28543 ZIP Code — Tarawa Terrace, NC
Onslow County, North Carolina
ZIP code 28543 is located in Tarawa Terrace, North Carolina, within Onslow County. It covers approximately 4.58 square miles and serves a population of 6,841 residents. This is a po box ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 910.
About ZIP code 28543
The housing stock consists of a mix of housing types. Most homes were built in the 2000s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $184,100. Renters make up the majority at 96%, typical of denser urban areas.
Median household income is $40,343.
The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 17 minutes is near the national average.
Educational attainment is near the national average, with 38% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.
Notable community characteristics include a notable veteran presence at 15% of civilians, above the national average of 7%.
6,841
population
4.58
sq mi land
PO Box
ZIP type
Eastern (ET)
timezone
28543 ZIP code map
Cities in ZIP code 28543
Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 28543. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.
| City | Status |
|---|---|
| Tarawa Terrace | Acceptable |
| Tarawa Terrace | Acceptable |
| Tarawa Terrace | Preferred |
Nearby ZIP codes
28544 Midway Park (3.7 mi)
28545 Mccutcheon Field (4.3 mi)
28546 Jacksonville (5.7 mi)
28540 Jacksonville (6.8 mi)
28539 Hubert (8.5 mi)
28555 Maysville (11.6 mi)
28574 Richlands (13.4 mi)
28582 Stella (13.5 mi)
28584 Swansboro (15.3 mi)
28460 Sneads Ferry (15.7 mi)
28445 Holly Ridge (19.4 mi)
Demographics
updated 05/2026
| Population | |
|---|---|
| Total population | 6,841 |
| Population density | 1,494 / sq mi |
| State FIPS | 37 |
| County FIPS | 133 |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Land area | 4.58 sq mi |
| Water area | 1.52 sq mi |
| Latitude | 34.7356 |
| Longitude | -77.3787 |
| 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 | 69.4% | 48.2% | 44.4% |
| $50k – $100k | 27.8% | 33.9% | 30.6% |
| $100k – $200k | 2.8% | 15.6% | 19.1% |
| Over $200k | 0.0% | 2.2% | 6.0% |
Demographics & statistics
6,841
Population
1,494
People per sq mi
21.7
Median age
$40,343
Median household income
$19,210
Per capita income
$184,100
Median home value
$1,363
Median monthly rent
3.7%
Home ownership
13.0%
Poverty rate
10.4%
Unemployment
452
Housing units
37.5%
Bachelor's or higher
Age distribution
Male
Female
470
Under 5
277
267
5–9
157
262
10–14
155
561
15–19
331
1,583
20–24
934
904
25–34
534
184
35–44
109
36
45–54
22
14
55–59
9
1
60–64
1
1
65–74
0
18
75–84
11
← Male
Female →
Age summary
| Group | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 1,610 | 23.5% |
| 18 and over | 5,231 | 76.5% |
| 65 and over | 30 | 0.4% |
| Median age | 21.7 years | |
Race & ethnicity
White
63.3%
Black or African American
22.4%
Two or more races
7.1%
Hispanic or Latino
3.7%
Asian
2%
Other race
1%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.5%
| Group | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| White | 4,498 | 63.3% |
| Black or African American | 1,592 | 22.4% |
| Two or more races | 503 | 7.1% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 260 | 3.7% |
| Asian | 140 | 2% |
| Other race | 72 | 1% |
| American Indian / Alaska Native | 36 | 0.5% |
Household income
| Income range | This ZIP | County avg | State avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under $50k | 69.4% | 48.2% | 44.4% |
| $50k – $100k | 27.8% | 33.9% | 30.6% |
| $100k – $200k | 2.8% | 15.6% | 19.1% |
