27822 ZIP Code — Elm City, NC

Wilson County, North Carolina

ZIP code 27822 is located in Elm City, North Carolina, within Wilson County. It covers approximately 87.63 square miles and serves a population of 7,870 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 252.

About ZIP code 27822

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 2000s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $140,200. Owner-occupancy is high at 83%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $58,594. 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 21 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 19% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (21%) compared to national benchmarks.

Overall, ZIP code 27822 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

7,870

population

87.63

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

27822 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 27822

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 27822. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Elm City	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

27803 Rocky Mount (6.1 mi) 27896 Wilson (6.4 mi) 27893 Wilson (9.6 mi) 27801 Rocky Mount (10.6 mi) 27864 Pinetops (11.1 mi) 27807 Bailey (12.2 mi) 27804 Rocky Mount (12.3 mi) 27815 Rocky Mount (12.4 mi) 27852 Macclesfield (12.5 mi) 27883 Stantonsburg (14.2 mi) 27880 Sims (14.5 mi) 27851 Lucama (15.1 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	7,870
Population density	90 / sq mi
State FIPS	37
County FIPS	195

Geography
Land area	87.63 sq mi
Water area	0.55 sq mi
Latitude	35.8104
Longitude	-77.8649
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	51.9%	54.0%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	31.1%	29.5%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	15.0%	13.6%	19.1%
Over $200k	1.9%	2.9%	6.0%

Demographics & statistics

7,870

Population

People per sq mi

44.5

Median age

$58,594

Median household income

$31,236

Per capita income

$140,200

Median home value

$835

Median monthly rent

82.9%

Home ownership

13.9%

Poverty rate

2.5%

Unemployment

2,961

Housing units

19.1%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

256

Under 5

273

205

5–9

219

119

10–14

126

329

15–19

349

228

20–24

242

456

25–34

486

347

35–44

369

514

45–54

546

343

55–59

364

212

60–64

226

479

65–74

510

239

75–84

254

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	1,569	19.9%
18 and over	6,301	80.1%
65 and over	1,661	21.1%
Median age	44.5 years

Race & ethnicity

White 66.1%

Black or African American 23.5%

Hispanic or Latino 4.6%

Other race 3.6%

Two or more races 1.7%

Asian 0.4%

Group	Count	%
White	5,454	66.1%
Black or African American	1,940	23.5%
Hispanic or Latino	383	4.6%
Other race	299	3.6%
Two or more races	143	1.7%
Asian	34	0.4%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	51.9%	54.0%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	31.1%	29.5%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	15.0%	13.6%	19.1%
Over $200k	1.9%	2.9%	6.0%

Under $10k 6.4%

$10k–$15k 2.1%

$15k–$25k 15.9%

$25k–$35k 7.2%

$35k–$50k 8.8%

$50k–$75k 18.6%

$75k–$100k 12.6%

$100k–$150k 17.5%

$150k–$200k 7.6%

$200k+ 3.4%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	6.4%
$10k–$15k	2.1%
$15k–$25k	15.9%
$25k–$35k	7.2%
$35k–$50k	8.8%
$50k–$75k	18.6%
$75k–$100k	12.6%
$100k–$150k	17.5%
$150k–$200k	7.6%
$200k+	3.4%
Median income	$58,594

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 10.0%

$50k–$100k 23.5%

$100k–$150k 18.9%

$150k–$200k 16.5%

$200k–$300k 13.2%

$300k–$500k 14.3%

$500k–$1M 2.3%

$1M+ 1.3%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$140,200
Median rent / month	$835
Owner occupied	82.9%
Renter occupied	17.1%
Vacant	7.4%
Single-family detached	74.2%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	23.5%
Median rooms	5.9
Avg household size (owned)	2.42

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.3%
2010–2019	3.1%
2000–2009	20.9%
1990–1999	14.9%
1980–1989	18.2%
1970–1979	16.0%
1960–1969	5.8%
1950–1959	8.2%
1940–1949	4.4%
1939 or earlier	8.3%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.3%
1 bedroom	2.4%
2 bedrooms	18.6%
3 bedrooms	66.8%
4 bedrooms	8.7%
5+ bedrooms	3.2%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	3.6%
1 vehicle	24.5%
2 vehicles	41.5%
3 or more	30.4%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	14.7%
Electricity	59.2%
Propane / LP gas	25.9%
Fuel oil	0.1%
No fuel used	0.2%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	1,665	51.1%
Cohabiting couple	100	3.1%
Male householder, no spouse	568	17.4%
Female householder, no spouse	923	28.3%
Households with children under 18	923	28.3%
Households with seniors (65+)	1,307	40.1%
Average household size	2.41

