28523 ZIP Code — Cove City, NC

Craven County, North Carolina

ZIP code 28523 is located in Cove City, North Carolina, within Craven County. It covers approximately 65.34 square miles and serves a population of 2,495 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 252.

About ZIP code 28523

The housing stock consists of a higher-than-average concentration of mobile homes. Most homes were built in the 2000s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $137,500. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 71%.

Median household income is $43,994. SNAP benefit usage at 19% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 34% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with manufacturing as the leading industry. The average commute of 31 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 22% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (23%) compared to national benchmarks.

Overall, ZIP code 28523 reflects a community defined by a significant Social Security-dependent population and elevated reliance on food assistance.

2,495
population
65.34
sq mi land
Standard
ZIP type
Eastern (ET)
timezone
28523 ZIP code map
Cities in ZIP code 28523

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 28523. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City Status
Cove City Preferred
Nearby ZIP codes
28526 Dover (6.8 mi) 28586 Vanceboro (9.4 mi) 28501 Kinston (12.6 mi) 28573 Pollocksville (12.9 mi) 28562 New Bern (13.5 mi) 28585 Trenton (13.9 mi) 28530 Grifton (14.3 mi) 28527 Ernul (16.3 mi) 28513 Ayden (17 mi) 28560 New Bern (18.8 mi)
Demographics updated 05/2026
Population
Total population 2,495
Population density 38 / sq mi
State FIPS 37
County FIPS 049
Geography
Land area 65.34 sq mi
Water area 0.46 sq mi
Latitude 35.2051
Longitude -77.2883
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 46.9% 46.5% 44.4%
$50k – $100k 31.4% 32.4% 30.6%
$100k – $200k 18.3% 17.2% 19.1%
Over $200k 3.3% 3.9% 6.0%

Demographics & statistics

2,495
Population
38
People per sq mi
47.4
Median age
$43,994
Median household income
$26,305
Per capita income
$137,500
Median home value
$634
Median monthly rent
70.6%
Home ownership
8.3%
Poverty rate
1.5%
Unemployment
843
Housing units
21.5%
Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female
113
Under 5
154
35
5–9
47
75
10–14
102
62
15–19
85
105
20–24
144
55
25–34
75
41
35–44
55
177
45–54
243
47
55–59
64
98
60–64
135
145
65–74
198
62
75–84
84
40
85+
54
← Male
Female →

Age summary

GroupCount%
Under 1861424.6%
18 and over1,88175.4%
65 and over58323.4%
Median age47.4 years

Race & ethnicity

White 62.5%
Black or African American 26.8%
Hispanic or Latino 4.2%
Other race 4.2%
Two or more races 2.3%
GroupCount%
White1,62862.5%
Black or African American69826.8%
Hispanic or Latino1104.2%
Other race1104.2%
Two or more races592.3%

Household income

Income range This ZIP County avg State avg
Under $50k 46.9% 46.5% 44.4%
$50k – $100k 31.4% 32.4% 30.6%
$100k – $200k 18.3% 17.2% 19.1%
Over $200k 3.3% 3.9% 6.0%
Under $10k 4.6%
$10k–$15k 1.4%
$15k–$25k 13.1%
$25k–$35k 16.3%
$35k–$50k 20.5%
$50k–$75k 13.7%
$75k–$100k 8.9%
$100k–$150k 15.5%
$200k+ 5.9%
Range% of households
Under $10k4.6%
$10k–$15k1.4%
$15k–$25k13.1%
$25k–$35k16.3%
$35k–$50k20.5%
$50k–$75k13.7%
$75k–$100k8.9%
$100k–$150k15.5%
$200k+5.9%
Median income$43,994

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 9.2%
$50k–$100k 24.5%
$100k–$150k 18.9%
$150k–$200k 12.0%
$200k–$300k 23.9%
$300k–$500k 5.7%
$500k–$1M 5.6%
$1M+ 0.1%

Housing overview

MetricValue
Median home value$137,500
Median rent / month$634
Owner occupied70.6%
Renter occupied29.4%
Vacant9.8%
Single-family detached67.4%
Large apartment buildings0.0%
Mobile homes31.6%
Median rooms6.1
Avg household size (owned)2.41

Year built

Era%
2020 or later0.5%
2010–201910.8%
2000–200923.9%
1990–19998.9%
1980–198914.0%
1970–19796.2%
1960–196910.8%
1950–19596.4%
1940–19494.7%
1939 or earlier13.9%

