28420 ZIP Code — Ash, NC

Brunswick County, North Carolina

ZIP code 28420 is located in Ash, North Carolina, within Brunswick County. It covers approximately 171.09 square miles and serves a population of 2,710 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 910.

About ZIP code 28420

The housing stock consists of a higher-than-average concentration of mobile homes. Most homes were built in the 1980s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $198,300. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 72%.

Median household income is $51,364. The poverty rate of 7% is below the national average. 50% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is service, with professional and management as the leading industry. The average commute of 27 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 13% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (22%) compared to national benchmarks. 17% of residents lack health insurance, above the national average.

Overall, ZIP code 28420 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

2,710

population

171.09

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

28420 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 28420

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 28420. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Ash	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

28462 Supply (7.5 mi) 28452 Longwood (8.5 mi) 28470 Shallotte (8.5 mi) 28469 Ocean Isle Beach (9.5 mi) 28455 Nakina (10.3 mi) 28468 Sunset Beach (12.3 mi) 28423 Bolton (14 mi) 28422 Bolivia (16.6 mi) 28442 Hallsboro (16.8 mi) 29566 Little River (17.3 mi) 28436 Delco (17.5 mi) 28472 Whiteville (18.1 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	2,710
Population density	16 / sq mi
State FIPS	37
County FIPS	019

Geography
Land area	171.09 sq mi
Water area	0.38 sq mi
Latitude	34.0730
Longitude	-78.4515
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	910

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	53.8%	41.0%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	31.4%	35.1%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	14.2%	19.4%	19.1%
Over $200k	0.7%	4.4%	6.0%

Demographics & statistics

2,710

Population

People per sq mi

47.6

Median age

$51,364

Median household income

$26,289

Per capita income

$198,300

Median home value

$979

Median monthly rent

71.9%

Home ownership

7.2%

Poverty rate

2.6%

Unemployment

1,060

Housing units

13.4%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

133

15–19

112

20–24

165

25–34

138

114

35–44

216

45–54

181

133

55–59

111

101

60–64

272

65–74

228

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	504	18.6%
18 and over	2,206	81.4%
65 and over	667	24.6%
Median age	47.6 years

Race & ethnicity

White 79.3%

Black or African American 10.9%

Two or more races 4%

American Indian / Alaska Native 2.7%

Asian 2.1%

Hispanic or Latino 0.8%

Other race 0.3%

Group	Count	%
White	2,166	79.3%
Black or African American	297	10.9%
Two or more races	108	4%
American Indian / Alaska Native	73	2.7%
Asian	57	2.1%
Hispanic or Latino	23	0.8%
Other race	9	0.3%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	53.8%	41.0%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	31.4%	35.1%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	14.2%	19.4%	19.1%
Over $200k	0.7%	4.4%	6.0%

Under $10k 2.1%

$10k–$15k 7.5%

$15k–$25k 5.2%

$25k–$35k 13.8%

$35k–$50k 20.3%

$50k–$75k 24.7%

$75k–$100k 9.0%

$100k–$150k 14.7%

$150k–$200k 1.6%

$200k+ 1.1%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	2.1%
$10k–$15k	7.5%
$15k–$25k	5.2%
$25k–$35k	13.8%
$35k–$50k	20.3%
$50k–$75k	24.7%
$75k–$100k	9.0%
$100k–$150k	14.7%
$150k–$200k	1.6%
$200k+	1.1%
Median income	$51,364

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 7.5%

$50k–$100k 21.1%

$100k–$150k 5.1%

$150k–$200k 16.8%

$200k–$300k 29.9%

$300k–$500k 13.3%

$500k–$1M 6.3%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$198,300
Median rent / month	$979
Owner occupied	71.9%
Renter occupied	28.1%
Vacant	18.2%
Single-family detached	54.6%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	44.0%
Median rooms	4.7
Avg household size (owned)	2.24

