28594 ZIP Code — Emerald Isle, NC

Carteret County, North Carolina

ZIP code 28594 is located in Emerald Isle, North Carolina, within Carteret County. It covers approximately 5.71 square miles and serves a population of 3,870 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 252.

About ZIP code 28594

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 $489,200. Owner-occupancy is high at 85%, well above the national average.

The gap between median ($85,982) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. The poverty rate of 3% is below the national average. 49% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with retail trade as the leading industry. The average commute of 28 minutes is near the national average. Remote work is prevalent — 20% of workers work from home.

Educational attainment is high — 52% 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 14% of civilians, above the national average of 7%.

Overall, ZIP code 28594 reflects a community defined by a highly educated population, a strong veteran community, high homeownership, a high rate of remote workers, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

3,870

population

5.71

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

28594 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 28594

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 28594. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Emerald Isle	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

28584 Swansboro (7.9 mi) 28582 Stella (10.1 mi) 28570 Newport (10.3 mi) 28512 Atlantic Beach (12.4 mi) 28539 Hubert (14.4 mi) 28557 Morehead City (14.6 mi) 28533 Cherry Point (17.1 mi) 28532 Havelock (18 mi) 28544 Midway Park (18.1 mi) 28555 Maysville (18.3 mi)

Demographics updated 06/2026

Population
Total population	3,870
Population density	678 / sq mi
State FIPS	37
County FIPS	031

Geography
Land area	5.71 sq mi
Water area	14.67 sq mi
Latitude	34.6639
Longitude	-77.0066
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	252

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 06/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	25.8%	44.5%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	34.4%	32.2%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	28.2%	18.6%	19.1%
Over $200k	11.6%	4.8%	6.0%

Demographics & statistics

3,870

Population

678

People per sq mi

57.9

Median age

$85,982

Median household income

$60,375

Per capita income

$489,200

Median home value

$1,373

Median monthly rent

84.5%

Home ownership

3.3%

Poverty rate

1.0%

Unemployment

6,467

Housing units

51.9%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

107

15–19

116

20–24

25–34

100

144

35–44

155

238

45–54

256

215

55–59

232

248

60–64

267

397

65–74

427

150

75–84

162

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	584	15.1%
18 and over	3,286	84.9%
65 and over	1,197	30.9%
Median age	57.9 years

Race & ethnicity

White 90.1%

Two or more races 6.4%

Hispanic or Latino 3.1%

Black or African American 0.3%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	3,596	90.1%
Two or more races	257	6.4%
Hispanic or Latino	122	3.1%
Black or African American	12	0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native	5	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	25.8%	44.5%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	34.4%	32.2%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	28.2%	18.6%	19.1%
Over $200k	11.6%	4.8%	6.0%

Under $10k 2.1%

$10k–$15k 1.4%

$15k–$25k 3.9%

$25k–$35k 5.6%

$35k–$50k 13.2%

$50k–$75k 17.5%

$75k–$100k 10.9%

$100k–$150k 15.9%

$150k–$200k 11.4%

$200k+ 18.1%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	2.1%
$10k–$15k	1.4%
$15k–$25k	3.9%
$25k–$35k	5.6%
$35k–$50k	13.2%
$50k–$75k	17.5%
$75k–$100k	10.9%
$100k–$150k	15.9%
$150k–$200k	11.4%
$200k+	18.1%
Median income	$85,982

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 1.2%

$50k–$100k 4.9%

$100k–$150k 1.6%

$150k–$200k 7.2%

$200k–$300k 6.6%

$300k–$500k 30.2%

$500k–$1M 37.5%

$1M+ 10.8%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$489,200
Median rent / month	$1,373
Owner occupied	84.5%
Renter occupied	15.5%
Vacant	74.0%
Single-family detached	58.8%
Large apartment buildings	7.2%
Mobile homes	13.2%
Median rooms	5.3
Avg household size (owned)	2.23

