28428 ZIP Code — Carolina Beach, NC

New Hanover County, North Carolina

ZIP code 28428 is located in Carolina Beach, North Carolina, within New Hanover County. It covers approximately 5.16 square miles and serves a population of 6,949 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 910.

About ZIP code 28428

The housing stock consists of a mix of housing types. Most homes were built in the 1980s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $446,300. Owner-occupancy is high at 75%, well above the national average.

The gap between median ($87,330) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. 37% 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 26 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 45% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

16% of residents lack health insurance, above the national average.

Overall, ZIP code 28428 reflects a community defined by high homeownership and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

6,949

population

5.16

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

28428 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 28428

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 28428. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Carolina Beach	Acceptable
Carolina Beach	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

28449 Kure Beach (4.8 mi) 28412 Wilmington (6.2 mi) 28409 Wilmington (7.2 mi) 28461 Southport (9.5 mi) 28479 Winnabow (11.8 mi) 28403 Wilmington (12.9 mi) 28410 Wilmington (13.2 mi) 28480 Wrightsville Beach (13.9 mi) 28422 Bolivia (15.3 mi) 28401 Wilmington (16.2 mi) 28405 Wilmington (16.3 mi) 28411 Wilmington (18.7 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	6,949
Population density	1,347 / sq mi
State FIPS	37
County FIPS	129

Geography
Land area	5.16 sq mi
Water area	2.33 sq mi
Latitude	34.0378
Longitude	-77.9036
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	38.5%	44.1%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	26.8%	29.4%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	24.1%	19.3%	19.1%
Over $200k	10.7%	7.2%	6.0%

Demographics & statistics

6,949

Population

1,347

People per sq mi

51.1

Median age

$87,330

Median household income

$54,065

Per capita income

$446,300

Median home value

$1,271

Median monthly rent

75.1%

Home ownership

8.4%

Poverty rate

8.4%

Unemployment

5,357

Housing units

44.6%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

105

Under 5

113

5–9

203

10–14

217

126

15–19

135

160

20–24

171

181

25–34

194

529

35–44

567

646

45–54

692

192

55–59

205

418

60–64

448

509

65–74

546

166

75–84

177

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	990	14.2%
18 and over	5,959	85.8%
65 and over	1,455	20.9%
Median age	51.1 years

Race & ethnicity

White 93.2%

Hispanic or Latino 2.6%

Two or more races 2.1%

Other race 1.5%

Asian 0.3%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%

Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	6,645	93.2%
Hispanic or Latino	183	2.6%
Two or more races	149	2.1%
Other race	105	1.5%
Asian	23	0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native	18	0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	9	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	38.5%	44.1%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	26.8%	29.4%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	24.1%	19.3%	19.1%
Over $200k	10.7%	7.2%	6.0%

Under $10k 5.8%

$10k–$15k 1.1%

$15k–$25k 6.8%

$25k–$35k 3.7%

$35k–$50k 11.2%

$50k–$75k 14.2%

$75k–$100k 20.1%

$100k–$150k 13.6%

$150k–$200k 8.1%

$200k+ 15.4%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	5.8%
$10k–$15k	1.1%
$15k–$25k	6.8%
$25k–$35k	3.7%
$35k–$50k	11.2%
$50k–$75k	14.2%
$75k–$100k	20.1%
$100k–$150k	13.6%
$150k–$200k	8.1%
$200k+	15.4%
Median income	$87,330

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 1.6%

$50k–$100k 0.4%

$100k–$150k 4.2%

$150k–$200k 3.1%

$200k–$300k 10.6%

$300k–$500k 43.7%

$500k–$1M 26.0%

$1M+ 10.5%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$446,300
Median rent / month	$1,271
Owner occupied	75.1%
Renter occupied	24.9%
Vacant	49.4%
Single-family detached	43.6%
Large apartment buildings	9.6%
Mobile homes	2.0%
Median rooms	4.5
Avg household size (owned)	2.33

