27870 ZIP Code — Roanoke Rapids, NC

Halifax County, North Carolina

ZIP code 27870 is located in Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina, within Halifax County. It covers approximately 65.18 square miles and serves a population of 25,279 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 252.

About ZIP code 27870

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 $115,300. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 59%.

Median household income is $44,416. Poverty affects 22% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 26% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 37% 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 21 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 20% 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 27870 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.

25,279

population

65.18

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

27870 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 27870

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 27870. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Roanoke Rapids	Acceptable
Roanoke Rapids	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

27832 Gaston (6.7 mi) 27890 Weldon (6.9 mi) 27850 Littleton (9.3 mi) 27842 Henrico (10.7 mi) 27831 Garysburg (10.9 mi) 23887 Valentines (12.2 mi) 27839 Halifax (12.3 mi) 23879 Skippers (14.1 mi) 27866 Pleasant Hill (14.3 mi) 23857 Gasburg (14.9 mi) 27823 Enfield (15.1 mi) 27845 Jackson (15.3 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	25,279
Population density	388 / sq mi
State FIPS	37
County FIPS	083

Geography
Land area	65.18 sq mi
Water area	2.54 sq mi
Latitude	36.4148
Longitude	-77.7140
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	61.7%	62.9%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	26.0%	24.6%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	10.4%	10.5%	19.1%
Over $200k	1.9%	2.0%	6.0%

Demographics & statistics

25,279

Population

388

People per sq mi

41.8

Median age

$44,416

Median household income

$25,764

Per capita income

$115,300

Median home value

$804

Median monthly rent

59.1%

Home ownership

21.6%

Poverty rate

10.3%

Unemployment

7,503

Housing units

19.5%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

741

Under 5

852

511

5–9

588

1,056

10–14

1,214

710

15–19

816

669

20–24

768

1,381

25–34

1,588

1,282

35–44

1,473

1,415

45–54

1,626

897

55–59

1,032

834

60–64

958

1,400

65–74

1,610

632

75–84

726

233

85+

267

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	6,072	24.0%
18 and over	19,207	76.0%
65 and over	4,868	19.3%
Median age	41.8 years

Race & ethnicity

White 46.1%

Black or African American 40.3%

Two or more races 5.9%

Hispanic or Latino 3.9%

Other race 2%

Asian 1%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%

Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%

Group	Count	%
White	12,132	46.1%
Black or African American	10,594	40.3%
Two or more races	1,550	5.9%
Hispanic or Latino	1,016	3.9%
Other race	520	2%
Asian	276	1%
American Indian / Alaska Native	146	0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	61	0.2%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	61.7%	62.9%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	26.0%	24.6%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	10.4%	10.5%	19.1%
Over $200k	1.9%	2.0%	6.0%

Under $10k 6.8%

$10k–$15k 10.4%

$15k–$25k 12.4%

$25k–$35k 11.6%

$35k–$50k 13.7%

$50k–$75k 15.4%

$75k–$100k 11.8%

$100k–$150k 11.4%

$150k–$200k 4.1%

$200k+ 2.4%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	6.8%
$10k–$15k	10.4%
$15k–$25k	12.4%
$25k–$35k	11.6%
$35k–$50k	13.7%
$50k–$75k	15.4%
$75k–$100k	11.8%
$100k–$150k	11.4%
$150k–$200k	4.1%
$200k+	2.4%
Median income	$44,416

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 12.1%

$50k–$100k 30.4%

$100k–$150k 22.0%

$150k–$200k 11.2%

$200k–$300k 12.4%

$300k–$500k 9.1%

$500k–$1M 2.5%

$1M+ 0.2%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$115,300
Median rent / month	$804
Owner occupied	59.1%
Renter occupied	40.9%
Vacant	11.4%
Single-family detached	62.3%
Large apartment buildings	3.0%
Mobile homes	19.2%
Median rooms	5.3
Avg household size (owned)	2.29