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	32.3%	27.1%
Married	52.5%	48.6%
Separated	0.6%	2.1%
Widowed	6.4%	13.6%
Divorced	8.2%	8.7%

Education

Less than 9th grade 4.2%

Some HS, no diploma 7.6%

HS graduate 32.4%

Some college, no degree 26.1%

Associate's degree 10.6%

Bachelor's degree 11.9%

Graduate / professional 7.2%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	88.2%
Bachelor's or higher	19.1%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	114	6.2%
Kindergarten	62	3.4%
Elementary school	566	30.9%
High school	543	29.7%
College / grad school	545	29.8%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 20.8%

Manufacturing 15.8%

Professional & management 11.2%

Transportation & utilities 7.3%

Arts, food & hospitality 7.0%

Retail trade 6.9%

Public administration 6.7%

Construction 6.5%

Finance & real estate 6.5%

Wholesale trade 4.4%

Information 3.9%

Other services 2.4%

Agriculture & mining 0.8%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	43.5%
Service	14.2%
Sales & office	15.6%
Natural resources & construction	12.7%
Production & transportation	14.0%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	74.3%
Government	19.1%
Self-employed	5.8%
Unpaid family workers	0.9%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	84.2%
Carpool	7.7%
Public transit	0.1%
Walk	0.3%
Work from home	7.5%
Other means	0.2%
Avg commute (minutes)	21.2

Poverty

All people 13.9%

Under 18 years 31.7%

18 and over 9.5%

Married-couple families 6.5%

Female-led households 27.9%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	43.2%
Retirement income	21.4%
Supplemental Security	6.1%
Cash public assistance	0.1%
Food stamps / SNAP	10.5%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	38.0%
High blood pressure	38.3%
High cholesterol	37.4%
Diabetes	12.8%
Heart disease	7.7%
Stroke	4.0%
Asthma	9.9%
Arthritis	29.3%
Kidney disease	3.5%
Pulmonary disease	8.5%
Cancer	7.0%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	21.4%
Binge drinking	14.3%
No physical activity	25.6%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	33.8%
Depression	22.8%
Fair or poor health	17.0%
Poor mental health	14.9%
Poor physical health	12.3%
No health insurance	18.9%
Visited doctor (checkup)	80.2%
Visited dentist	62.6%
Cholesterol screening	90.4%
Teeth loss	16.8%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	567	9.0%

Disability	%
Any disability	15.6%
Under 18	4.5%
18–64 years	9.0%
65 and over	44.6%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	68.0%
Public insurance	42.6%
No insurance	5.0%
Uninsured under 19	0.2%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	7,341	93.3%
Spanish	85	1.2%
Other Indo-European	70	1.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	15	0.2%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	7,599	96.6%
Born in same state	7,599	96.6%
Born in different state	6,073	77.2%
Foreign born	0	0.0%
Naturalized citizen	271	3.4%
Not a US citizen	89	32.8%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	1,561	19.8%
French	683	8.7%
Italian	345	4.4%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	98	1.2%
Polish	49	0.6%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	41.4%
Internet access	85.0%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 27822

What city is ZIP code 27822 in?

ZIP code 27822 is primarily assigned to Elm City, North Carolina.

What county is ZIP code 27822 in?

ZIP code 27822 falls within Wilson County, North Carolina.

Is ZIP code 27822 mostly owner-occupied?

83% of occupied units in ZIP code 27822 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

Does ZIP code 27822 have a large retiree population?

43% of households in ZIP code 27822 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 27822?

The median home value in ZIP code 27822 is $140,200.

What is the population of ZIP code 27822?

ZIP code 27822 has an estimated population of 7,870 residents, with a density of 90 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 27822 in?

ZIP code 27822 observes the EST timezone.