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	1.3%
2010–2019	7.3%
2000–2009	13.6%
1990–1999	25.1%
1980–1989	32.0%
1970–1979	17.3%
1960–1969	2.8%
1950–1959	0.6%
1940–1949	0.0%
1939 or earlier	0.0%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	1.6%
1 bedroom	3.4%
2 bedrooms	13.7%
3 bedrooms	48.0%
4 bedrooms	24.4%
5+ bedrooms	8.9%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	1.1%
1 vehicle	23.5%
2 vehicles	49.2%
3 or more	26.2%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	2.1%
Electricity	86.6%
Propane / LP gas	10.2%
Wood	0.5%
No fuel used	0.7%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	1,163	66.4%
Cohabiting couple	35	2.0%
Male householder, no spouse	268	15.3%
Female householder, no spouse	285	16.3%
Households with children under 18	323	18.4%
Households with seniors (65+)	743	42.4%
Average household size	2.21

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	15.3%	12.3%
Married	72.4%	69.2%
Separated	2.3%	1.2%
Widowed	1.9%	6.0%
Divorced	8.2%	11.3%

Education

Less than 9th grade 0.4%

Some HS, no diploma 1.3%

HS graduate 15.3%

Some college, no degree 21.2%

Associate's degree 9.9%

Bachelor's degree 28.8%

Graduate / professional 23.1%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	98.3%
Bachelor's or higher	51.9%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	0	0.0%
Kindergarten	5	0.9%
Elementary school	250	45.3%
High school	174	31.5%
College / grad school	123	22.3%

Employment

Industry of employment

Retail trade 17.6%

Education & healthcare 17.6%

Professional & management 14.0%

Arts, food & hospitality 11.6%

Finance & real estate 8.8%

Construction 7.7%

Public administration 7.7%

Manufacturing 6.6%

Transportation & utilities 3.3%

Other services 2.7%

Information 2.3%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	48.0%
Service	11.3%
Sales & office	29.5%
Natural resources & construction	5.3%
Production & transportation	5.9%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	71.8%
Government	18.2%
Self-employed	10.0%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	72.2%
Carpool	2.8%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	3.0%
Work from home	20.2%
Other means	1.8%
Avg commute (minutes)	28.4

Poverty

All people 3.3%

Under 18 years 0.0%

18 and over 3.9%

Married-couple families 1.8%

Female-led households 0.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	49.3%
Retirement income	44.5%
Supplemental Security	1.3%
Cash public assistance	0.7%
Food stamps / SNAP	1.7%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	28.9%
High blood pressure	34.6%
High cholesterol	38.3%
Diabetes	9.7%
Heart disease	7.2%
Stroke	2.9%
Asthma	7.8%
Arthritis	28.3%
Kidney disease	3.0%
Pulmonary disease	5.9%
Cancer	8.9%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	11.9%
Binge drinking	15.0%
No physical activity	16.4%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	27.8%
Depression	20.1%
Fair or poor health	9.6%
Poor mental health	10.9%
Poor physical health	8.5%
No health insurance	10.9%
Visited doctor (checkup)	80.4%
Visited dentist	75.9%
Cholesterol screening	93.6%
Teeth loss	7.8%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	452	14.0%

Disability	%
Any disability	11.9%
Under 18	0.0%
18–64 years	8.2%
65 and over	24.1%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	84.9%
Public insurance	40.2%
No insurance	3.6%
Uninsured under 19	3.4%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	3,716	96.0%
Spanish	18	0.5%
Other Indo-European	7	0.2%
Asian & Pacific Islander	5	0.1%
Other languages	6	0.2%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	3,807	98.4%
Born in same state	3,786	97.8%
Born in different state	1,627	42.0%
Foreign born	21	0.5%
Naturalized citizen	63	1.6%
Not a US citizen	45	71.4%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	922	23.8%
Italian	622	16.1%
Arab	433	11.2%
Polish	53	1.4%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	26	0.7%
Irish	22	0.6%
German	17	0.4%
Dutch	11	0.3%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	45.2%
Internet access	99.2%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 28594

What city is ZIP code 28594 in?

ZIP code 28594 is primarily assigned to Emerald Isle, North Carolina.

What county is ZIP code 28594 in?

ZIP code 28594 falls within Carteret County, North Carolina.

Does ZIP code 28594 have an older population?

31% of residents in ZIP code 28594 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

Does ZIP code 28594 have a large retiree population?

49% of households in ZIP code 28594 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Is ZIP code 28594 mostly owner-occupied?

85% of occupied units in ZIP code 28594 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 28594?

52% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — well above the national average of ~33%, reflecting a highly educated population.

What timezone is ZIP code 28594 in?

ZIP code 28594 observes the EST timezone.