28512 ZIP Code — Atlantic Beach, NC

Carteret County, North Carolina

ZIP code 28512 is located in Atlantic Beach, North Carolina, within Carteret County. It covers approximately 6.11 square miles and serves a population of 3,414 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 252.

About ZIP code 28512

The housing stock consists of a significant share of large multi-unit buildings. Most homes were built in the 1980s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $473,800. Owner-occupancy is high at 80%, well above the national average.

The gap between median ($72,500) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. 56% 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 25 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is high — 54% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher, well above the national average of 33%.

Notable community characteristics include a notable veteran presence at 16% of civilians, above the national average of 7%.

Overall, ZIP code 28512 reflects a community defined by a highly educated population, a strong veteran community, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

3,414

population

6.11

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

28512 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 28512

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 28512. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Atlantic Beach	Acceptable
Atlantic Beach	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

28557 Morehead City (3.3 mi) 28570 Newport (7.6 mi) 28594 Emerald Isle (12.4 mi) 28531 Harkers Island (14.4 mi) 28532 Havelock (14.5 mi) 28528 Gloucester (14.5 mi) 28533 Cherry Point (15.3 mi) 28553 Marshallberg (15.6 mi) 28579 Smyrna (17.4 mi) 28584 Swansboro (18.2 mi) 28524 Davis (19.4 mi) 28516 Beaufort (19.8 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	3,414
Population density	559 / sq mi
State FIPS	37
County FIPS	031

Geography
Land area	6.11 sq mi
Water area	17.63 sq mi
Latitude	34.6973
Longitude	-76.7930
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	252

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	38.8%	44.5%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	34.5%	32.2%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	18.0%	18.6%	19.1%
Over $200k	8.8%	4.8%	6.0%

Demographics & statistics

3,414

Population

559

People per sq mi

61.5

Median age

$72,500

Median household income

$55,297

Per capita income

$473,800

Median home value

$980

Median monthly rent

80.4%

Home ownership

10.2%

Poverty rate

3.2%

Unemployment

8,650

Housing units

54.1%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

15–19

20–24

100

25–34

108

35–44

104

176

45–54

169

152

55–59

146

194

60–64

188

421

65–74

406

209

75–84

201

122

85+

117

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	388	11.4%
18 and over	3,026	88.6%
65 and over	1,476	43.2%
Median age	61.5 years

Race & ethnicity

White 94.7%

Two or more races 3.5%

Hispanic or Latino 0.7%

Black or African American 0.6%

Asian 0.2%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%

Group	Count	%
White	3,255	94.7%
Two or more races	121	3.5%
Hispanic or Latino	23	0.7%
Black or African American	22	0.6%
Asian	8	0.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native	7	0.2%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	38.8%	44.5%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	34.5%	32.2%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	18.0%	18.6%	19.1%
Over $200k	8.8%	4.8%	6.0%

Under $10k 3.7%

$10k–$15k 3.1%

$15k–$25k 6.3%

$25k–$35k 15.7%

$35k–$50k 10.3%

$50k–$75k 12.0%

$75k–$100k 10.4%

$100k–$150k 17.6%

$150k–$200k 9.6%

$200k+ 11.2%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	3.7%
$10k–$15k	3.1%
$15k–$25k	6.3%
$25k–$35k	15.7%
$35k–$50k	10.3%
$50k–$75k	12.0%
$75k–$100k	10.4%
$100k–$150k	17.6%
$150k–$200k	9.6%
$200k+	11.2%
Median income	$72,500

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 2.2%

$50k–$100k 1.4%

$100k–$150k 3.7%

$150k–$200k 1.1%

$200k–$300k 9.1%

$300k–$500k 38.6%

$500k–$1M 35.8%

$1M+ 8.1%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$473,800
Median rent / month	$980
Owner occupied	80.4%
Renter occupied	19.6%
Vacant	80.7%
Single-family detached	33.6%
Large apartment buildings	22.0%
Mobile homes	19.2%
Median rooms	4.5
Avg household size (owned)	1.95

