28557 ZIP Code — Morehead City, NC

Carteret County, North Carolina

ZIP code 28557 is located in Morehead City, North Carolina, within Carteret County. It covers approximately 14.19 square miles and serves a population of 15,379 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 252.

About ZIP code 28557

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 $304,500. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 64%.

Median household income is $62,947. 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.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 40% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Notable community characteristics include a notable veteran presence at 12% of civilians, above the national average of 7%.

Overall, ZIP code 28557 reflects a community defined by a strong veteran community and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

15,379

population

14.19

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

28557 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 28557

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 28557. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Morehead City	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

28512 Atlantic Beach (3.3 mi) 28570 Newport (7.2 mi) 28532 Havelock (12.4 mi) 28528 Gloucester (12.8 mi) 28533 Cherry Point (13.6 mi) 28531 Harkers Island (13.7 mi) 28553 Marshallberg (14 mi) 28594 Emerald Isle (14.6 mi) 28579 Smyrna (15.1 mi) 28516 Beaufort (16.8 mi) 28524 Davis (17.1 mi) 28510 Arapahoe (18.3 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	15,379
Population density	1,084 / sq mi
State FIPS	37
County FIPS	031

Geography
Land area	14.19 sq mi
Water area	9.09 sq mi
Latitude	34.7389
Longitude	-76.7664
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	46.4%	44.5%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	28.3%	32.2%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	19.5%	18.6%	19.1%
Over $200k	5.8%	4.8%	6.0%

Demographics & statistics

15,379

Population

1,084

People per sq mi

49.3

Median age

$62,947

Median household income

$42,971

Per capita income

$304,500

Median home value

$1,071

Median monthly rent

64.0%

Home ownership

10.1%

Poverty rate

3.6%

Unemployment

6,548

Housing units

40.0%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

332

Under 5

372

377

5–9

422

345

10–14

387

287

15–19

322

305

20–24

341

830

25–34

929

659

35–44

737

1,078

45–54

1,208

407

55–59

455

651

60–64

728

1,073

65–74

1,202

670

75–84

750

242

85+

270

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	2,607	17.0%
18 and over	12,772	83.0%
65 and over	4,207	27.4%
Median age	49.3 years

Race & ethnicity

White 84.2%

Two or more races 5.8%

Black or African American 4.7%

Asian 2.1%

Hispanic or Latino 1.9%

Other race 1.1%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	13,207	84.2%
Two or more races	912	5.8%
Black or African American	738	4.7%
Asian	327	2.1%
Hispanic or Latino	302	1.9%
Other race	177	1.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native	12	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	46.4%	44.5%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	28.3%	32.2%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	19.5%	18.6%	19.1%
Over $200k	5.8%	4.8%	6.0%

Under $10k 6.1%

$10k–$15k 3.8%

$15k–$25k 9.2%

$25k–$35k 8.9%

$35k–$50k 12.7%

$50k–$75k 16.9%

$75k–$100k 11.4%

$100k–$150k 16.4%

$150k–$200k 7.3%

$200k+ 7.2%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	6.1%
$10k–$15k	3.8%
$15k–$25k	9.2%
$25k–$35k	8.9%
$35k–$50k	12.7%
$50k–$75k	16.9%
$75k–$100k	11.4%
$100k–$150k	16.4%
$150k–$200k	7.3%
$200k+	7.2%
Median income	$62,947

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 5.8%

$50k–$100k 1.7%

$100k–$150k 3.6%

$150k–$200k 9.6%

$200k–$300k 28.2%

$300k–$500k 33.1%

$500k–$1M 14.6%

$1M+ 3.4%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$304,500
Median rent / month	$1,071
Owner occupied	64.0%
Renter occupied	36.0%
Vacant	18.0%
Single-family detached	65.3%
Large apartment buildings	6.6%
Mobile homes	5.0%
Median rooms	5.8
Avg household size (owned)	2.17

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.7%
2010–2019	7.6%
2000–2009	18.0%
1990–1999	17.3%
1980–1989	20.2%
1970–1979	11.0%
1960–1969	9.3%
1950–1959	5.3%
1940–1949	4.8%
1939 or earlier	5.7%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	3.0%
1 bedroom	5.7%
2 bedrooms	23.5%
3 bedrooms	45.1%
4 bedrooms	19.3%
5+ bedrooms	3.3%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	8.0%
1 vehicle	33.2%
2 vehicles	38.7%
3 or more	20.2%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	2.4%
Electricity	88.9%
Propane / LP gas	7.3%
Fuel oil	0.7%
Wood	0.1%
Solar	0.1%
No fuel used	0.3%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	3,170	41.6%
Cohabiting couple	418	5.5%
Male householder, no spouse	1,468	19.3%
Female householder, no spouse	2,566	33.7%
Households with children under 18	1,578	20.7%
Households with seniors (65+)	3,055	40.1%
Average household size	1.99

