28461 ZIP Code — Southport, NC

Brunswick County, North Carolina

ZIP code 28461 is located in Southport, North Carolina, within Brunswick County. It covers approximately 75.91 square miles and serves a population of 22,255 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 910.

About ZIP code 28461

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 $360,800. Owner-occupancy is high at 85%, well above the national average.

The gap between median ($77,470) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. The poverty rate of 5% is below the national average. 56% 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 26 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 36% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Notable community characteristics include a notable veteran presence at 13% of civilians, above the national average of 7%.

Overall, ZIP code 28461 reflects a community defined by a strong veteran community, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

22,255

population

75.91

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

28461 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 28461

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 28461. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Southport	Acceptable
Southport	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

28449 Kure Beach (6.8 mi) 28422 Bolivia (8.1 mi) 28428 Carolina Beach (9.5 mi) 28479 Winnabow (10.8 mi) 28412 Wilmington (13.2 mi) 28409 Wilmington (15.9 mi) 28462 Supply (17.3 mi) 28410 Wilmington (19 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	22,255
Population density	293 / sq mi
State FIPS	37
County FIPS	019

Geography
Land area	75.91 sq mi
Water area	15.17 sq mi
Latitude	33.9628
Longitude	-78.0421
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	910

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	34.4%	41.0%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	36.6%	35.1%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	22.1%	19.4%	19.1%
Over $200k	6.9%	4.4%	6.0%

Demographics & statistics

22,255

Population

293

People per sq mi

61.9

Median age

$77,470

Median household income

$52,607

Per capita income

$360,800

Median home value

$1,366

Median monthly rent

84.6%

Home ownership

5.3%

Poverty rate

8.7%

Unemployment

12,277

Housing units

36.4%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

295

Under 5

316

420

5–9

451

351

10–14

376

228

15–19

245

198

20–24

212

794

25–34

852

754

35–44

810

1,184

45–54

1,271

806

55–59

865

1,241

60–64

1,333

3,013

65–74

3,237

1,161

75–84

1,247

287

85+

308

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	2,517	11.3%
18 and over	19,738	88.7%
65 and over	9,253	41.6%
Median age	61.9 years

Race & ethnicity

White 87.3%

Black or African American 4.3%

Two or more races 4%

Hispanic or Latino 2.9%

Other race 0.7%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%

Asian 0.4%

Group	Count	%
White	19,998	87.3%
Black or African American	986	4.3%
Two or more races	909	4%
Hispanic or Latino	658	2.9%
Other race	159	0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native	118	0.5%
Asian	85	0.4%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	34.4%	41.0%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	36.6%	35.1%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	22.1%	19.4%	19.1%
Over $200k	6.9%	4.4%	6.0%

Under $10k 4.6%

$10k–$15k 2.6%

$15k–$25k 5.6%

$25k–$35k 6.0%

$35k–$50k 11.4%

$50k–$75k 18.3%

$75k–$100k 13.1%

$100k–$150k 18.6%

$150k–$200k 9.8%

$200k+ 10.1%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	4.6%
$10k–$15k	2.6%
$15k–$25k	5.6%
$25k–$35k	6.0%
$35k–$50k	11.4%
$50k–$75k	18.3%
$75k–$100k	13.1%
$100k–$150k	18.6%
$150k–$200k	9.8%
$200k+	10.1%
Median income	$77,470

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 4.6%

$50k–$100k 4.7%

$100k–$150k 1.8%

$150k–$200k 9.6%

$200k–$300k 20.3%

$300k–$500k 28.8%

$500k–$1M 26.8%

$1M+ 3.3%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$360,800
Median rent / month	$1,366
Owner occupied	84.6%
Renter occupied	15.4%
Vacant	26.9%
Single-family detached	76.2%
Large apartment buildings	2.2%
Mobile homes	10.8%
Median rooms	5.7
Avg household size (owned)	2.18

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.7%
2010–2019	25.9%
2000–2009	33.2%
1990–1999	19.6%
1980–1989	8.2%
1970–1979	7.1%
1960–1969	1.2%
1950–1959	2.0%
1940–1949	0.2%
1939 or earlier	2.0%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.2%
1 bedroom	2.2%
2 bedrooms	17.6%
3 bedrooms	60.4%
4 bedrooms	16.7%
5+ bedrooms	2.9%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	0.9%
1 vehicle	25.3%
2 vehicles	55.1%
3 or more	18.8%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	4.2%
Electricity	83.1%
Propane / LP gas	11.0%
No fuel used	0.7%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	6,367	63.0%
Cohabiting couple	512	5.1%
Male householder, no spouse	996	9.9%
Female householder, no spouse	2,233	22.1%
Households with children under 18	1,446	14.3%
Households with seniors (65+)	5,460	54.0%
Average household size	2.18