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.3%
2010–2019	4.4%
2000–2009	12.0%
1990–1999	12.7%
1980–1989	34.3%
1970–1979	23.5%
1960–1969	7.0%
1950–1959	4.6%
1940–1949	0.9%
1939 or earlier	0.4%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	2.1%
1 bedroom	4.7%
2 bedrooms	41.4%
3 bedrooms	36.4%
4 bedrooms	11.6%
5+ bedrooms	3.7%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	2.0%
1 vehicle	40.6%
2 vehicles	41.8%
3 or more	15.6%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	3.8%
Electricity	90.3%
Propane / LP gas	4.7%
Fuel oil	1.2%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	963	55.5%
Cohabiting couple	79	4.6%
Male householder, no spouse	286	16.5%
Female householder, no spouse	406	23.4%
Households with children under 18	183	10.6%
Households with seniors (65+)	977	56.3%
Average household size	1.92

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	19.1%	9.7%
Married	67.2%	63.6%
Separated	2.6%	2.7%
Widowed	3.5%	9.5%
Divorced	7.7%	14.5%

Education

Less than 9th grade 0.7%

Some HS, no diploma 0.4%

HS graduate 15.3%

Some college, no degree 15.5%

Associate's degree 14.0%

Bachelor's degree 33.8%

Graduate / professional 20.3%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	98.9%
Bachelor's or higher	54.1%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	24	5.9%
Kindergarten	38	9.4%
Elementary school	190	46.9%
High school	53	13.1%
College / grad school	100	24.7%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 19.4%

Professional & management 14.5%

Finance & real estate 11.2%

Retail trade 10.5%

Construction 10.2%

Arts, food & hospitality 7.8%

Public administration 7.8%

Other services 5.2%

Wholesale trade 4.6%

Manufacturing 4.0%

Agriculture & mining 2.2%

Transportation & utilities 2.1%

Information 0.3%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	51.2%
Service	12.9%
Sales & office	22.2%
Natural resources & construction	8.3%
Production & transportation	5.3%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	69.7%
Government	14.5%
Self-employed	15.9%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	74.0%
Carpool	3.7%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	5.4%
Work from home	16.0%
Other means	0.8%
Avg commute (minutes)	25.2

Poverty

All people 10.2%

Under 18 years 28.2%

18 and over 7.9%

Married-couple families 2.6%

Female-led households 35.9%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	56.1%
Retirement income	46.3%
Supplemental Security	1.7%
Cash public assistance	0.2%
Food stamps / SNAP	4.2%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	29.6%
High blood pressure	37.4%
High cholesterol	41.0%
Diabetes	10.9%
Heart disease	8.3%
Stroke	3.3%
Asthma	8.0%
Arthritis	30.8%
Kidney disease	3.3%
Pulmonary disease	6.7%
Cancer	9.6%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	12.5%
Binge drinking	13.9%
No physical activity	17.7%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	28.0%
Depression	20.2%
Fair or poor health	10.7%
Poor mental health	11.0%
Poor physical health	9.3%
No health insurance	11.2%
Visited doctor (checkup)	81.5%
Visited dentist	74.5%
Cholesterol screening	93.8%
Teeth loss	8.2%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	482	16.4%

Disability	%
Any disability	18.5%
Under 18	2.6%
18–64 years	11.6%
65 and over	29.5%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	80.5%
Public insurance	53.7%
No insurance	4.9%
Uninsured under 19	2.3%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	3,346	98.0%
Spanish	40	1.2%
Other Indo-European	35	1.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander	2	0.1%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	3,353	98.2%
Born in same state	3,341	97.9%
Born in different state	1,735	50.8%
Foreign born	12	0.4%
Naturalized citizen	61	1.8%
Not a US citizen	58	95.1%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	951	27.9%
Italian	496	14.5%
Arab	226	6.6%
English	44	1.3%

Ancestry	Count	%
Irish	20	0.6%
German	14	0.4%
Polish	10	0.3%
Norwegian	7	0.2%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	50.8%
Internet access	95.3%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 28512

What city is ZIP code 28512 in?

ZIP code 28512 is primarily assigned to Atlantic Beach, North Carolina.

What county is ZIP code 28512 in?

ZIP code 28512 falls within Carteret County, North Carolina.

Does ZIP code 28512 have an older population?

43% of residents in ZIP code 28512 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

Does ZIP code 28512 have a large retiree population?

56% of households in ZIP code 28512 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 28512?

54% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — well above the national average of ~33%, reflecting a highly educated population.

Does ZIP code 28512 have a large veteran population?

16% of civilians in ZIP code 28512 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

What timezone is ZIP code 28512 in?

ZIP code 28512 observes the EST timezone.