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.5%
2010–2019	4.5%
2000–2009	9.8%
1990–1999	18.2%
1980–1989	17.5%
1970–1979	9.4%
1960–1969	12.3%
1950–1959	13.4%
1940–1949	7.4%
1939 or earlier	7.1%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.7%
1 bedroom	7.4%
2 bedrooms	28.2%
3 bedrooms	51.9%
4 bedrooms	10.9%
5+ bedrooms	0.9%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	7.8%
1 vehicle	37.5%
2 vehicles	30.9%
3 or more	23.9%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	23.5%
Electricity	64.1%
Propane / LP gas	7.8%
Fuel oil	3.1%
Wood	1.3%
No fuel used	0.2%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	4,087	39.2%
Cohabiting couple	691	6.6%
Male householder, no spouse	1,489	14.3%
Female householder, no spouse	4,156	39.9%
Households with children under 18	3,176	30.5%
Households with seniors (65+)	3,678	35.3%
Average household size	2.41

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	38.8%	32.4%
Married	47.1%	37.3%
Separated	1.9%	4.5%
Widowed	4.0%	13.0%
Divorced	8.2%	12.7%

Education

Less than 9th grade 6.0%

Some HS, no diploma 10.2%

HS graduate 35.6%

Some college, no degree 20.6%

Associate's degree 8.1%

Bachelor's degree 12.5%

Graduate / professional 7.0%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	83.9%
Bachelor's or higher	19.5%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	456	7.9%
Kindergarten	266	4.6%
Elementary school	2,535	44.2%
High school	1,527	26.6%
College / grad school	953	16.6%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 30.0%

Manufacturing 14.4%

Retail trade 11.1%

Arts, food & hospitality 8.2%

Public administration 7.4%

Professional & management 6.9%

Transportation & utilities 4.9%

Other services 4.6%

Construction 3.6%

Finance & real estate 2.8%

Wholesale trade 2.3%

Agriculture & mining 2.0%

Information 1.9%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	33.7%
Service	21.9%
Sales & office	19.8%
Natural resources & construction	7.4%
Production & transportation	17.3%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	72.0%
Government	23.7%
Self-employed	4.0%
Unpaid family workers	0.4%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	80.1%
Carpool	10.8%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	1.0%
Work from home	6.3%
Other means	1.8%
Avg commute (minutes)	20.5

Poverty

All people 21.6%

Under 18 years 30.4%

18 and over 18.8%

Married-couple families 8.3%

Female-led households 37.9%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	37.4%
Retirement income	22.7%
Supplemental Security	11.6%
Cash public assistance	1.7%
Food stamps / SNAP	26.4%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	41.3%
High blood pressure	41.8%
High cholesterol	35.6%
Diabetes	14.5%
Heart disease	8.0%
Stroke	4.7%
Asthma	10.6%
Arthritis	29.3%
Kidney disease	3.9%
Pulmonary disease	9.2%
Cancer	6.5%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	23.5%
Binge drinking	13.5%
No physical activity	28.1%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	35.4%
Depression	23.4%
Fair or poor health	20.2%
Poor mental health	15.8%
Poor physical health	13.6%
No health insurance	21.3%
Visited doctor (checkup)	81.5%
Visited dentist	54.5%
Cholesterol screening	89.3%
Teeth loss	20.9%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	1,322	6.9%

Disability	%
Any disability	19.9%
Under 18	7.4%
18–64 years	18.7%
65 and over	39.4%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	52.5%
Public insurance	51.1%
No insurance	10.9%
Uninsured under 19	7.8%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	23,686	93.7%
Spanish	405	1.7%
Other Indo-European	309	1.3%
Asian & Pacific Islander	15	0.1%
Other languages	51	0.2%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	24,523	97.0%
Born in same state	24,257	96.0%
Born in different state	17,993	71.2%
Foreign born	266	1.1%
Naturalized citizen	756	3.0%
Not a US citizen	139	18.4%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	2,228	8.8%
Arab	2,127	8.4%
Italian	1,419	5.6%
English	165	0.7%

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	66	0.3%
Irish	15	0.1%
Norwegian	8	0%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	41.2%
Internet access	87.0%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 27870

What city is ZIP code 27870 in?

ZIP code 27870 is primarily assigned to Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina.

What county is ZIP code 27870 in?

ZIP code 27870 falls within Halifax County, North Carolina.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 27870?

22% of residents in ZIP code 27870 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

Does ZIP code 27870 have a large retiree population?

37% of households in ZIP code 27870 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 27870?

The median home value in ZIP code 27870 is $115,300.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 27870?

The median household income in ZIP code 27870 is $44,416, below the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 27870 in?

ZIP code 27870 observes the EST timezone.