28538 ZIP Code — Hookerton, NC

Greene County, North Carolina

ZIP code 28538 is located in Hookerton, North Carolina, within Greene County. It covers approximately 28.13 square miles and serves a population of 2,221 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 252.

About ZIP code 28538

The housing stock consists of a higher-than-average concentration of mobile homes. Most homes were built in the 1990s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $82,500. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 51%.

Median household income is $52,368. Poverty affects 21% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 18% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 40% 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 29 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 13% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (24%) compared to national benchmarks.

Overall, ZIP code 28538 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, economic challenges above the national average, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

2,221

population

28.13

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

28538 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 28538

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 28538. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Hookerton	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

28580 Snow Hill (6.2 mi) 28530 Grifton (8.2 mi) 28513 Ayden (9.8 mi) 28590 Winterville (10.6 mi) 28501 Kinston (11.2 mi) 27828 Farmville (11.4 mi) 28551 La Grange (14.2 mi) 28526 Dover (14.4 mi) 28504 Kinston (14.5 mi) 27888 Walstonburg (15.2 mi) 27858 Greenville (16.5 mi) 27829 Fountain (19.2 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	2,221
Population density	79 / sq mi
State FIPS	37
County FIPS	079

Geography
Land area	28.13 sq mi
Water area	0.01 sq mi
Latitude	35.4207
Longitude	-77.5526
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	57.0%	59.4%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	28.1%	28.8%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	14.9%	10.6%	19.1%
Over $200k	0.0%	1.2%	6.0%

Demographics & statistics

2,221

Population

People per sq mi

39.6

Median age

$52,368

Median household income

$27,071

Per capita income

$82,500

Median home value

$907

Median monthly rent

51.2%

Home ownership

21.4%

Poverty rate

2.5%

Unemployment

537

Housing units

12.8%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

15–19

140

20–24

148

106

25–34

112

127

35–44

135

147

45–54

156

55–59

60–64

103

112

65–74

119

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	392	17.6%
18 and over	1,829	82.4%
65 and over	331	14.9%
Median age	39.6 years

Race & ethnicity

White 44.6%

Black or African American 36.7%

Hispanic or Latino 8.3%

Two or more races 6%

Other race 2.8%

Asian 1.7%

Group	Count	%
White	1,080	44.6%
Black or African American	889	36.7%
Hispanic or Latino	200	8.3%
Two or more races	145	6%
Other race	67	2.8%
Asian	40	1.7%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	57.0%	59.4%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	28.1%	28.8%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	14.9%	10.6%	19.1%
Over $200k	0.0%	1.2%	6.0%

Under $10k 6.8%

$10k–$15k 5.9%

$15k–$25k 9.0%

$25k–$35k 10.2%

$35k–$50k 11.9%

$50k–$75k 28.4%

$75k–$100k 11.0%

$100k–$150k 10.2%

$150k–$200k 6.7%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	6.8%
$10k–$15k	5.9%
$15k–$25k	9.0%
$25k–$35k	10.2%
$35k–$50k	11.9%
$50k–$75k	28.4%
$75k–$100k	11.0%
$100k–$150k	10.2%
$150k–$200k	6.7%
Median income	$52,368

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 24.8%

$50k–$100k 46.3%

$100k–$150k 8.1%

$150k–$200k 11.3%

$200k–$300k 4.5%

$300k–$500k 2.5%

$500k–$1M 2.5%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$82,500
Median rent / month	$907
Owner occupied	51.2%
Renter occupied	48.8%
Vacant	9.8%
Single-family detached	48.2%
Large apartment buildings	1.5%
Mobile homes	41.4%
Median rooms	5.5
Avg household size (owned)	2.36