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.2%
2010–2019	9.3%
2000–2009	20.4%
1990–1999	12.8%
1980–1989	32.8%
1970–1979	3.8%
1960–1969	6.1%
1950–1959	6.1%
1940–1949	3.4%
1939 or earlier	5.0%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	1.6%
1 bedroom	12.6%
2 bedrooms	28.4%
3 bedrooms	42.2%
4 bedrooms	11.5%
5+ bedrooms	3.7%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	2.5%
1 vehicle	35.9%
2 vehicles	43.7%
3 or more	17.9%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	0.7%
Electricity	97.3%
Propane / LP gas	2.0%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	1,656	53.4%
Cohabiting couple	201	6.5%
Male householder, no spouse	526	17.0%
Female householder, no spouse	717	23.1%
Households with children under 18	545	17.6%
Households with seniors (65+)	1,084	35.0%
Average household size	2.24

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	21.8%	17.4%
Married	60.7%	62.3%
Separated	3.7%	0.3%
Widowed	2.7%	5.2%
Divorced	11.2%	14.8%

Education

Less than 9th grade 0.6%

Some HS, no diploma 1.2%

HS graduate 21.3%

Some college, no degree 21.7%

Associate's degree 10.6%

Bachelor's degree 29.7%

Graduate / professional 14.9%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	98.2%
Bachelor's or higher	44.6%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	90	8.6%
Kindergarten	19	1.8%
Elementary school	525	50.2%
High school	197	18.9%
College / grad school	214	20.5%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 25.7%

Arts, food & hospitality 13.5%

Professional & management 13.2%

Retail trade 11.7%

Construction 7.9%

Finance & real estate 7.8%

Manufacturing 7.6%

Other services 6.0%

Transportation & utilities 2.5%

Public administration 1.5%

Wholesale trade 1.3%

Information 1.3%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	53.4%
Service	13.7%
Sales & office	20.8%
Natural resources & construction	6.5%
Production & transportation	5.6%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	76.9%
Government	10.4%
Self-employed	11.7%
Unpaid family workers	1.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	75.6%
Carpool	5.1%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	1.4%
Work from home	15.3%
Other means	2.6%
Avg commute (minutes)	26.1

Poverty

All people 8.4%

Under 18 years 6.0%

18 and over 8.9%

Married-couple families 5.4%

Female-led households 0.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	36.9%
Retirement income	35.7%
Supplemental Security	2.3%
Cash public assistance	0.4%
Food stamps / SNAP	2.2%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	26.3%
High blood pressure	31.5%
High cholesterol	34.6%
Diabetes	8.5%
Heart disease	5.7%
Stroke	2.5%
Asthma	8.6%
Arthritis	23.8%
Kidney disease	2.6%
Pulmonary disease	5.9%
Cancer	6.6%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	15.4%
Binge drinking	18.9%
No physical activity	16.9%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	26.9%
Depression	21.4%
Fair or poor health	10.1%
Poor mental health	12.9%
Poor physical health	8.9%
No health insurance	12.5%
Visited doctor (checkup)	76.2%
Visited dentist	69.1%
Cholesterol screening	91.4%
Teeth loss	9.2%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	634	10.7%

Disability	%
Any disability	9.3%
Under 18	0.0%
18–64 years	8.2%
65 and over	19.1%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	71.3%
Public insurance	29.1%
No insurance	15.6%
Uninsured under 19	5.8%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	6,731	96.9%
Spanish	25	0.4%
Other Indo-European	16	0.2%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	9	0.1%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	6,645	95.6%
Born in same state	6,566	94.5%
Born in different state	3,073	44.2%
Foreign born	79	1.1%
Naturalized citizen	304	4.4%
Not a US citizen	164	53.9%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	1,441	20.7%
Italian	1,035	14.9%
Arab	390	5.6%
Polish	82	1.2%

Ancestry	Count	%
German	73	1.1%
English	48	0.7%
Irish	47	0.7%
Dutch	44	0.6%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	44.6%
Internet access	98.2%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 28428

What city is ZIP code 28428 in?

ZIP code 28428 is primarily assigned to Carolina Beach, North Carolina.

What county is ZIP code 28428 in?

ZIP code 28428 falls within New Hanover County, North Carolina.

Does ZIP code 28428 have a large retiree population?

37% of households in ZIP code 28428 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Does ZIP code 28428 have a large veteran population?

11% of civilians in ZIP code 28428 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 28428?

The median home value in ZIP code 28428 is $446,300.

What is the population of ZIP code 28428?

ZIP code 28428 has an estimated population of 6,949 residents, with a density of 1,346 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 28428 in?

ZIP code 28428 observes the EST timezone.