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	26.4%	20.7%
Married	55.0%	48.6%
Separated	0.8%	2.0%
Widowed	3.0%	14.5%
Divorced	14.7%	14.2%

Education

Less than 9th grade 1.5%

Some HS, no diploma 5.4%

HS graduate 20.0%

Some college, no degree 22.4%

Associate's degree 10.7%

Bachelor's degree 26.0%

Graduate / professional 14.1%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	93.1%
Bachelor's or higher	40.0%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	226	8.3%
Kindergarten	175	6.4%
Elementary school	1,234	45.1%
High school	537	19.6%
College / grad school	565	20.6%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 24.2%

Professional & management 11.1%

Arts, food & hospitality 10.4%

Retail trade 9.8%

Manufacturing 8.3%

Finance & real estate 8.1%

Other services 7.3%

Public administration 5.6%

Construction 5.1%

Transportation & utilities 4.9%

Wholesale trade 2.2%

Information 1.9%

Agriculture & mining 1.0%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	43.4%
Service	21.0%
Sales & office	17.9%
Natural resources & construction	6.9%
Production & transportation	10.8%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	71.9%
Government	18.8%
Self-employed	9.3%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	80.3%
Carpool	6.8%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	1.9%
Work from home	8.2%
Other means	2.9%
Avg commute (minutes)	21.8

Poverty

All people 10.1%

Under 18 years 12.1%

18 and over 9.7%

Married-couple families 1.9%

Female-led households 22.3%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	43.2%
Retirement income	36.0%
Supplemental Security	4.4%
Cash public assistance	1.9%
Food stamps / SNAP	7.7%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	31.8%
High blood pressure	35.4%
High cholesterol	36.9%
Diabetes	10.7%
Heart disease	7.4%
Stroke	3.4%
Asthma	8.7%
Arthritis	28.6%
Kidney disease	3.2%
Pulmonary disease	6.9%
Cancer	8.2%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	15.7%
Binge drinking	14.7%
No physical activity	20.8%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	30.8%
Depression	21.5%
Fair or poor health	12.6%
Poor mental health	12.8%
Poor physical health	10.1%
No health insurance	14.8%
Visited doctor (checkup)	79.9%
Visited dentist	69.3%
Cholesterol screening	91.8%
Teeth loss	11.7%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	1,506	11.9%

Disability	%
Any disability	17.2%
Under 18	4.0%
18–64 years	12.5%
65 and over	35.4%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	75.0%
Public insurance	42.4%
No insurance	8.3%
Uninsured under 19	5.8%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	14,675	95.4%
Spanish	232	1.6%
Other Indo-European	124	0.8%
Asian & Pacific Islander	30	0.2%
Other languages	74	0.5%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	14,803	96.3%
Born in same state	14,648	95.2%
Born in different state	8,145	53.0%
Foreign born	155	1.0%
Naturalized citizen	576	3.7%
Not a US citizen	274	47.6%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	3,944	25.6%
Italian	1,769	11.5%
Arab	1,170	7.6%
English	282	1.8%
Polish	176	1.1%

Ancestry	Count	%
German	39	0.3%
Dutch	34	0.2%
Norwegian	26	0.2%
Irish	23	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	49.6%
Internet access	93.7%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 28557

What city is ZIP code 28557 in?

ZIP code 28557 is primarily assigned to Morehead City, North Carolina.

What county is ZIP code 28557 in?

ZIP code 28557 falls within Carteret County, North Carolina.

Does ZIP code 28557 have an older population?

27% of residents in ZIP code 28557 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

Does ZIP code 28557 have a large retiree population?

43% of households in ZIP code 28557 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Does ZIP code 28557 have a large veteran population?

12% of civilians in ZIP code 28557 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

What is the population of ZIP code 28557?

ZIP code 28557 has an estimated population of 15,379 residents, with a density of 1,084 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 28557 in?

ZIP code 28557 observes the EST timezone.