28421 ZIP Code — Atkinson, NC

Pender County, North Carolina

ZIP code 28421 is located in Atkinson, North Carolina, within Pender County. It covers approximately 56.55 square miles and serves a population of 2,047 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 910.

About ZIP code 28421

The housing stock consists of a higher-than-average concentration of mobile homes. Most homes were built in the pre-1940, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $110,500. Owner-occupancy is high at 78%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $58,203. SNAP benefit usage at 34% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 43% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 32 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 10% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (23%) compared to national benchmarks. 19% of residents lack health insurance, above the national average.

Overall, ZIP code 28421 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, high homeownership, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

2,047

population

56.55

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

28421 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 28421

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 28421. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Atkinson	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

28447 Ivanhoe (5.7 mi) 28448 Kelly (6.9 mi) 28435 Currie (7.3 mi) 28456 Riegelwood (9.9 mi) 28478 Willard (12 mi) 28444 Harrells (13.7 mi) 28425 Burgaw (14.3 mi) 28434 Council (15 mi) 28436 Delco (16.9 mi) 28457 Rocky Point (17.1 mi) 28451 Leland (18.3 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	2,047
Population density	36 / sq mi
State FIPS	37
County FIPS	141

Geography
Land area	56.55 sq mi
Water area	0.30 sq mi
Latitude	34.5090
Longitude	-78.1888
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	45.2%	40.8%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	40.0%	35.1%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	13.3%	19.7%	19.1%
Over $200k	1.5%	4.4%	6.0%

Demographics & statistics

2,047

Population

People per sq mi

48.0

Median age

$58,203

Median household income

$21,618

Per capita income

$110,500

Median home value

$674

Median monthly rent

78.0%

Home ownership

16.1%

Poverty rate

9.2%

Unemployment

776

Housing units

10.1%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

15–19

20–24

25–34

35–44

191

45–54

186

55–59

108

60–64

106

105

65–74

103

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	425	20.8%
18 and over	1,622	79.2%
65 and over	374	18.3%
Median age	48.0 years

Race & ethnicity

White 45.6%

Hispanic or Latino 17.9%

Black or African American 16.1%

Other race 11.4%

Two or more races 8.9%

Group	Count	%
White	1,138	45.6%
Hispanic or Latino	446	17.9%
Black or African American	401	16.1%
Other race	285	11.4%
Two or more races	223	8.9%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	45.2%	40.8%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	40.0%	35.1%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	13.3%	19.7%	19.1%
Over $200k	1.5%	4.4%	6.0%

Under $10k 7.3%

$10k–$15k 1.6%

$15k–$25k 14.1%

$25k–$35k 13.0%

$35k–$50k 7.0%

$50k–$75k 13.3%

$75k–$100k 20.3%

$100k–$150k 15.4%

$150k–$200k 7.4%

$200k+ 0.6%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	7.3%
$10k–$15k	1.6%
$15k–$25k	14.1%
$25k–$35k	13.0%
$35k–$50k	7.0%
$50k–$75k	13.3%
$75k–$100k	20.3%
$100k–$150k	15.4%
$150k–$200k	7.4%
$200k+	0.6%
Median income	$58,203

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 7.5%

$50k–$100k 35.6%

$100k–$150k 33.3%

$150k–$200k 3.3%

$200k–$300k 10.0%

$300k–$500k 9.8%

$500k–$1M 0.6%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$110,500
Median rent / month	$674
Owner occupied	78.0%
Renter occupied	22.0%
Vacant	31.0%
Single-family detached	56.4%
Large apartment buildings	0.8%
Mobile homes	42.8%
Median rooms	5.2
Avg household size (owned)	3.12