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	1.1%
2010–2019	4.1%
2000–2009	16.2%
1990–1999	20.5%
1980–1989	21.9%
1970–1979	15.0%
1960–1969	10.2%
1950–1959	5.1%
1940–1949	0.0%
1939 or earlier	6.0%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.8%
1 bedroom	0.7%
2 bedrooms	35.2%
3 bedrooms	55.0%
4 bedrooms	5.7%
5+ bedrooms	2.5%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	1.3%
1 vehicle	19.8%
2 vehicles	43.9%
3 or more	35.0%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	4.4%
Electricity	82.4%
Propane / LP gas	13.1%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	571	50.7%
Cohabiting couple	38	3.4%
Male householder, no spouse	215	19.1%
Female householder, no spouse	302	26.8%
Households with children under 18	233	20.7%
Households with seniors (65+)	490	43.5%
Average household size	2.41

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	24.9%	18.5%
Married	64.1%	55.1%
Separated	1.5%	0.0%
Widowed	9.1%	17.8%
Divorced	0.4%	8.6%

Education

Less than 9th grade 5.2%

Some HS, no diploma 4.9%

HS graduate 42.8%

Some college, no degree 23.0%

Associate's degree 10.7%

Bachelor's degree 9.0%

Graduate / professional 4.3%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	89.9%
Bachelor's or higher	13.4%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	18	3.3%
Kindergarten	14	2.6%
Elementary school	227	41.4%
High school	206	37.6%
College / grad school	83	15.1%

Employment

Industry of employment

Professional & management 24.6%

Education & healthcare 20.0%

Construction 13.3%

Arts, food & hospitality 12.7%

Retail trade 11.5%

Finance & real estate 7.3%

Information 3.1%

Agriculture & mining 2.5%

Transportation & utilities 2.4%

Public administration 1.7%

Other services 0.9%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	26.5%
Service	32.0%
Sales & office	15.7%
Natural resources & construction	15.6%
Production & transportation	10.3%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	78.4%
Government	13.0%
Self-employed	8.6%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	77.7%
Carpool	17.4%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.2%
Work from home	4.3%
Other means	0.4%
Avg commute (minutes)	26.6

Poverty

All people 7.2%

Under 18 years 16.1%

18 and over 5.2%

Married-couple families 0.7%

Female-led households 16.9%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	49.6%
Retirement income	22.2%
Supplemental Security	4.4%
Cash public assistance	0.0%
Food stamps / SNAP	13.4%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	34.8%
High blood pressure	35.7%
High cholesterol	36.4%
Diabetes	11.7%
Heart disease	7.1%
Stroke	3.6%
Asthma	9.6%
Arthritis	26.5%
Kidney disease	3.2%
Pulmonary disease	8.1%
Cancer	6.4%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	22.3%
Binge drinking	17.3%
No physical activity	25.1%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	33.9%
Depression	23.2%
Fair or poor health	16.3%
Poor mental health	15.2%
Poor physical health	11.9%
No health insurance	20.8%
Visited doctor (checkup)	78.0%
Visited dentist	61.9%
Cholesterol screening	88.8%
Teeth loss	16.9%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	199	9.0%

Disability	%
Any disability	12.6%
Under 18	0.6%
18–64 years	12.1%
65 and over	22.9%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	54.4%
Public insurance	49.9%
No insurance	17.1%
Uninsured under 19	0.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	2,636	97.3%
Spanish	88	3.3%
Other Indo-European	12	0.5%
Asian & Pacific Islander	15	0.6%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	2,573	94.9%
Born in same state	2,552	94.2%
Born in different state	1,866	68.9%
Foreign born	21	0.8%
Naturalized citizen	137	5.1%
Not a US citizen	71	51.8%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	317	11.7%
Arab	266	9.8%

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	248	9.2%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	41.5%
Internet access	97.6%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 28420

What city is ZIP code 28420 in?

ZIP code 28420 is primarily assigned to Ash, North Carolina.

What county is ZIP code 28420 in?

ZIP code 28420 falls within Brunswick County, North Carolina.

Does ZIP code 28420 have a large retiree population?

50% of households in ZIP code 28420 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 28420?

13% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — below the national average of ~33%, consistent with a trades-oriented local economy.

What is the population of ZIP code 28420?

ZIP code 28420 has an estimated population of 2,710 residents, with a density of 16 people per square mile.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 28420?

The median household income in ZIP code 28420 is $51,364, below the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 28420 in?

ZIP code 28420 observes the EST timezone.