28571 ZIP Code — Oriental, NC

Pamlico County, North Carolina

ZIP code 28571 is located in Oriental, North Carolina, within Pamlico County. It covers approximately 50.77 square miles and serves a population of 2,892 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 252.

About ZIP code 28571

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 $357,900. Owner-occupancy is high at 89%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $67,292. 67% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is service, with arts, entertainment, and food service as the leading industry. The average commute of 20 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 41% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Notable community characteristics include a notable veteran presence at 17% of civilians, above the national average of 7%.

Overall, ZIP code 28571 reflects a community defined by a strong veteran community, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

2,892
population
50.77
sq mi land
Standard
ZIP type
Eastern (ET)
timezone
28571 ZIP code map
Cities in ZIP code 28571

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 28571. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City Status
Oriental Preferred
Nearby ZIP codes
28556 Merritt (4.3 mi) 28510 Arapahoe (7.1 mi) 28515 Bayboro (9.2 mi) 28529 Grantsboro (10.4 mi) 28532 Havelock (14.5 mi) 28516 Beaufort (14.8 mi) 28533 Cherry Point (16.2 mi) 28560 New Bern (16.2 mi) 28537 Hobucken (16.2 mi) 27806 Aurora (17.8 mi)
Demographics updated 05/2026
Population
Total population 2,892
Population density 57 / sq mi
State FIPS 37
County FIPS 137
Geography
Land area 50.77 sq mi
Water area 23.48 sq mi
Latitude 35.0568
Longitude -76.6995
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 40.2% 53.1% 44.4%
$50k – $100k 33.3% 25.8% 30.6%
$100k – $200k 20.6% 18.1% 19.1%
Over $200k 6.0% 3.1% 6.0%

Demographics & statistics

2,892
Population
57
People per sq mi
63.2
Median age
$67,292
Median household income
$42,571
Per capita income
$357,900
Median home value
$1,145
Median monthly rent
89.4%
Home ownership
13.1%
Poverty rate
0.3%
Unemployment
1,781
Housing units
40.5%
Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female
20
Under 5
24
70
5–9
85
45
10–14
55
61
15–19
74
9
20–24
11
72
25–34
88
81
35–44
99
109
45–54
133
93
55–59
114
160
60–64
195
349
65–74
425
186
75–84
227
48
85+
59
← Male
Female →

Age summary

GroupCount%
Under 1831010.7%
18 and over2,58289.3%
65 and over1,29444.7%
Median age63.2 years

Race & ethnicity

White 80.8%
Black or African American 12.5%
Two or more races 3.2%
Hispanic or Latino 2.2%
Other race 0.7%
Asian 0.5%
GroupCount%
White2,38980.8%
Black or African American37012.5%
Two or more races953.2%
Hispanic or Latino642.2%
Other race210.7%
Asian160.5%

Household income

Income range This ZIP County avg State avg
Under $50k 40.2% 53.1% 44.4%
$50k – $100k 33.3% 25.8% 30.6%
$100k – $200k 20.6% 18.1% 19.1%
Over $200k 6.0% 3.1% 6.0%
Under $10k 4.7%
$10k–$15k 2.9%
$15k–$25k 10.3%
$25k–$35k 8.3%
$35k–$50k 11.0%
$50k–$75k 14.7%
$75k–$100k 11.9%
$100k–$150k 22.6%
$150k–$200k 5.9%
$200k+ 7.8%
Range% of households
Under $10k4.7%
$10k–$15k2.9%
$15k–$25k10.3%
$25k–$35k8.3%
$35k–$50k11.0%
$50k–$75k14.7%
$75k–$100k11.9%
$100k–$150k22.6%
$150k–$200k5.9%
$200k+7.8%
Median income$67,292

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 2.9%
$50k–$100k 3.2%
$100k–$150k 8.7%
$150k–$200k 6.8%
$200k–$300k 18.0%
$300k–$500k 38.4%
$500k–$1M 17.8%
$1M+ 4.2%

Housing overview

MetricValue
Median home value$357,900
Median rent / month$1,145
Owner occupied89.4%
Renter occupied10.6%
Vacant30.7%
Single-family detached79.7%
Large apartment buildings1.0%
Mobile homes9.1%
Median rooms5.5
Avg household size (owned)2.25

Year built

Era%
2020 or later0.4%
2010–20197.4%
2000–200927.1%
1990–199919.4%
1980–198917.7%
1970–19799.4%
1960–196910.5%
1950–19590.6%
1940–19491.4%
1939 or earlier6.1%

Bedrooms

Size% of units
No bedroom (studio)0.0%
1 bedroom3.1%
2 bedrooms20.8%
3 bedrooms63.4%
4 bedrooms12.0%
5+ bedrooms0.8%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles% of households
No vehicle3.0%
1 vehicle25.5%
2 vehicles51.2%
3 or more20.3%