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	12.5%
2000–2009	15.8%
1990–1999	15.4%
1980–1989	4.9%
1970–1979	15.0%
1960–1969	6.7%
1950–1959	12.0%
1940–1949	0.4%
1939 or earlier	17.3%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.4%
1 bedroom	0.0%
2 bedrooms	30.1%
3 bedrooms	56.8%
4 bedrooms	8.7%
5+ bedrooms	3.9%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	0.8%
1 vehicle	22.7%
2 vehicles	33.9%
3 or more	42.6%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	1.1%
Electricity	80.0%
Propane / LP gas	14.4%
Fuel oil	0.6%
Wood	2.9%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	276	43.7%
Cohabiting couple	57	9.0%
Male householder, no spouse	113	17.9%
Female householder, no spouse	185	29.3%
Households with children under 18	171	27.1%
Households with seniors (65+)	247	39.1%
Average household size	3.24

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	28.5%	24.7%
Married	48.7%	44.5%
Separated	0.0%	1.0%
Widowed	4.6%	19.3%
Divorced	18.3%	10.5%

Education

Less than 9th grade 7.8%

Some HS, no diploma 12.0%

HS graduate 47.1%

Some college, no degree 14.2%

Associate's degree 8.7%

Bachelor's degree 7.0%

Graduate / professional 3.1%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	80.2%
Bachelor's or higher	10.1%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	24	7.3%
Kindergarten	15	4.5%
Elementary school	195	59.1%
High school	46	13.9%
College / grad school	50	15.2%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 20.6%

Transportation & utilities 15.4%

Manufacturing 12.4%

Agriculture & mining 11.2%

Construction 9.7%

Retail trade 9.2%

Public administration 6.7%

Professional & management 5.2%

Other services 3.6%

Information 1.9%

Arts, food & hospitality 1.9%

Wholesale trade 1.2%

Finance & real estate 1.0%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	33.1%
Service	11.2%
Sales & office	11.9%
Natural resources & construction	14.3%
Production & transportation	29.5%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	72.9%
Government	19.8%
Self-employed	7.3%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	88.4%
Carpool	8.6%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.0%
Work from home	3.0%
Other means	0.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	32.0

Poverty

All people 16.1%

Under 18 years 19.3%

18 and over 15.2%

Married-couple families 3.3%

Female-led households 2.3%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	42.5%
Retirement income	25.8%
Supplemental Security	12.2%
Cash public assistance	0.5%
Food stamps / SNAP	33.9%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	35.3%
High blood pressure	42.1%
High cholesterol	38.6%
Diabetes	14.6%
Heart disease	8.4%
Stroke	4.6%
Asthma	10.0%
Arthritis	30.5%
Kidney disease	4.0%
Pulmonary disease	9.1%
Cancer	7.2%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	22.6%
Binge drinking	13.5%
No physical activity	28.8%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	37.5%
Depression	22.4%
Fair or poor health	19.4%
Poor mental health	14.8%
Poor physical health	13.7%
No health insurance	21.1%
Visited doctor (checkup)	79.6%
Visited dentist	56.2%
Cholesterol screening	90.7%
Teeth loss	20.1%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	104	6.4%

Disability	%
Any disability	21.5%
Under 18	6.8%
18–64 years	14.3%
65 and over	62.3%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	57.4%
Public insurance	37.2%
No insurance	19.1%
Uninsured under 19	34.8%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	1,892	92.4%
Spanish	119	6.3%
Other Indo-European	115	6.1%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	1,954	95.5%
Born in same state	1,954	95.5%
Born in different state	1,283	62.7%
Foreign born	0	0.0%
Naturalized citizen	93	4.5%
Not a US citizen	2	2.2%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	290	14.2%
French	194	9.5%

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	112	5.5%
German	4	0.2%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	30.8%
Internet access	94.5%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 28421

What city is ZIP code 28421 in?

ZIP code 28421 is primarily assigned to Atkinson, North Carolina.

What county is ZIP code 28421 in?

ZIP code 28421 falls within Pender County, North Carolina.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 28421?

10% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — below the national average of ~33%, consistent with a trades-oriented local economy.

Does ZIP code 28421 have a large retiree population?

43% of households in ZIP code 28421 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 28421?

16% of residents in ZIP code 28421 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 28421?

The median home value in ZIP code 28421 is $110,500.

What timezone is ZIP code 28421 in?

ZIP code 28421 observes the EST timezone.