28016 ZIP Code — Bessemer City, NC

Gaston County, North Carolina

ZIP code 28016 is located in Bessemer City, North Carolina, within Gaston County. It covers approximately 42.97 square miles and serves a population of 13,234 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 704/980.

About ZIP code 28016

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1980s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $163,300. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 64%.

Median household income is $51,341. 41% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is production, transportation, and material moving, with manufacturing as the leading industry. The average commute of 24 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 12% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (24%) compared to national benchmarks.

Overall, ZIP code 28016 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

13,234

population

42.97

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

28016 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 28016

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 28016. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Bessemer City	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

28034 Dallas (6.1 mi) 28086 Kings Mountain (6.7 mi) 28033 Crouse (6.8 mi) 28052 Gastonia (7.2 mi) 28021 Cherryville (7.7 mi) 28054 Gastonia (9 mi) 28092 Lincolnton (10.8 mi) 28056 Gastonia (10.8 mi) 28098 Lowell (11.3 mi) 28006 Alexis (12.4 mi) 28101 Mc Adenville (12.7 mi) 28032 Cramerton (13.4 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	13,234
Population density	308 / sq mi
State FIPS	37
County FIPS	071

Geography
Land area	42.97 sq mi
Water area	0.40 sq mi
Latitude	35.3273
Longitude	-81.2883
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	704/980

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	53.1%	46.6%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	30.1%	30.5%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	14.2%	19.2%	19.1%
Over $200k	2.6%	3.7%	6.0%

Demographics & statistics

13,234

Population

308

People per sq mi

45.4

Median age

$51,341

Median household income

$28,108

Per capita income

$163,300

Median home value

$837

Median monthly rent

64.3%

Home ownership

10.4%

Poverty rate

5.1%

Unemployment

4,080

Housing units

11.7%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

297

Under 5

279

299

5–9

280

283

10–14

266

481

15–19

452

579

20–24

543

776

25–34

728

663

35–44

622

1,150

45–54

1,079

526

55–59

494

532

60–64

500

814

65–74

763

337

75–84

316

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	2,148	16.2%
18 and over	11,086	83.8%
65 and over	2,405	18.2%
Median age	45.4 years

Race & ethnicity

White 82.6%

Black or African American 6.3%

Two or more races 6.2%

Hispanic or Latino 3.4%

Asian 0.7%

Other race 0.7%

Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%

Group	Count	%
White	11,304	82.6%
Black or African American	860	6.3%
Two or more races	849	6.2%
Hispanic or Latino	459	3.4%
Asian	99	0.7%
Other race	95	0.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	27	0.2%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	53.1%	46.6%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	30.1%	30.5%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	14.2%	19.2%	19.1%
Over $200k	2.6%	3.7%	6.0%

Under $10k 5.1%

$10k–$15k 5.1%

$15k–$25k 9.1%

$25k–$35k 15.5%

$35k–$50k 13.9%

$50k–$75k 18.6%

$75k–$100k 13.4%

$100k–$150k 13.0%

$150k–$200k 3.4%

$200k+ 2.8%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	5.1%
$10k–$15k	5.1%
$15k–$25k	9.1%
$25k–$35k	15.5%
$35k–$50k	13.9%
$50k–$75k	18.6%
$75k–$100k	13.4%
$100k–$150k	13.0%
$150k–$200k	3.4%
$200k+	2.8%
Median income	$51,341

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 5.6%

$50k–$100k 17.6%

$100k–$150k 21.6%

$150k–$200k 17.6%

$200k–$300k 21.6%

$300k–$500k 14.2%

$500k–$1M 1.3%

$1M+ 0.6%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$163,300
Median rent / month	$837
Owner occupied	64.3%
Renter occupied	35.7%
Vacant	11.5%
Single-family detached	72.0%
Large apartment buildings	1.3%
Mobile homes	17.5%
Median rooms	5.2
Avg household size (owned)	2.58

