27886 ZIP Code — Tarboro, NC

Edgecombe County, North Carolina

ZIP code 27886 is located in Tarboro, North Carolina, within Edgecombe County. It covers approximately 191.48 square miles and serves a population of 18,341 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 252.

About ZIP code 27886

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 $115,100. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 68%.

Median household income is $47,766. Poverty affects 22% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 21% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 46% 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 20 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 diabetes (16%), smoking (23%) compared to national benchmarks.

Overall, ZIP code 27886 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.

18,341

population

191.48

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

27886 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 27886

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 27886. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Tarboro	Acceptable
Tarboro	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

27843 Hobgood (9.4 mi) 27864 Pinetops (10.2 mi) 27852 Macclesfield (10.4 mi) 27815 Rocky Mount (10.8 mi) 27812 Bethel (11.2 mi) 27857 Oak City (12.7 mi) 27801 Rocky Mount (12.8 mi) 27871 Robersonville (14.5 mi) 27829 Fountain (15.4 mi) 27840 Hamilton (16.1 mi) 27834 Greenville (17.2 mi) 27884 Stokes (17.6 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	18,341
Population density	96 / sq mi
State FIPS	37
County FIPS	065

Geography
Land area	191.48 sq mi
Water area	0.95 sq mi
Latitude	35.8860
Longitude	-77.5060
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	59.4%	58.8%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	26.4%	26.1%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	12.5%	13.7%	19.1%
Over $200k	1.8%	1.5%	6.0%

Demographics & statistics

18,341

Population

People per sq mi

45.5

Median age

$47,766

Median household income

$28,970

Per capita income

$115,100

Median home value

$677

Median monthly rent

67.5%

Home ownership

21.7%

Poverty rate

4.0%

Unemployment

6,330

Housing units

19.6%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

438

Under 5

533

629

5–9

766

431

10–14

525

488

15–19

594

347

20–24

423

932

25–34

1,136

812

35–44

989

868

45–54

1,058

549

55–59

668

761

60–64

928

1,227

65–74

1,495

530

75–84

645

257

85+

312

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	4,021	21.9%
18 and over	14,320	78.1%
65 and over	4,466	24.3%
Median age	45.5 years

Race & ethnicity

Black or African American 44.4%

White 43.2%

Hispanic or Latino 5.4%

Other race 4.6%

Two or more races 2.3%

Asian 0.1%

Group	Count	%
Black or African American	8,616	44.4%
White	8,376	43.2%
Hispanic or Latino	1,044	5.4%
Other race	891	4.6%
Two or more races	445	2.3%
Asian	13	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	59.4%	58.8%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	26.4%	26.1%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	12.5%	13.7%	19.1%
Over $200k	1.8%	1.5%	6.0%

Under $10k 10.8%

$10k–$15k 4.9%

$15k–$25k 13.3%

$25k–$35k 11.2%

$35k–$50k 13.3%

$50k–$75k 12.4%

$75k–$100k 12.9%

$100k–$150k 11.7%

$150k–$200k 4.9%

$200k+ 4.6%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	10.8%
$10k–$15k	4.9%
$15k–$25k	13.3%
$25k–$35k	11.2%
$35k–$50k	13.3%
$50k–$75k	12.4%
$75k–$100k	12.9%
$100k–$150k	11.7%
$150k–$200k	4.9%
$200k+	4.6%
Median income	$47,766

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 13.8%

$50k–$100k 26.0%

$100k–$150k 26.3%

$150k–$200k 12.0%

$200k–$300k 12.5%

$300k–$500k 6.4%

$500k–$1M 1.1%

$1M+ 1.9%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$115,100
Median rent / month	$677
Owner occupied	67.5%
Renter occupied	32.5%
Vacant	12.4%
Single-family detached	60.2%
Large apartment buildings	1.7%
Mobile homes	21.9%
Median rooms	5.3
Avg household size (owned)	2.40