Bedrooms

Size% of units
No bedroom (studio)0.5%
1 bedroom4.4%
2 bedrooms19.1%
3 bedrooms62.6%
4 bedrooms12.0%
5+ bedrooms1.3%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles% of households
No vehicle2.6%
1 vehicle18.9%
2 vehicles50.0%
3 or more28.5%

Heating fuel

Fuel type%
Utility gas10.6%
Electricity68.2%
Propane / LP gas17.5%
Fuel oil2.4%
Wood1.0%
No fuel used0.3%

Households & families

Household typeCount%
Married-couple family60057.9%
Cohabiting couple50.5%
Male householder, no spouse827.9%
Female householder, no spouse34933.7%
Households with children under 1841940.4%
Households with seniors (65+)42741.2%
Average household size2.41

Marital status

StatusMaleFemale
Never married18.9%18.1%
Married69.7%49.8%
Separated0.5%11.9%
Widowed6.4%14.7%
Divorced4.4%5.4%

Education

Less than 9th grade 0.2%
Some HS, no diploma 5.1%
HS graduate 48.3%
Some college, no degree 15.8%
Associate's degree 9.0%
Bachelor's degree 11.8%
Graduate / professional 9.7%
Metric%
HS diploma or higher94.7%
Bachelor's or higher21.5%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

TypeCount%
Nursery / preschool9016.5%
Kindergarten142.6%
Elementary school19335.4%
High school10419.1%
College / grad school14426.4%

Employment

Industry of employment

Manufacturing 23.2%
Education & healthcare 18.4%
Retail trade 16.7%
Other services 9.7%
Construction 7.5%
Arts, food & hospitality 6.6%
Finance & real estate 6.5%
Public administration 4.7%
Wholesale trade 2.7%
Professional & management 2.5%
Agriculture & mining 0.9%
Transportation & utilities 0.6%

Occupation

Category%
Management, business & arts36.5%
Service11.4%
Sales & office21.3%
Natural resources & construction11.4%
Production & transportation19.5%

Employment type

Type%
Private sector81.7%
Government12.7%
Self-employed5.6%
Unpaid family workers0.0%

Commute

Method%
Drive alone92.3%
Carpool4.1%
Public transit0.0%
Walk0.0%
Work from home2.4%
Other means1.2%
Avg commute (minutes)31.0

Poverty

All people 8.3%
Under 18 years 14.0%
18 and over 6.5%
Married-couple families 2.3%
Female-led households 15.3%

Income support

Source% of households
Social Security33.8%
Retirement income18.1%
Supplemental Security10.3%
Cash public assistance12.2%
Food stamps / SNAP19.3%

Health indicators

Condition%
Obesity36.8%
High blood pressure40.6%
High cholesterol36.2%
Diabetes14.3%
Heart disease8.3%
Stroke4.5%
Asthma10.3%
Arthritis29.9%
Kidney disease3.9%
Pulmonary disease9.3%
Cancer6.9%
Behavior / access%
Smoking22.7%
Binge drinking14.4%
No physical activity26.0%
Less than 7 hrs sleep35.5%
Depression24.5%
Fair or poor health18.8%
Poor mental health15.3%
Poor physical health13.3%
No health insurance20.2%
Visited doctor (checkup)80.0%
Visited dentist57.3%
Cholesterol screening89.8%
Teeth loss19.8%

Veterans & disability

VeteransCount%
Civilian veterans1608.5%
Disability%
Any disability20.9%
Under 183.7%
18–64 years13.3%
65 and over55.7%

Health insurance coverage

Type%
Private insurance70.2%
Public insurance48.2%
No insurance5.8%
Uninsured under 190.3%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

LanguageCount%
English only2,22889.3%
Spanish00.0%
Other Indo-European00.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander00.0%
Other languages00.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

OriginCount%
Native born (US)2,49299.9%
Born in same state2,47899.3%
Born in different state1,86374.7%
Foreign born140.6%
Naturalized citizen30.1%
Not a US citizen00.0%

Ancestry

AncestryCount%
Arab37415%
French1857.4%
AncestryCount%
Italian973.9%

Technology access

Metric% of households
Computer access41.5%
Internet access80.3%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 28523

What city is ZIP code 28523 in?

ZIP code 28523 is primarily assigned to Cove City, North Carolina.

What county is ZIP code 28523 in?

ZIP code 28523 falls within Craven County, North Carolina.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 28523?

The median home value in ZIP code 28523 is $137,500.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 28523?

The median household income in ZIP code 28523 is $43,994, below the national median of ~$75,000.

What is the population of ZIP code 28523?

ZIP code 28523 has an estimated population of 2,495 residents, with a density of 38 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 28523 in?

ZIP code 28523 observes the EST timezone.

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