28504 ZIP Code — Kinston, NC

Lenoir County, North Carolina

ZIP code 28504 is located in Kinston, North Carolina, within Lenoir County. It covers approximately 121.14 square miles and serves a population of 20,321 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 252.

About ZIP code 28504

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 $117,800. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 63%.

Median household income is $46,043. Poverty affects 18% of residents, above the national average. 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 22 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 16% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (22%) compared to national benchmarks.

Notable community characteristics include disability rates above the national average at 24%.

Overall, ZIP code 28504 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, economic challenges above the national average, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

20,321

population

121.14

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

28504 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 28504

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 28504. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Kinston	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

28525 Deep Run (6.8 mi) 28501 Kinston (9 mi) 28551 La Grange (9.2 mi) 28578 Seven Springs (13.3 mi) 28508 Albertson (13.3 mi) 28585 Trenton (13.9 mi) 28538 Hookerton (14.5 mi) 28572 Pink Hill (14.7 mi) 28526 Dover (15.1 mi) 28580 Snow Hill (15.5 mi) 27534 Goldsboro (16.9 mi) 28530 Grifton (17.2 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	20,321
Population density	168 / sq mi
State FIPS	37
County FIPS	107

Geography
Land area	121.14 sq mi
Water area	0.65 sq mi
Latitude	35.2268
Longitude	-77.6511
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	53.0%	57.1%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	31.0%	28.9%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	14.6%	11.7%	19.1%
Over $200k	1.4%	2.3%	6.0%

Demographics & statistics

20,321

Population

168

People per sq mi

45.9

Median age

$46,043

Median household income

$28,554

Per capita income

$117,800

Median home value

$850

Median monthly rent

63.0%

Home ownership

18.1%

Poverty rate

5.4%

Unemployment

6,133

Housing units

15.7%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

398

Under 5

454

453

5–9

515

584

10–14

666

529

15–19

603

596

20–24

679

1,029

25–34

1,173

1,004

35–44

1,144

1,217

45–54

1,387

656

55–59

747

792

60–64

901

1,344

65–74

1,531

515

75–84

586

382

85+

436

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	3,800	18.7%
18 and over	16,521	81.3%
65 and over	4,794	23.6%
Median age	45.9 years

Race & ethnicity

White 59.6%

Black or African American 30.8%

Hispanic or Latino 3.4%

Other race 2.7%

Two or more races 2.5%

Asian 0.7%

Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	12,549	59.6%
Black or African American	6,474	30.8%
Hispanic or Latino	720	3.4%
Other race	574	2.7%
Two or more races	528	2.5%
Asian	146	0.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	38	0.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native	12	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	53.0%	57.1%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	31.0%	28.9%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	14.6%	11.7%	19.1%
Over $200k	1.4%	2.3%	6.0%

Under $10k 3.1%

$10k–$15k 8.8%

$15k–$25k 10.4%

$25k–$35k 13.0%

$35k–$50k 18.4%

$50k–$75k 16.0%

$75k–$100k 12.6%

$100k–$150k 11.1%

$150k–$200k 4.3%

$200k+ 2.3%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	3.1%
$10k–$15k	8.8%
$15k–$25k	10.4%
$25k–$35k	13.0%
$35k–$50k	18.4%
$50k–$75k	16.0%
$75k–$100k	12.6%
$100k–$150k	11.1%
$150k–$200k	4.3%
$200k+	2.3%
Median income	$46,043

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 11.1%

$50k–$100k 26.2%

$100k–$150k 29.1%

$150k–$200k 15.0%

$200k–$300k 11.2%

$300k–$500k 6.3%

$500k–$1M 0.8%

$1M+ 0.2%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$117,800
Median rent / month	$850
Owner occupied	63.0%
Renter occupied	37.0%
Vacant	8.0%
Single-family detached	63.2%
Large apartment buildings	3.1%
Mobile homes	17.6%
Median rooms	5.6
Avg household size (owned)	2.38