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.1%
2010–2019	4.7%
2000–2009	12.7%
1990–1999	20.7%
1980–1989	8.3%
1970–1979	19.6%
1960–1969	12.0%
1950–1959	8.5%
1940–1949	6.2%
1939 or earlier	7.3%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	1.5%
1 bedroom	3.7%
2 bedrooms	27.9%
3 bedrooms	51.7%
4 bedrooms	12.6%
5+ bedrooms	2.6%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	11.6%
1 vehicle	33.2%
2 vehicles	29.4%
3 or more	25.7%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	36.4%
Electricity	49.5%
Propane / LP gas	12.2%
Fuel oil	1.4%
Wood	0.2%
No fuel used	0.2%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	2,957	38.2%
Cohabiting couple	528	6.8%
Male householder, no spouse	1,260	16.3%
Female householder, no spouse	2,999	38.7%
Households with children under 18	2,246	29.0%
Households with seniors (65+)	3,178	41.0%
Average household size	2.29

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	34.0%	31.8%
Married	46.5%	37.5%
Separated	2.7%	2.0%
Widowed	4.1%	15.3%
Divorced	12.7%	13.4%

Education

Less than 9th grade 5.3%

Some HS, no diploma 10.0%

HS graduate 35.2%

Some college, no degree 21.9%

Associate's degree 8.0%

Bachelor's degree 13.3%

Graduate / professional 6.3%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	84.7%
Bachelor's or higher	19.6%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	243	6.1%
Kindergarten	367	9.2%
Elementary school	1,745	43.8%
High school	949	23.8%
College / grad school	677	17.0%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 26.2%

Manufacturing 19.7%

Retail trade 11.8%

Construction 7.1%

Professional & management 6.5%

Public administration 5.4%

Arts, food & hospitality 5.3%

Finance & real estate 4.8%

Agriculture & mining 3.6%

Transportation & utilities 3.3%

Other services 3.2%

Wholesale trade 2.7%

Information 0.4%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	29.0%
Service	21.1%
Sales & office	17.9%
Natural resources & construction	8.5%
Production & transportation	23.4%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	79.4%
Government	15.5%
Self-employed	3.6%
Unpaid family workers	1.5%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	80.2%
Carpool	8.4%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	3.2%
Work from home	6.4%
Other means	1.8%
Avg commute (minutes)	20.4

Poverty

All people 21.7%

Under 18 years 38.6%

18 and over 16.8%

Married-couple families 4.6%

Female-led households 46.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	45.5%
Retirement income	30.7%
Supplemental Security	7.2%
Cash public assistance	0.5%
Food stamps / SNAP	21.2%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	39.6%
High blood pressure	43.4%
High cholesterol	36.0%
Diabetes	16.0%
Heart disease	8.3%
Stroke	5.1%
Asthma	10.9%
Arthritis	30.9%
Kidney disease	4.2%
Pulmonary disease	9.3%
Cancer	6.7%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	23.1%
Binge drinking	12.7%
No physical activity	30.3%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	36.2%
Depression	22.2%
Fair or poor health	21.9%
Poor mental health	15.7%
Poor physical health	14.3%
No health insurance	23.0%
Visited doctor (checkup)	81.9%
Visited dentist	53.4%
Cholesterol screening	89.8%
Teeth loss	22.6%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	1,289	9.0%

Disability	%
Any disability	16.3%
Under 18	3.9%
18–64 years	13.9%
65 and over	33.8%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	56.1%
Public insurance	51.1%
No insurance	9.1%
Uninsured under 19	6.3%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	17,370	94.7%
Spanish	732	4.2%
Other Indo-European	720	4.1%
Asian & Pacific Islander	12	0.1%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	17,240	94.0%
Born in same state	17,131	93.4%
Born in different state	14,324	78.1%
Foreign born	109	0.6%
Naturalized citizen	1,101	6.0%
Not a US citizen	284	25.8%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	2,113	11.5%
French	1,575	8.6%
Italian	703	3.8%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	37	0.2%
German	6	0%
Polish	6	0%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	42.2%
Internet access	84.3%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 27886

What city is ZIP code 27886 in?

ZIP code 27886 is primarily assigned to Tarboro, North Carolina.

What county is ZIP code 27886 in?

ZIP code 27886 falls within Edgecombe County, North Carolina.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 27886?

22% of residents in ZIP code 27886 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

Does ZIP code 27886 have a large retiree population?

46% of households in ZIP code 27886 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 27886?

The median home value in ZIP code 27886 is $115,100.

What are the health statistics for ZIP code 27886?

Health data for ZIP code 27886 shows elevated rates of diabetes (16%) and smoking (23%) compared to national benchmarks.

What timezone is ZIP code 27886 in?

ZIP code 27886 observes the EST timezone.