28531 ZIP Code — Harkers Island, NC

Carteret County, North Carolina

ZIP code 28531 is located in Harkers Island, North Carolina, within Carteret County. It covers approximately 2.24 square miles and serves a population of 1,104 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 252.

About ZIP code 28531

The housing stock consists of a higher-than-average concentration of mobile homes. Most homes were built in the 1970s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $264,300. Owner-occupancy is high at 80%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $67,888. 57% 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 27 minutes is near the national average.

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

Overall, ZIP code 28531 reflects a community defined by high homeownership and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

1,104

population

2.24

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

28531 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 28531

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 28531. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Harkers Island	Acceptable
Harkers Island	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

28553 Marshallberg (4.6 mi) 28528 Gloucester (4.7 mi) 28579 Smyrna (8.7 mi) 28524 Davis (9.6 mi) 28557 Morehead City (13.7 mi) 28512 Atlantic Beach (14.4 mi) 28581 Stacy (15.3 mi) 28516 Beaufort (15.6 mi) 28577 Sealevel (17.7 mi) 28511 Atlantic (18.7 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	1,104
Population density	493 / sq mi
State FIPS	37
County FIPS	031

Geography
Land area	2.24 sq mi
Water area	1.61 sq mi
Latitude	34.6654
Longitude	-76.5428
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	47.8%	44.5%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	35.7%	32.2%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	16.2%	18.6%	19.1%
Over $200k	0.4%	4.8%	6.0%

Demographics & statistics

1,104

Population

493

People per sq mi

58.3

Median age

$67,888

Median household income

$31,649

Per capita income

$264,300

Median home value

$1,028

Median monthly rent

80.1%

Home ownership

12.9%

Poverty rate

9.4%

Unemployment

1,065

Housing units

21.8%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

15–19

20–24

25–34

35–44

45–54

55–59

60–64

101

108

65–74

125

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	124	11.2%
18 and over	980	88.8%
65 and over	335	30.3%
Median age	58.3 years

Race & ethnicity

White 95.2%

Black or African American 3.6%

Asian 0.8%

Two or more races 0.4%

Group	Count	%
White	1,051	95.2%
Black or African American	40	3.6%
Asian	9	0.8%
Two or more races	4	0.4%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	47.8%	44.5%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	35.7%	32.2%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	16.2%	18.6%	19.1%
Over $200k	0.4%	4.8%	6.0%

Under $10k 5.7%

$15k–$25k 8.9%

$25k–$35k 3.0%

$35k–$50k 16.5%

$50k–$75k 21.5%

$75k–$100k 12.6%

$100k–$150k 24.3%

$150k–$200k 6.4%

$200k+ 1.1%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	5.7%
$15k–$25k	8.9%
$25k–$35k	3.0%
$35k–$50k	16.5%
$50k–$75k	21.5%
$75k–$100k	12.6%
$100k–$150k	24.3%
$150k–$200k	6.4%
$200k+	1.1%
Median income	$67,888

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 10.3%

$50k–$100k 1.4%

$100k–$150k 13.4%

$150k–$200k 14.9%

$200k–$300k 14.3%

$300k–$500k 35.7%

$500k–$1M 8.0%

$1M+ 2.0%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$264,300
Median rent / month	$1,028
Owner occupied	80.1%
Renter occupied	19.9%
Vacant	62.1%
Single-family detached	62.7%
Large apartment buildings	0.8%
Mobile homes	36.5%
Median rooms	5.3
Avg household size (owned)	2.15

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	1.5%
2010–2019	12.4%
2000–2009	12.8%
1990–1999	17.7%
1980–1989	10.7%
1970–1979	24.5%
1960–1969	8.4%
1950–1959	5.6%
1940–1949	1.6%
1939 or earlier	4.9%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.8%
1 bedroom	5.0%
2 bedrooms	34.5%
3 bedrooms	46.3%
4 bedrooms	12.1%
5+ bedrooms	1.3%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	0.0%
1 vehicle	28.1%
2 vehicles	40.5%
3 or more	31.4%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	5.0%
Electricity	68.6%
Propane / LP gas	23.8%
Fuel oil	1.6%
Wood	0.9%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	306	70.0%
Cohabiting couple	16	3.7%
Male householder, no spouse	29	6.6%
Female householder, no spouse	86	19.7%
Households with children under 18	62	14.2%
Households with seniors (65+)	221	50.6%
Average household size	2.43