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	17.8%	11.6%
Married	72.0%	63.3%
Separated	0.9%	2.2%
Widowed	2.6%	9.2%
Divorced	6.7%	13.8%

Education

Less than 9th grade 0.4%

Some HS, no diploma 3.6%

HS graduate 22.0%

Some college, no degree 25.6%

Associate's degree 11.9%

Bachelor's degree 21.8%

Graduate / professional 14.7%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	96.0%
Bachelor's or higher	36.4%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	106	4.3%
Kindergarten	178	7.2%
Elementary school	1,184	48.0%
High school	431	17.5%
College / grad school	566	23.0%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 21.0%

Professional & management 11.9%

Transportation & utilities 11.5%

Arts, food & hospitality 10.3%

Retail trade 9.6%

Construction 8.7%

Manufacturing 7.7%

Finance & real estate 5.6%

Other services 5.0%

Public administration 4.0%

Wholesale trade 2.8%

Information 1.4%

Agriculture & mining 0.6%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	40.0%
Service	17.5%
Sales & office	18.5%
Natural resources & construction	11.3%
Production & transportation	12.7%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	77.5%
Government	13.2%
Self-employed	9.3%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	71.1%
Carpool	4.7%
Public transit	3.8%
Walk	1.7%
Work from home	17.8%
Other means	0.8%
Avg commute (minutes)	26.3

Poverty

All people 5.3%

Under 18 years 3.2%

18 and over 5.6%

Married-couple families 1.8%

Female-led households 5.1%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	56.4%
Retirement income	49.4%
Supplemental Security	2.1%
Cash public assistance	0.6%
Food stamps / SNAP	5.4%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	29.8%
High blood pressure	37.8%
High cholesterol	41.4%
Diabetes	11.2%
Heart disease	7.7%
Stroke	3.3%
Asthma	8.5%
Arthritis	29.8%
Kidney disease	3.3%
Pulmonary disease	7.0%
Cancer	9.1%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	14.7%
Binge drinking	15.1%
No physical activity	19.1%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	29.0%
Depression	20.8%
Fair or poor health	11.9%
Poor mental health	11.8%
Poor physical health	9.9%
No health insurance	13.2%
Visited doctor (checkup)	81.4%
Visited dentist	73.4%
Cholesterol screening	93.5%
Teeth loss	9.2%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	2,500	12.7%

Disability	%
Any disability	13.5%
Under 18	3.2%
18–64 years	12.1%
65 and over	17.9%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	72.2%
Public insurance	51.2%
No insurance	7.9%
Uninsured under 19	5.7%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	21,644	97.3%
Spanish	257	1.2%
Other Indo-European	142	0.7%
Asian & Pacific Islander	49	0.2%
Other languages	33	0.2%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	21,767	97.8%
Born in same state	21,495	96.6%
Born in different state	7,513	33.8%
Foreign born	272	1.2%
Naturalized citizen	488	2.2%
Not a US citizen	398	81.6%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	4,087	18.4%
French	3,511	15.8%
Arab	1,568	7%
German	340	1.5%
English	315	1.4%

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	184	0.8%
Dutch	134	0.6%
Irish	112	0.5%
Norwegian	96	0.4%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	45.4%
Internet access	97.1%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 28461

What city is ZIP code 28461 in?

ZIP code 28461 is primarily assigned to Southport, North Carolina.

What county is ZIP code 28461 in?

ZIP code 28461 falls within Brunswick County, North Carolina.

Does ZIP code 28461 have an older population?

42% of residents in ZIP code 28461 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

Does ZIP code 28461 have a large retiree population?

56% of households in ZIP code 28461 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Is ZIP code 28461 mostly owner-occupied?

85% of occupied units in ZIP code 28461 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

Does ZIP code 28461 have a large veteran population?

13% of civilians in ZIP code 28461 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

What timezone is ZIP code 28461 in?

ZIP code 28461 observes the EST timezone.