| Over $200k | 0.0% | 2.2% | 6.0% |
Under $10k
3.2%
$10k–$15k
0.2%
$15k–$25k
15.9%
$25k–$35k
19.9%
$35k–$50k
25.3%
$50k–$75k
24.8%
$75k–$100k
6.4%
$100k–$150k
2.6%
$150k–$200k
1.8%
| Range | % of households |
|---|---|
| Under $10k | 3.2% |
| $10k–$15k | 0.2% |
| $15k–$25k | 15.9% |
| $25k–$35k | 19.9% |
| $35k–$50k | 25.3% |
| $50k–$75k | 24.8% |
| $75k–$100k | 6.4% |
| $100k–$150k | 2.6% |
| $150k–$200k | 1.8% |
| Median income | $40,343 |
Housing
Home values
Under $50k
23.2%
$50k–$100k
11.6%
$150k–$200k
42.0%
$200k–$300k
23.2%
Housing overview
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Median home value | $184,100 |
| Median rent / month | $1,363 |
| Owner occupied | 3.7% |
| Renter occupied | 96.3% |
| Vacant | 17.1% |
| Single-family detached | 8.1% |
| Large apartment buildings | 0.0% |
| Mobile homes | 0.0% |
| Median rooms | 5.3 |
| Avg household size (owned) | 1.35 |
Year built
| Era | % |
|---|---|
| 2020 or later | 0.0% |
| 2010–2019 | 28.2% |
| 2000–2009 | 48.5% |
| 1990–1999 | 14.4% |
| 1980–1989 | 2.3% |
| 1970–1979 | 3.2% |
| 1960–1969 | 0.0% |
| 1950–1959 | 1.7% |
| 1940–1949 | 0.0% |
| 1939 or earlier | 1.7% |
Bedrooms
| Size | % of units |
|---|---|
| No bedroom (studio) | 0.0% |
| 1 bedroom | 1.0% |
| 2 bedrooms | 30.2% |
| 3 bedrooms | 62.7% |
| 4 bedrooms | 6.1% |
| 5+ bedrooms | 0.0% |
Vehicles per household
| Vehicles | % of households |
|---|---|
| No vehicle | 0.4% |
| 1 vehicle | 34.2% |
| 2 vehicles | 57.9% |
| 3 or more | 7.5% |
Heating fuel
| Fuel type | % |
|---|---|
| Utility gas | 14.4% |
| Electricity | 81.1% |
| Propane / LP gas | 0.4% |
| Solar | 4.0% |
| No fuel used | 0.1% |
Households & families
| Household type | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Married-couple family | 1,603 | 86.0% |
| Cohabiting couple | 34 | 1.8% |
| Male householder, no spouse | 94 | 5.0% |
| Female householder, no spouse | 132 | 7.1% |
| Households with children under 18 | 1,085 | 58.2% |
| Households with seniors (65+) | 15 | 0.8% |
| Average household size | 2.87 | |
Marital status
| Status | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Never married | 41.7% | 8.8% |
| Married | 56.2% | 85.6% |
| Separated | 0.3% | 1.4% |
| Widowed | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| Divorced | 1.8% | 4.1% |
Education
Less than 9th grade
0.0%
Some HS, no diploma
4.1%
HS graduate
20.2%
Some college, no degree
27.5%
Associate's degree
10.7%
Bachelor's degree
34.7%
Graduate / professional
2.8%
| Metric | % |
|---|---|
| HS diploma or higher | 95.9% |
| Bachelor's or higher | 37.5% |
School enrollment (ages 3–17)
| Type | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Nursery / preschool | 65 | 3.9% |
| Kindergarten | 38 | 2.3% |
| Elementary school | 617 | 37.0% |
| High school | 48 | 2.9% |
| College / grad school | 900 | 54.0% |
Employment
Industry of employment
Education & healthcare
43.1%
Arts, food & hospitality
21.3%
Manufacturing
9.6%
Construction
6.6%
Professional & management
4.6%
Public administration
4.6%
Retail trade
4.1%
Transportation & utilities
3.6%
Finance & real estate
1.5%
Other services
0.6%
Information
0.3%
Occupation
| Category | % |
|---|---|
| Management, business & arts | 39.1% |
| Service | 22.1% |
| Sales & office | 21.5% |
| Natural resources & construction | 7.2% |
| Production & transportation | 10.0% |
Employment type
| Type | % |
|---|---|
| Private sector | 51.1% |
| Government | 44.0% |
| Self-employed | 4.9% |
| Unpaid family workers | 0.0% |
Commute