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.2%
2010–2019	1.2%
2000–2009	10.8%
1990–1999	19.0%
1980–1989	20.2%
1970–1979	20.1%
1960–1969	10.1%
1950–1959	6.5%
1940–1949	4.9%
1939 or earlier	7.1%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.3%
1 bedroom	6.5%
2 bedrooms	31.4%
3 bedrooms	49.9%
4 bedrooms	9.7%
5+ bedrooms	2.2%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	4.3%
1 vehicle	34.6%
2 vehicles	30.5%
3 or more	30.6%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	22.4%
Electricity	70.5%
Propane / LP gas	4.7%
Fuel oil	1.5%
Wood	0.6%
Solar	0.2%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	2,738	51.9%
Cohabiting couple	241	4.6%
Male householder, no spouse	937	17.8%
Female householder, no spouse	1,360	25.8%
Households with children under 18	1,325	25.1%
Households with seniors (65+)	1,704	32.3%
Average household size	2.50

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	33.2%	24.7%
Married	50.6%	48.8%
Separated	2.5%	4.2%
Widowed	4.4%	8.6%
Divorced	9.3%	13.8%

Education

Less than 9th grade 7.8%

Some HS, no diploma 12.8%

HS graduate 37.7%

Some college, no degree 18.9%

Associate's degree 11.1%

Bachelor's degree 8.3%

Graduate / professional 3.4%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	79.4%
Bachelor's or higher	11.7%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	176	7.5%
Kindergarten	126	5.4%
Elementary school	780	33.1%
High school	772	32.8%
College / grad school	501	21.3%

Employment

Industry of employment

Manufacturing 20.2%

Retail trade 18.6%

Education & healthcare 14.5%

Construction 10.2%

Transportation & utilities 7.8%

Arts, food & hospitality 7.4%

Professional & management 7.2%

Finance & real estate 5.2%

Other services 2.7%

Public administration 2.7%

Wholesale trade 2.6%

Agriculture & mining 0.4%

Information 0.4%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	23.6%
Service	14.3%
Sales & office	20.2%
Natural resources & construction	10.9%
Production & transportation	31.0%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	86.7%
Government	9.6%
Self-employed	3.7%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	81.0%
Carpool	12.5%
Public transit	0.4%
Walk	0.4%
Work from home	4.5%
Other means	1.2%
Avg commute (minutes)	24.3

Poverty

All people 10.4%

Under 18 years 11.7%

18 and over 10.1%

Married-couple families 3.9%

Female-led households 17.4%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	40.5%
Retirement income	19.3%
Supplemental Security	5.6%
Cash public assistance	0.8%
Food stamps / SNAP	14.0%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	33.1%
High blood pressure	37.4%
High cholesterol	35.5%
Diabetes	11.0%
Heart disease	7.1%
Stroke	3.6%
Asthma	9.6%
Arthritis	26.7%
Kidney disease	3.2%
Pulmonary disease	8.7%
Cancer	6.3%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	24.4%
Binge drinking	16.5%
No physical activity	26.2%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	33.2%
Depression	25.3%
Fair or poor health	16.7%
Poor mental health	16.2%
Poor physical health	12.4%
No health insurance	20.4%
Visited doctor (checkup)	76.8%
Visited dentist	56.1%
Cholesterol screening	87.8%
Teeth loss	19.2%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	689	6.2%

Disability	%
Any disability	18.6%
Under 18	7.4%
18–64 years	14.4%
65 and over	43.5%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	62.5%
Public insurance	37.9%
No insurance	10.3%
Uninsured under 19	3.7%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	12,658	95.6%
Spanish	132	1.0%
Other Indo-European	122	1.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander	10	0.1%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	12,943	97.8%
Born in same state	12,818	96.9%
Born in different state	10,137	76.6%
Foreign born	125	0.9%
Naturalized citizen	291	2.2%
Not a US citizen	174	59.8%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	3,570	27%
French	1,080	8.2%
Italian	902	6.8%
English	135	1%

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	39	0.3%
German	7	0.1%
Irish	4	0%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	39.9%
Internet access	91.5%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 28016

What city is ZIP code 28016 in?

ZIP code 28016 is primarily assigned to Bessemer City, North Carolina.

What county is ZIP code 28016 in?

ZIP code 28016 falls within Gaston County, North Carolina.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 28016?

12% 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 28016 have a large retiree population?

41% of households in ZIP code 28016 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 28016?

The median home value in ZIP code 28016 is $163,300.

What is the population of ZIP code 28016?

ZIP code 28016 has an estimated population of 13,234 residents, with a density of 308 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 28016 in?

ZIP code 28016 observes the EST timezone.