27857 ZIP Code — Oak City, NC

Martin County, North Carolina

ZIP code 27857 is located in Oak City, North Carolina, within Martin County. It covers approximately 73.88 square miles and serves a population of 1,096 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 252.

About ZIP code 27857

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 2000s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $81,500. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 58%.

Median household income is $53,125. SNAP benefit usage at 20% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 72% 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 31 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 6% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of diabetes (20%), smoking (23%) compared to national benchmarks.

Overall, ZIP code 27857 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

1,096

population

73.88

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

27857 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 27857

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 27857. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Oak City	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

27840 Hamilton (4.7 mi) 27843 Hobgood (8 mi) 27849 Lewiston Woodville (8.5 mi) 27871 Robersonville (11.3 mi) 27874 Scotland Neck (11.8 mi) 27886 Tarboro (12.7 mi) 27872 Roxobel (15.2 mi) 27812 Bethel (15.7 mi) 27847 Kelford (16.2 mi) 27884 Stokes (18.2 mi) 27892 Williamston (18.2 mi) 27805 Aulander (19.4 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	1,096
Population density	15 / sq mi
State FIPS	37
County FIPS	117

Geography
Land area	73.88 sq mi
Water area	0.05 sq mi
Latitude	35.9752
Longitude	-77.3076
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%	59.5%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	31.9%	30.9%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	11.1%	7.6%	19.1%
Over $200k	0.0%	1.9%	6.0%

Demographics & statistics

1,096

Population

People per sq mi

52.8

Median age

$53,125

Median household income

$30,932

Per capita income

$81,500

Median home value

$519

Median monthly rent

58.3%

Home ownership

16.3%

Poverty rate

2.7%

Unemployment

410

Housing units

6.1%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

15–19

20–24

25–34

105

35–44

45–54

100

55–59

60–64

135

65–74

162

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	123	11.2%
18 and over	973	88.8%
65 and over	399	36.4%
Median age	52.8 years

Race & ethnicity

Black or African American 52.9%

White 45.3%

Hispanic or Latino 0.9%

Other race 0.9%

Group	Count	%
Black or African American	585	52.9%
White	501	45.3%
Hispanic or Latino	10	0.9%
Other race	10	0.9%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	57.0%	59.5%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	31.9%	30.9%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	11.1%	7.6%	19.1%
Over $200k	0.0%	1.9%	6.0%

Under $10k 13.1%

$10k–$15k 7.3%

$15k–$25k 8.0%

$25k–$35k 3.0%

$35k–$50k 16.6%

$50k–$75k 27.2%

$75k–$100k 5.1%

$100k–$150k 1.4%

$150k–$200k 18.3%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	13.1%
$10k–$15k	7.3%
$15k–$25k	8.0%
$25k–$35k	3.0%
$35k–$50k	16.6%
$50k–$75k	27.2%
$75k–$100k	5.1%
$100k–$150k	1.4%
$150k–$200k	18.3%
Median income	$53,125

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 36.5%

$50k–$100k 27.2%

$100k–$150k 16.5%

$150k–$200k 17.7%

$300k–$500k 2.1%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$81,500
Median rent / month	$519
Owner occupied	58.3%
Renter occupied	41.7%
Vacant	11.7%
Single-family detached	71.3%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	22.5%
Median rooms	5.5
Avg household size (owned)	1.84

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	4.5%
2000–2009	24.2%
1990–1999	9.7%
1980–1989	19.9%
1970–1979	6.6%
1960–1969	6.6%
1950–1959	3.9%
1940–1949	1.5%
1939 or earlier	23.1%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.0%
1 bedroom	8.5%
2 bedrooms	8.9%
3 bedrooms	71.0%
4 bedrooms	9.6%
5+ bedrooms	2.0%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	1.9%
1 vehicle	31.8%
2 vehicles	37.7%
3 or more	28.6%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	3.1%
Electricity	57.1%
Propane / LP gas	33.5%
Fuel oil	6.3%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	173	30.2%
Cohabiting couple	7	1.2%
Male householder, no spouse	141	24.6%
Female householder, no spouse	252	44.0%
Households with children under 18	72	12.6%
Households with seniors (65+)	359	62.7%
Average household size	1.91

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	21.5%	32.2%
Married	44.5%	28.8%
Separated	14.5%	1.0%
Widowed	8.1%	21.8%
Divorced	11.5%	16.2%

Education

Less than 9th grade 4.0%

Some HS, no diploma 8.8%

HS graduate 33.6%

Some college, no degree 27.7%

Associate's degree 19.6%

Bachelor's degree 5.0%

Graduate / professional 1.1%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	87.1%
Bachelor's or higher	6.1%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	21	18.8%
Kindergarten	4	3.6%
Elementary school	59	52.7%
High school	8	7.1%
College / grad school	20	17.9%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 24.5%

Transportation & utilities 16.6%

Public administration 12.7%

Manufacturing 11.9%

Retail trade 11.9%

Construction 9.4%

Agriculture & mining 7.6%

Other services 2.9%

Professional & management 1.0%

Arts, food & hospitality 0.8%

Wholesale trade 0.6%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	26.2%
Service	24.7%
Sales & office	8.4%
Natural resources & construction	20.5%
Production & transportation	20.2%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	74.4%
Government	24.5%
Self-employed	0.6%
Unpaid family workers	0.6%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	92.9%
Carpool	1.6%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.0%
Work from home	4.7%
Other means	0.8%
Avg commute (minutes)	31.2

Poverty

All people 16.3%

Under 18 years 27.6%

18 and over 14.9%

Married-couple families 5.8%

Female-led households 8.6%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	71.7%
Retirement income	22.5%
Supplemental Security	4.0%
Cash public assistance	0.0%
Food stamps / SNAP	19.7%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	40.9%
High blood pressure	50.5%
High cholesterol	40.0%
Diabetes	19.5%
Heart disease	10.2%
Stroke	6.4%
Asthma	10.8%
Arthritis	34.9%
Kidney disease	5.0%
Pulmonary disease	10.5%
Cancer	7.8%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	23.3%
Binge drinking	10.9%
No physical activity	34.1%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	38.7%
Depression	20.1%
Fair or poor health	24.8%
Poor mental health	14.6%
Poor physical health	15.4%
No health insurance	24.0%
Visited doctor (checkup)	84.6%
Visited dentist	53.2%
Cholesterol screening	91.6%
Teeth loss	24.6%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	42	4.3%

Disability	%
Any disability	21.1%
Under 18	0.0%
18–64 years	19.3%
65 and over	30.1%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	46.2%
Public insurance	56.9%
No insurance	9.7%
Uninsured under 19	7.3%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	1,046	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)	1,086	99.1%
Born in same state	1,081	98.6%
Born in different state	948	86.5%
Foreign born	5	0.5%
Naturalized citizen	10	0.9%
Not a US citizen	10	100.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	183	16.7%
French	146	13.3%

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	8	0.7%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	52.3%
Internet access	89.9%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 27857

What city is ZIP code 27857 in?

ZIP code 27857 is primarily assigned to Oak City, North Carolina.

What county is ZIP code 27857 in?

ZIP code 27857 falls within Martin County, North Carolina.

Does ZIP code 27857 have a large retiree population?

72% of households in ZIP code 27857 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Does ZIP code 27857 have an older population?

36% of residents in ZIP code 27857 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 27857?

6% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — below the national average of ~33%, consistent with a trades-oriented local economy.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 27857?

16% of residents in ZIP code 27857 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

What timezone is ZIP code 27857 in?

ZIP code 27857 observes the EST timezone.