27801 ZIP Code — Rocky Mount, NC

Edgecombe County, North Carolina

ZIP code 27801 is located in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, within Edgecombe County. It covers approximately 66.78 square miles and serves a population of 19,356 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 252.

About ZIP code 27801

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1970s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $97,100. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 49%.

Median household income is $42,488. Poverty affects 25% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 27% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 36% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is sales and office, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 23 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 18% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of diabetes (18%), smoking (25%) compared to national benchmarks.

Overall, ZIP code 27801 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.

19,356

population

66.78

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

27801 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 27801

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 27801. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Rocky Mount	Acceptable
Rocky Mount	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

27815 Rocky Mount (2.2 mi) 27803 Rocky Mount (7.2 mi) 27809 Battleboro (7.8 mi) 27864 Pinetops (8 mi) 27804 Rocky Mount (8.1 mi) 27852 Macclesfield (10.4 mi) 27822 Elm City (10.6 mi) 27891 Whitakers (12.7 mi) 27886 Tarboro (12.8 mi) 27896 Wilson (16.1 mi) 27856 Nashville (16.5 mi) 27829 Fountain (16.7 mi)

Demographics updated 06/2026

Population
Total population	19,356
Population density	290 / sq mi
State FIPS	37
County FIPS	065

Geography
Land area	66.78 sq mi
Water area	0.26 sq mi
Latitude	35.9189
Longitude	-77.7319
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	252

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 06/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	64.2%	58.8%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	23.3%	26.1%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	12.5%	13.7%	19.1%
Over $200k	0.0%	1.5%	6.0%

Demographics & statistics

19,356

Population

290

People per sq mi

38.1

Median age

$42,488

Median household income

$21,620

Per capita income

$97,100

Median home value

$823

Median monthly rent

49.1%

Home ownership

24.7%

Poverty rate

10.6%

Unemployment

5,356

Housing units

17.8%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

655

Under 5

669

654

5–9

667

693

10–14

707

692

15–19

706

713

20–24

728

1,206

25–34

1,230

1,063

35–44

1,084

1,193

45–54

1,217

620

55–59

633

556

60–64

568

885

65–74

903

466

75–84

475

185

85+

188

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	4,929	25.5%
18 and over	14,427	74.5%
65 and over	3,102	16.0%
Median age	38.1 years

Race & ethnicity

Black or African American 70.9%

White 24.5%

Two or more races 2.7%

Hispanic or Latino 0.7%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%

Asian 0.2%

Other race 0.2%

Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%

Group	Count	%
Black or African American	13,821	70.9%
White	4,767	24.5%
Two or more races	525	2.7%
Hispanic or Latino	139	0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native	124	0.6%
Asian	48	0.2%
Other race	41	0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	30	0.2%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	64.2%	58.8%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	23.3%	26.1%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	12.5%	13.7%	19.1%
Over $200k	0.0%	1.5%	6.0%

Under $10k 10.4%

$10k–$15k 6.1%

$15k–$25k 9.7%

$25k–$35k 13.1%

$35k–$50k 18.0%

$50k–$75k 13.3%

$75k–$100k 10.7%

$100k–$150k 14.0%

$150k–$200k 4.2%

$200k+ 0.6%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	10.4%
$10k–$15k	6.1%
$15k–$25k	9.7%
$25k–$35k	13.1%
$35k–$50k	18.0%
$50k–$75k	13.3%
$75k–$100k	10.7%
$100k–$150k	14.0%
$150k–$200k	4.2%
$200k+	0.6%
Median income	$42,488

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 15.2%

$50k–$100k 38.6%

$100k–$150k 20.2%

$150k–$200k 7.6%

$200k–$300k 14.6%

$300k–$500k 1.8%

$500k–$1M 1.3%

$1M+ 0.6%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$97,100
Median rent / month	$823
Owner occupied	49.1%
Renter occupied	50.9%
Vacant	21.7%
Single-family detached	71.1%
Large apartment buildings	1.5%
Mobile homes	12.4%
Median rooms	5.3
Avg household size (owned)	2.72

