28472 ZIP Code — Whiteville, NC

Columbus County, North Carolina

ZIP code 28472 is located in Whiteville, North Carolina, within Columbus County. It covers approximately 197.86 square miles and serves a population of 17,854 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 910.

About ZIP code 28472

The housing stock consists of a higher-than-average concentration of mobile homes. Most homes were built in the 1970s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $125,000. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 65%.

Median household income is $41,755. Poverty affects 22% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 24% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 39% 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.

College attainment at 17% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (23%) compared to national benchmarks.

Overall, ZIP code 28472 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.

17,854

population

197.86

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

28472 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 28472

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 28472. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Whiteville	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

28442 Hallsboro (2.1 mi) 28450 Lake Waccamaw (7.6 mi) 28432 Clarendon (11.8 mi) 28431 Chadbourn (12.4 mi) 28455 Nakina (12.5 mi) 28423 Bolton (13.5 mi) 28433 Clarkton (15.3 mi) 28463 Tabor City (16 mi) 28430 Cerro Gordo (16.4 mi) 28434 Council (16.9 mi) 28438 Evergreen (17.1 mi) 28420 Ash (18.1 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	17,854
Population density	90 / sq mi
State FIPS	37
County FIPS	047

Geography
Land area	197.86 sq mi
Water area	0.65 sq mi
Latitude	34.2854
Longitude	-78.6376
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	61.9%	59.3%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	23.5%	27.0%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	12.3%	11.8%	19.1%
Over $200k	2.3%	1.9%	6.0%

Demographics & statistics

17,854

Population

People per sq mi

39.4

Median age

$41,755

Median household income

$23,473

Per capita income

$125,000

Median home value

$767

Median monthly rent

65.4%

Home ownership

21.6%

Poverty rate

6.1%

Unemployment

5,571

Housing units

17.2%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

346

Under 5

369

716

5–9

761

551

10–14

586

567

15–19

604

453

20–24

481

1,187

25–34

1,262

1,213

35–44

1,291

977

45–54

1,040

563

55–59

598

690

60–64

735

843

65–74

897

383

75–84

408

161

85+

172

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	4,148	23.2%
18 and over	13,706	76.8%
65 and over	2,864	16.0%
Median age	39.4 years

Race & ethnicity

White 57.5%

Black or African American 27.8%

Hispanic or Latino 4.5%

Other race 4.4%

Two or more races 3.6%

American Indian / Alaska Native 1.4%

Asian 0.7%

Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%

Group	Count	%
White	10,742	57.5%
Black or African American	5,199	27.8%
Hispanic or Latino	840	4.5%
Other race	827	4.4%
Two or more races	676	3.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native	254	1.4%
Asian	123	0.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	33	0.2%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	61.9%	59.3%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	23.5%	27.0%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	12.3%	11.8%	19.1%
Over $200k	2.3%	1.9%	6.0%

Under $10k 10.8%

$10k–$15k 3.6%

$15k–$25k 15.1%

$25k–$35k 17.0%

$35k–$50k 10.1%

$50k–$75k 16.7%

$75k–$100k 10.0%

$100k–$150k 9.7%

$150k–$200k 4.3%

$200k+ 2.8%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	10.8%
$10k–$15k	3.6%
$15k–$25k	15.1%
$25k–$35k	17.0%
$35k–$50k	10.1%
$50k–$75k	16.7%
$75k–$100k	10.0%
$100k–$150k	9.7%
$150k–$200k	4.3%
$200k+	2.8%
Median income	$41,755

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 15.2%

$50k–$100k 23.4%

$100k–$150k 17.1%

$150k–$200k 17.7%

$200k–$300k 17.1%

$300k–$500k 6.7%

$500k–$1M 2.7%

$1M+ 0.2%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$125,000
Median rent / month	$767
Owner occupied	65.4%
Renter occupied	34.6%
Vacant	15.7%
Single-family detached	55.4%
Large apartment buildings	3.7%
Mobile homes	28.9%
Median rooms	5.4
Avg household size (owned)	2.51