Heating fuel

Fuel type%
Utility gas0.8%
Electricity82.6%
Propane / LP gas13.0%
Fuel oil0.5%
Wood2.2%
Solar0.8%

Households & families

Household typeCount%
Married-couple family75056.3%
Cohabiting couple906.8%
Male householder, no spouse16512.4%
Female householder, no spouse32624.5%
Households with children under 1815211.4%
Households with seniors (65+)84263.3%
Average household size2.17

Marital status

StatusMaleFemale
Never married19.8%20.9%
Married65.6%54.7%
Separated0.0%2.1%
Widowed3.9%12.1%
Divorced10.7%10.2%

Education

Less than 9th grade 1.9%
Some HS, no diploma 2.1%
HS graduate 20.7%
Some college, no degree 24.5%
Associate's degree 10.2%
Bachelor's degree 22.9%
Graduate / professional 17.6%
Metric%
HS diploma or higher96.0%
Bachelor's or higher40.5%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

TypeCount%
Nursery / preschool10229.7%
Kindergarten20.6%
Elementary school15444.9%
High school4112.0%
College / grad school4412.8%

Employment

Industry of employment

Arts, food & hospitality 30.0%
Education & healthcare 18.0%
Professional & management 17.5%
Retail trade 8.8%
Manufacturing 5.6%
Public administration 4.7%
Construction 3.9%
Other services 3.6%
Transportation & utilities 3.3%
Finance & real estate 2.4%
Agriculture & mining 1.1%
Information 0.8%
Wholesale trade 0.3%

Occupation

Category%
Management, business & arts30.1%
Service38.0%
Sales & office18.9%
Natural resources & construction7.7%
Production & transportation5.2%

Employment type

Type%
Private sector74.0%
Government16.0%
Self-employed10.0%
Unpaid family workers0.0%

Commute

Method%
Drive alone73.1%
Carpool7.5%
Public transit1.1%
Walk0.0%
Work from home17.4%
Other means0.8%
Avg commute (minutes)19.6

Poverty

All people 13.1%
Under 18 years 36.3%
18 and over 10.4%
Married-couple families 2.1%
Female-led households 21.5%

Income support

Source% of households
Social Security66.6%
Retirement income54.7%
Supplemental Security2.6%
Cash public assistance0.8%
Food stamps / SNAP5.5%

Health indicators

Condition%
Obesity32.0%
High blood pressure45.7%
High cholesterol43.7%
Diabetes14.7%
Heart disease10.5%
Stroke4.7%
Asthma8.7%
Arthritis36.6%
Kidney disease4.3%
Pulmonary disease9.3%
Cancer10.5%
Behavior / access%
Smoking15.7%
Binge drinking11.3%
No physical activity23.4%
Less than 7 hrs sleep29.8%
Depression20.1%
Fair or poor health15.8%
Poor mental health11.5%
Poor physical health12.2%
No health insurance14.0%
Visited doctor (checkup)83.2%
Visited dentist68.6%
Cholesterol screening94.9%
Teeth loss12.9%

Veterans & disability

VeteransCount%
Civilian veterans43216.7%
Disability%
Any disability20.9%
Under 184.2%
18–64 years22.2%
65 and over23.5%

Health insurance coverage

Type%
Private insurance72.7%
Public insurance55.1%
No insurance7.0%
Uninsured under 191.4%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

LanguageCount%
English only2,84898.5%
Spanish963.4%
Other Indo-European842.9%
Asian & Pacific Islander00.0%
Other languages120.4%

Place of birth & citizenship

OriginCount%
Native born (US)2,72494.2%
Born in same state2,69493.2%
Born in different state97433.7%
Foreign born301.0%
Naturalized citizen1685.8%
Not a US citizen6739.9%

Ancestry

AncestryCount%
French59020.4%
Italian35612.3%
Arab29910.3%
German210.7%
English150.5%
AncestryCount%
Irish120.4%
Dutch80.3%
Polish70.2%
Norwegian20.1%

Technology access

Metric% of households
Computer access46.0%
Internet access96.8%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 28571

What city is ZIP code 28571 in?

ZIP code 28571 is primarily assigned to Oriental, North Carolina.

What county is ZIP code 28571 in?

ZIP code 28571 falls within Pamlico County, North Carolina.

Does ZIP code 28571 have an older population?

45% of residents in ZIP code 28571 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

Does ZIP code 28571 have a large retiree population?

67% of households in ZIP code 28571 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Is ZIP code 28571 mostly owner-occupied?

89% of occupied units in ZIP code 28571 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

Does ZIP code 28571 have a large veteran population?

17% of civilians in ZIP code 28571 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

What timezone is ZIP code 28571 in?

ZIP code 28571 observes the EST timezone.

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