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.1%
2010–2019	7.7%
2000–2009	12.0%
1990–1999	8.1%
1980–1989	11.6%
1970–1979	14.8%
1960–1969	12.5%
1950–1959	14.4%
1940–1949	5.5%
1939 or earlier	13.3%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	1.0%
1 bedroom	4.0%
2 bedrooms	26.7%
3 bedrooms	56.4%
4 bedrooms	9.9%
5+ bedrooms	1.8%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	11.7%
1 vehicle	28.5%
2 vehicles	37.3%
3 or more	22.4%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	26.6%
Electricity	62.7%
Propane / LP gas	8.3%
Fuel oil	2.1%
No fuel used	0.3%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	2,566	36.8%
Cohabiting couple	830	11.9%
Male householder, no spouse	1,327	19.0%
Female householder, no spouse	2,247	32.2%
Households with children under 18	2,545	36.5%
Households with seniors (65+)	2,457	35.3%
Average household size	2.76

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	48.9%	39.4%
Married	37.2%	36.9%
Separated	2.6%	6.5%
Widowed	3.4%	9.6%
Divorced	7.9%	7.6%

Education

Less than 9th grade 3.3%

Some HS, no diploma 8.4%

HS graduate 39.7%

Some college, no degree 23.2%

Associate's degree 7.5%

Bachelor's degree 12.6%

Graduate / professional 5.3%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	88.3%
Bachelor's or higher	17.8%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	34	0.8%
Kindergarten	448	10.9%
Elementary school	1,975	47.9%
High school	1,119	27.1%
College / grad school	546	13.2%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 22.7%

Retail trade 15.1%

Manufacturing 14.8%

Arts, food & hospitality 13.1%

Transportation & utilities 8.7%

Professional & management 8.0%

Public administration 4.7%

Finance & real estate 4.0%

Construction 3.3%

Other services 3.2%

Wholesale trade 1.2%

Information 1.0%

Agriculture & mining 0.1%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	22.3%
Service	20.2%
Sales & office	25.7%
Natural resources & construction	6.5%
Production & transportation	25.3%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	81.3%
Government	16.4%
Self-employed	2.3%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	77.7%
Carpool	10.3%
Public transit	2.3%
Walk	1.1%
Work from home	5.2%
Other means	3.4%
Avg commute (minutes)	22.5

Poverty

All people 24.7%

Under 18 years 37.0%

18 and over 20.6%

Married-couple families 11.1%

Female-led households 34.8%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	36.1%
Retirement income	21.5%
Supplemental Security	11.3%
Cash public assistance	1.6%
Food stamps / SNAP	27.3%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	43.3%
High blood pressure	45.9%
High cholesterol	34.2%
Diabetes	17.9%
Heart disease	7.9%
Stroke	5.6%
Asthma	11.7%
Arthritis	30.6%
Kidney disease	4.4%
Pulmonary disease	9.1%
Cancer	5.9%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	24.6%
Binge drinking	12.0%
No physical activity	32.3%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	39.5%
Depression	21.7%
Fair or poor health	23.9%
Poor mental health	16.5%
Poor physical health	14.8%
No health insurance	23.3%
Visited doctor (checkup)	83.4%
Visited dentist	50.1%
Cholesterol screening	89.8%
Teeth loss	25.6%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	1,101	7.6%

Disability	%
Any disability	14.3%
Under 18	5.1%
18–64 years	13.1%
65 and over	33.2%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	52.9%
Public insurance	48.2%
No insurance	12.5%
Uninsured under 19	3.5%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	18,032	93.2%
Spanish	98	0.5%
Other Indo-European	79	0.4%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	11	0.1%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	19,162	99.0%
Born in same state	19,120	98.8%
Born in different state	15,402	79.6%
Foreign born	42	0.2%
Naturalized citizen	194	1.0%
Not a US citizen	169	87.1%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	1,704	8.8%
French	833	4.3%
Italian	489	2.5%

Ancestry	Count	%
German	32	0.2%
Polish	9	0%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	36.0%
Internet access	86.2%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 27801

What city is ZIP code 27801 in?

ZIP code 27801 is primarily assigned to Rocky Mount, North Carolina.

What county is ZIP code 27801 in?

ZIP code 27801 falls within Edgecombe County, North Carolina.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 27801?

25% of residents in ZIP code 27801 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

Does ZIP code 27801 have a large retiree population?

36% of households in ZIP code 27801 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 27801?

The median home value in ZIP code 27801 is $97,100.

What are the health statistics for ZIP code 27801?

Health data for ZIP code 27801 shows elevated rates of diabetes (18%) and smoking (25%) compared to national benchmarks.

What timezone is ZIP code 27801 in?

ZIP code 27801 observes the EST timezone.