counted 17,581 residents, up from 13,124 in 2010 and just 1,016 in 1950. The Pinehurst Historic District, a 250-acre area encompassing the resort complexes and surrounding village center, was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1996 for its Olmsted landscape design and its significance to American golf history.
What Makes Pinehurst Unique
- Golf House Pinehurst, which opened in 2024 on the resort campus between the Carolina Hotel and Pinehurst No. 8, now houses the World Golf Hall of Fame. The facility relocated from its previous home in St. Augustine, Florida, and displays approximately 4,000 pieces of golf memorabilia.
- Pinehurst No. 2, the resort's most famous course, was designed by Donald Ross and completed in 1907. Ross was hired specifically for golf development in 1900 and shaped the course that would go on to define championship golf in America.
- The Pinehurst Harness Track, established in 1915, is one of the oldest harness racing facilities in the country and remains active today.
- Golf carts are street-legal throughout the village. Because the resort and village are geographically intertwined, residents and visitors can drive registered golf carts on public roads throughout Pinehurst.
- The Pinehurst Resort is one of only three designated anchor sites for the men's U.S. Open, placing it alongside Pebble Beach and Oakmont among America's most significant championship venues.
Living in Pinehurst
The village has a median household income of $92,342, well above the national median. Families earned a median of $108,433 as of the 2020 census. The poverty rate among families sits at about 2.2%.
POLICOM ranked the Pinehurst-Southern Pines area the best micropolitan statistical area in North Carolina for several consecutive years in the late 2010s and early 2020s, citing quality of local amenities, medical infrastructure, and the golf tourism economy. As of July 2023, the Office of Management and Budget upgraded the designation to a full Metropolitan Statistical Area, reflecting the region's continued growth.
Housing in the village leans toward single-family homes in wooded, planned neighborhoods. The village's 17.36 square miles include 0.65 square miles of water, fed by the headwaters of Aberdeen Creek, Horse Creek, and Joes Fork. U.S. Routes 15 and 501 run through the eastern side of the village, connecting residents to Aberdeen 5 miles to the south and Carthage, the Moore County seat, 10 miles to the north.
Things to Do
Weymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve protects one of the most significant old-growth longleaf pine ecosystems remaining in the Sandhills, with trails winding through terrain that looks much as it did when Tufts first arrived in 1895.
The Tufts Archives at Given Memorial Library, located at 150 Cherokee Road, holds the documentary history of the village and resort. It is the best single resource for understanding how Pinehurst came to be.
Sandhills Trolley offers themed tours ranging from history-focused daytime rides to late-night variety shows featuring local actors, comedians, and musicians.
BHAWK Distillery in neighboring Southern Pines tells the story of Army veteran Brad Halling, who survived the 1993 Somalia mission depicted in "Black Hawk Down." He and his wife produce two whiskey brands, Sergeant's Valor and Madam Colonel, near the gates of Fort Liberty.
Red's Corner in Southern Pines brings together a rotating lineup of food trucks, a full bar, and regular live music in an open-air beer garden setting.
Golf Pride Retail Lab, a 36,000-square-foot facility near the entrance to Pinehurst Resort's No. 8 course, offers the same grip consultation and installation experience used by tour professionals.
Double Eagle Indoor Golf and Lounge features four TrackMan simulators, PGA pro lessons, and access to more than 250 courses in the simulator library. It is Pinehurst's first indoor golf facility.
For food, Lisi Italian and Elliotts on Linden are local favorites in the village. In Southern Pines, Chapman's and Southern Whey both draw strong local followings.
Schools
No school data is currently available for ZIP 28370. Moore County Schools serves the broader Pinehurst area, with district offices in Carthage.
Local Insights
The Sandhills Farmers Market runs from mid-April through the end of September each year, bringing local produce, prepared food vendors, and artisan goods to the community. The annual Freedom Fest at Pinehurst Resort takes place over the July 4th weekend and features live music on the resort grounds.
George C. Marshall, the U.S. Army Chief of Staff during World War II and later Secretary of State and Secretary of Defense, was among Pinehurst's most notable residents. NASA astronaut and Navy captain Charles E. Brady Jr. also called the village home.
Pinehurst's growth over the past three decades has been steady rather than explosive, which has helped it preserve the character of the original Olmsted-designed village while adding new amenities and residents. The combination of world-class golf, a walkable historic district, and proximity to Fort Liberty makes the area genuinely unusual among small North Carolina towns.
Explore the Pinehurst Community Board
Local businesses in Pinehurst can claim a spot on the community board for $1/month. Each listing creates a dedicated, Google-indexed webpage for your business with full LocalBusiness schema, the same structured data that helps you show up in ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews.