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	13.4%
2000–2009	17.9%
1990–1999	22.1%
1980–1989	15.1%
1970–1979	11.5%
1960–1969	6.8%
1950–1959	5.5%
1940–1949	2.8%
1939 or earlier	4.9%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.0%
1 bedroom	2.9%
2 bedrooms	18.3%
3 bedrooms	62.2%
4 bedrooms	15.1%
5+ bedrooms	1.5%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	6.5%
1 vehicle	36.3%
2 vehicles	40.9%
3 or more	16.4%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	1.4%
Electricity	75.8%
Propane / LP gas	17.9%
Fuel oil	1.0%
Wood	0.7%
No fuel used	3.2%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	218	25.2%
Cohabiting couple	47	5.4%
Male householder, no spouse	221	25.5%
Female householder, no spouse	380	43.9%
Households with children under 18	149	17.2%
Households with seniors (65+)	266	30.7%
Average household size	2.56

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	42.0%	40.2%
Married	34.4%	25.2%
Separated	4.9%	1.1%
Widowed	6.8%	16.1%
Divorced	12.0%	17.3%

Education

Less than 9th grade 8.6%

Some HS, no diploma 12.0%

HS graduate 34.9%

Some college, no degree 16.9%

Associate's degree 14.7%

Bachelor's degree 5.8%

Graduate / professional 7.0%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	79.3%
Bachelor's or higher	12.8%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	32	7.0%
Kindergarten	20	4.4%
Elementary school	128	27.9%
High school	130	28.4%
College / grad school	148	32.3%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 23.7%

Arts, food & hospitality 14.9%

Retail trade 12.6%

Manufacturing 10.8%

Public administration 9.0%

Transportation & utilities 7.9%

Agriculture & mining 6.3%

Construction 5.4%

Other services 5.2%

Professional & management 1.8%

Wholesale trade 1.7%

Finance & real estate 0.7%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	31.0%
Service	22.9%
Sales & office	17.9%
Natural resources & construction	13.3%
Production & transportation	14.9%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	65.4%
Government	32.3%
Self-employed	2.3%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	91.9%
Carpool	5.0%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.7%
Work from home	2.5%
Other means	0.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	28.5

Poverty

All people 21.4%

Under 18 years 37.9%

18 and over 17.9%

Married-couple families 10.1%

Female-led households 21.8%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	40.3%
Retirement income	20.3%
Supplemental Security	3.2%
Cash public assistance	2.4%
Food stamps / SNAP	17.8%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	39.8%
High blood pressure	40.4%
High cholesterol	34.4%
Diabetes	14.3%
Heart disease	7.5%
Stroke	4.5%
Asthma	10.6%
Arthritis	28.0%
Kidney disease	3.8%
Pulmonary disease	8.8%
Cancer	6.0%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	24.1%
Binge drinking	14.2%
No physical activity	30.1%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	37.9%
Depression	23.1%
Fair or poor health	20.5%
Poor mental health	16.2%
Poor physical health	13.7%
No health insurance	24.8%
Visited doctor (checkup)	79.2%
Visited dentist	54.8%
Cholesterol screening	88.6%
Teeth loss	21.8%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	95	5.3%

Disability	%
Any disability	10.2%
Under 18	1.0%
18–64 years	9.5%
65 and over	23.9%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	60.9%
Public insurance	37.9%
No insurance	10.9%
Uninsured under 19	2.9%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	2,111	95.0%
Spanish	160	7.6%
Other Indo-European	147	7.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander	13	0.6%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	2,075	93.4%
Born in same state	2,068	93.1%
Born in different state	1,765	79.5%
Foreign born	7	0.3%
Naturalized citizen	146	6.6%
Not a US citizen	47	32.2%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	461	20.8%
Arab	147	6.6%

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	38	1.7%
English	1	0%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	39.0%
Internet access	95.4%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 28538

What city is ZIP code 28538 in?

ZIP code 28538 is primarily assigned to Hookerton, North Carolina.

What county is ZIP code 28538 in?

ZIP code 28538 falls within Greene County, North Carolina.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 28538?

21% of residents in ZIP code 28538 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 28538?

13% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — below the national average of ~33%, consistent with a trades-oriented local economy.

Does ZIP code 28538 have a large retiree population?

40% of households in ZIP code 28538 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 28538?

The median home value in ZIP code 28538 is $82,500.

What timezone is ZIP code 28538 in?

ZIP code 28538 observes the EST timezone.