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	4.7%
2000–2009	8.3%
1990–1999	18.0%
1980–1989	17.2%
1970–1979	26.1%
1960–1969	11.7%
1950–1959	8.8%
1940–1949	2.4%
1939 or earlier	2.9%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	4.1%
1 bedroom	2.6%
2 bedrooms	23.8%
3 bedrooms	50.0%
4 bedrooms	15.4%
5+ bedrooms	4.2%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	5.7%
1 vehicle	36.3%
2 vehicles	33.8%
3 or more	24.2%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	13.5%
Electricity	73.9%
Propane / LP gas	11.0%
Fuel oil	0.7%
Wood	0.2%
No fuel used	0.7%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	3,221	37.7%
Cohabiting couple	724	8.5%
Male householder, no spouse	1,867	21.8%
Female householder, no spouse	2,741	32.0%
Households with children under 18	2,118	24.8%
Households with seniors (65+)	3,314	38.7%
Average household size	2.30

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	42.3%	31.9%
Married	42.8%	36.9%
Separated	1.0%	3.1%
Widowed	5.0%	13.6%
Divorced	8.9%	14.4%

Education

Less than 9th grade 4.0%

Some HS, no diploma 12.7%

HS graduate 29.7%

Some college, no degree 23.3%

Associate's degree 14.5%

Bachelor's degree 9.9%

Graduate / professional 5.8%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	83.3%
Bachelor's or higher	15.7%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	265	6.3%
Kindergarten	147	3.5%
Elementary school	1,774	42.3%
High school	1,045	24.9%
College / grad school	964	23.0%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 32.5%

Manufacturing 19.1%

Retail trade 9.9%

Public administration 7.2%

Construction 6.9%

Other services 5.8%

Finance & real estate 3.8%

Arts, food & hospitality 3.8%

Professional & management 3.4%

Wholesale trade 3.3%

Transportation & utilities 2.9%

Agriculture & mining 1.4%

Information 0.2%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	30.3%
Service	25.0%
Sales & office	16.0%
Natural resources & construction	9.0%
Production & transportation	19.7%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	75.7%
Government	20.3%
Self-employed	3.8%
Unpaid family workers	0.2%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	83.3%
Carpool	12.9%
Public transit	0.3%
Walk	0.6%
Work from home	1.9%
Other means	1.1%
Avg commute (minutes)	21.8

Poverty

All people 18.1%

Under 18 years 27.8%

18 and over 15.9%

Married-couple families 4.0%

Female-led households 39.2%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	43.3%
Retirement income	30.5%
Supplemental Security	9.2%
Cash public assistance	3.1%
Food stamps / SNAP	16.4%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	38.3%
High blood pressure	40.7%
High cholesterol	36.5%
Diabetes	13.5%
Heart disease	8.3%
Stroke	4.4%
Asthma	10.3%
Arthritis	31.4%
Kidney disease	3.8%
Pulmonary disease	9.0%
Cancer	7.2%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	21.9%
Binge drinking	13.8%
No physical activity	27.8%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	35.2%
Depression	22.9%
Fair or poor health	18.6%
Poor mental health	14.9%
Poor physical health	13.1%
No health insurance	20.8%
Visited doctor (checkup)	79.9%
Visited dentist	57.7%
Cholesterol screening	90.2%
Teeth loss	18.1%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	1,693	10.3%

Disability	%
Any disability	23.9%
Under 18	10.3%
18–64 years	18.2%
65 and over	47.9%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	62.1%
Public insurance	50.2%
No insurance	8.8%
Uninsured under 19	4.7%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	19,469	95.8%
Spanish	354	1.8%
Other Indo-European	314	1.6%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	40	0.2%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	19,481	95.9%
Born in same state	19,315	95.0%
Born in different state	15,381	75.7%
Foreign born	166	0.8%
Naturalized citizen	840	4.1%
Not a US citizen	524	62.4%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	2,268	11.2%
Arab	1,471	7.2%
Italian	1,082	5.3%
Irish	75	0.4%

Ancestry	Count	%
German	51	0.3%
Polish	38	0.2%
English	35	0.2%
Dutch	12	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	42.1%
Internet access	88.9%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 28504

What city is ZIP code 28504 in?

ZIP code 28504 is primarily assigned to Kinston, North Carolina.

What county is ZIP code 28504 in?

ZIP code 28504 falls within Lenoir County, North Carolina.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 28504?

18% of residents in ZIP code 28504 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

Does ZIP code 28504 have a large retiree population?

43% of households in ZIP code 28504 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 28504?

The median home value in ZIP code 28504 is $117,800.

Does ZIP code 28504 have a large veteran population?

10% of civilians in ZIP code 28504 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

What timezone is ZIP code 28504 in?

ZIP code 28504 observes the EST timezone.