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	15.1%	26.9%
Married	70.9%	55.7%
Separated	0.0%	1.1%
Widowed	0.0%	9.6%
Divorced	14.0%	6.7%

Education

Less than 9th grade 0.6%

Some HS, no diploma 12.8%

HS graduate 29.1%

Some college, no degree 28.5%

Associate's degree 7.3%

Bachelor's degree 11.8%

Graduate / professional 10.0%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	86.7%
Bachelor's or higher	21.8%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	0	0.0%
Kindergarten	0	0.0%
Elementary school	50	33.6%
High school	22	14.8%
College / grad school	77	51.7%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 24.9%

Retail trade 17.1%

Other services 16.8%

Manufacturing 10.6%

Public administration 9.9%

Professional & management 5.8%

Arts, food & hospitality 4.6%

Construction 4.1%

Finance & real estate 3.5%

Transportation & utilities 2.8%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	38.5%
Service	8.8%
Sales & office	20.0%
Natural resources & construction	14.3%
Production & transportation	18.4%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	69.6%
Government	30.4%
Self-employed	0.0%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	90.9%
Carpool	1.2%
Public transit	2.4%
Walk	0.0%
Work from home	4.8%
Other means	0.7%
Avg commute (minutes)	26.8

Poverty

All people 12.9%

Under 18 years 0.0%

18 and over 14.5%

Married-couple families 3.3%

Female-led households 0.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	57.4%
Retirement income	49.0%
Supplemental Security	3.2%
Cash public assistance	3.9%
Food stamps / SNAP	12.1%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	34.2%
High blood pressure	41.2%
High cholesterol	41.3%
Diabetes	13.6%
Heart disease	10.0%
Stroke	4.4%
Asthma	9.2%
Arthritis	34.6%
Kidney disease	4.0%
Pulmonary disease	10.3%
Cancer	9.1%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	19.8%
Binge drinking	13.6%
No physical activity	24.5%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	31.2%
Depression	23.4%
Fair or poor health	16.6%
Poor mental health	13.6%
Poor physical health	13.0%
No health insurance	15.3%
Visited doctor (checkup)	80.9%
Visited dentist	64.4%
Cholesterol screening	92.0%
Teeth loss	15.5%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	92	9.4%

Disability	%
Any disability	19.9%
Under 18	0.0%
18–64 years	8.4%
65 and over	49.6%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	79.0%
Public insurance	45.7%
No insurance	6.8%
Uninsured under 19	6.1%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	1,053	95.4%
Spanish	0	0.0%
Other Indo-European	0	0.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	1,104	100.0%
Born in same state	1,097	99.4%
Born in different state	796	72.1%
Foreign born	7	0.6%
Naturalized citizen	0	0.0%
Not a US citizen	0	0.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	217	19.7%
Italian	146	13.2%
Arab	50	4.5%

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	8	0.7%
English	6	0.5%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	39.6%
Internet access	95.0%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 28531

What city is ZIP code 28531 in?

ZIP code 28531 is primarily assigned to Harkers Island, North Carolina.

What county is ZIP code 28531 in?

ZIP code 28531 falls within Carteret County, North Carolina.

Does ZIP code 28531 have a large retiree population?

57% of households in ZIP code 28531 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Does ZIP code 28531 have an older population?

30% of residents in ZIP code 28531 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

Is ZIP code 28531 mostly owner-occupied?

80% of occupied units in ZIP code 28531 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

Does ZIP code 28531 have a large veteran population?

9% of civilians in ZIP code 28531 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

What timezone is ZIP code 28531 in?

ZIP code 28531 observes the EST timezone.