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.1%
2010–2019	8.1%
2000–2009	13.1%
1990–1999	18.5%
1980–1989	9.6%
1970–1979	19.3%
1960–1969	11.4%
1950–1959	13.8%
1940–1949	1.4%
1939 or earlier	4.7%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.3%
1 bedroom	4.3%
2 bedrooms	29.8%
3 bedrooms	54.9%
4 bedrooms	9.5%
5+ bedrooms	1.2%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	7.0%
1 vehicle	34.0%
2 vehicles	29.8%
3 or more	29.2%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	2.7%
Electricity	78.2%
Propane / LP gas	15.5%
Fuel oil	2.4%
Wood	0.7%
No fuel used	0.3%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	2,705	40.8%
Cohabiting couple	459	6.9%
Male householder, no spouse	1,192	18.0%
Female householder, no spouse	2,274	34.3%
Households with children under 18	2,084	31.4%
Households with seniors (65+)	2,200	33.2%
Average household size	2.55

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	38.0%	33.1%
Married	44.6%	37.4%
Separated	2.8%	5.2%
Widowed	4.0%	11.3%
Divorced	10.6%	13.1%

Education

Less than 9th grade 5.1%

Some HS, no diploma 6.6%

HS graduate 38.0%

Some college, no degree 23.3%

Associate's degree 9.8%

Bachelor's degree 10.8%

Graduate / professional 6.4%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	88.3%
Bachelor's or higher	17.2%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	110	2.6%
Kindergarten	313	7.3%
Elementary school	2,068	48.0%
High school	1,054	24.4%
College / grad school	767	17.8%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 19.6%

Retail trade 14.4%

Arts, food & hospitality 13.4%

Finance & real estate 10.2%

Manufacturing 9.6%

Professional & management 8.0%

Public administration 5.9%

Transportation & utilities 4.7%

Construction 4.3%

Other services 3.4%

Information 2.7%

Agriculture & mining 2.5%

Wholesale trade 1.3%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	33.4%
Service	24.4%
Sales & office	16.7%
Natural resources & construction	10.5%
Production & transportation	15.0%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	80.7%
Government	14.9%
Self-employed	4.0%
Unpaid family workers	0.4%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	88.9%
Carpool	6.7%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.9%
Work from home	2.8%
Other means	0.7%
Avg commute (minutes)	26.0

Poverty

All people 21.6%

Under 18 years 27.0%

18 and over 19.8%

Married-couple families 13.2%

Female-led households 36.9%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	39.2%
Retirement income	22.4%
Supplemental Security	7.5%
Cash public assistance	1.8%
Food stamps / SNAP	24.0%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	43.1%
High blood pressure	41.2%
High cholesterol	36.0%
Diabetes	14.4%
Heart disease	8.1%
Stroke	4.5%
Asthma	10.2%
Arthritis	29.8%
Kidney disease	3.9%
Pulmonary disease	9.2%
Cancer	6.6%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	22.6%
Binge drinking	13.7%
No physical activity	28.3%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	36.9%
Depression	23.4%
Fair or poor health	19.4%
Poor mental health	15.9%
Poor physical health	13.7%
No health insurance	20.8%
Visited doctor (checkup)	80.3%
Visited dentist	55.8%
Cholesterol screening	89.2%
Teeth loss	19.1%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	927	6.8%

Disability	%
Any disability	14.1%
Under 18	3.7%
18–64 years	13.0%
65 and over	33.5%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	51.7%
Public insurance	46.2%
No insurance	14.6%
Uninsured under 19	9.5%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	17,139	96.0%
Spanish	538	3.1%
Other Indo-European	462	2.7%
Asian & Pacific Islander	61	0.4%
Other languages	15	0.1%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	17,175	96.2%
Born in same state	17,116	95.9%
Born in different state	14,247	79.8%
Foreign born	59	0.3%
Naturalized citizen	679	3.8%
Not a US citizen	191	28.1%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	4,271	23.9%
French	1,688	9.5%
Italian	577	3.2%

Ancestry	Count	%
German	65	0.4%
Polish	28	0.2%
English	13	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	37.1%
Internet access	90.1%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 28472

What city is ZIP code 28472 in?

ZIP code 28472 is primarily assigned to Whiteville, North Carolina.

What county is ZIP code 28472 in?

ZIP code 28472 falls within Columbus County, North Carolina.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 28472?

22% of residents in ZIP code 28472 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

Does ZIP code 28472 have a large retiree population?

39% of households in ZIP code 28472 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 28472?

The median home value in ZIP code 28472 is $125,000.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 28472?

The median household income in ZIP code 28472 is $41,755, below the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 28472 in?

ZIP code 28472 observes the EST timezone.