| Method | % |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 63.8% |
| Carpool | 10.9% |
| Public transit | 0.0% |
| Walk | 18.3% |
| Work from home | 6.0% |
| Other means | 0.9% |
| Avg commute (minutes) | 16.5 |
Poverty
All people
13.0%
Under 18 years
15.0%
18 and over
12.2%
Married-couple families
15.1%
Female-led households
9.2%
Income support
| Source | % of households |
|---|---|
| Social Security | 1.1% |
| Retirement income | 2.7% |
| Supplemental Security | 0.3% |
| Cash public assistance | 1.1% |
| Food stamps / SNAP | 3.4% |
Health indicators
| Condition | % |
|---|---|
| Obesity | 28.3% |
| High blood pressure | 13.9% |
| High cholesterol | 13.3% |
| Diabetes | 2.4% |
| Heart disease | 1.2% |
| Stroke | 0.8% |
| Asthma | 10.0% |
| Arthritis | 7.0% |
| Kidney disease | 1.0% |
| Pulmonary disease | 2.7% |
| Cancer | 1.1% |
| Behavior / access | % |
|---|---|
| Smoking | 19.1% |
| Binge drinking | 24.1% |
| No physical activity | 19.5% |
| Less than 7 hrs sleep | 38.3% |
| Depression | 28.2% |
| Fair or poor health | 9.5% |
| Poor mental health | 20.9% |
| Poor physical health | 6.5% |
| No health insurance | 22.8% |
| Visited doctor (checkup) | 71.9% |
| Visited dentist | 59.2% |
| Cholesterol screening | 73.8% |
| Teeth loss | 21.4% |
Veterans & disability
| Veterans | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Civilian veterans | 381 | 15.4% |
| Disability | % |
|---|---|
| Any disability | 12.1% |
| Under 18 | 2.9% |
| 18–64 years | 17.9% |
| 65 and over | 46.7% |
Health insurance coverage
| Type | % |
|---|---|
| Private insurance | 91.4% |
| Public insurance | 16.0% |
| No insurance | 1.7% |
| Uninsured under 19 | 0.0% |
Language & origin
Language spoken at home (age 5+)
| Language | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| English only | 6,094 | 89.1% |
| Spanish | 64 | 1.1% |
| Other Indo-European | 52 | 0.9% |
| Asian & Pacific Islander | 12 | 0.2% |
| Other languages | 0 | 0.0% |
Place of birth & citizenship
| Origin | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Native born (US) | 6,664 | 97.4% |
| Born in same state | 6,577 | 96.1% |
| Born in different state | 792 | 11.6% |
| Foreign born | 87 | 1.3% |
| Naturalized citizen | 177 | 2.6% |
| Not a US citizen | 83 | 46.9% |
Ancestry
| Ancestry | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Italian | 886 | 13% |
| French | 717 | 10.5% |
| Arab | 277 | 4% |
| German | 207 | 3% |
| Ancestry | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| English | 108 | 1.6% |
| Irish | 84 | 1.2% |
| Polish | 14 | 0.2% |
Technology access
| Metric | % of households |
|---|---|
| Computer access | 27.2% |
| Internet access | 99.1% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.
Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 28543
What city is ZIP code 28543 in?
ZIP code 28543 is primarily assigned to Tarawa Terrace, North Carolina.
What county is ZIP code 28543 in?
ZIP code 28543 falls within Onslow County, North Carolina.
Is ZIP code 28543 mostly rentals?
96% of occupied units in ZIP code 28543 are renter-occupied.
Does ZIP code 28543 have a large veteran population?
15% of civilians in ZIP code 28543 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.
What is the median household income in ZIP code 28543?
The median household income in ZIP code 28543 is $40,343, below the national median of ~$75,000.
What is the typical home value in ZIP code 28543?
The median home value in ZIP code 28543 is $184,100.
What timezone is ZIP code 28543 in?
ZIP code 28543 observes the EST timezone.