28478 ZIP Code — Willard, NC

Pender County, North Carolina

ZIP code 28478 is located in Willard, North Carolina, within Pender County. It covers approximately 122.87 square miles and serves a population of 4,424 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 910.

About ZIP code 28478

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1990s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $161,000. Owner-occupancy is high at 86%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $61,680. Poverty affects 23% of residents, above the national average. 38% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is natural resources, construction, and trades, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 30 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 14% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of diabetes (15%), smoking (26%) compared to national benchmarks.

Notable community characteristics include a notable veteran presence at 12% of civilians, above the national average of 7%.

Overall, ZIP code 28478 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, economic challenges above the national average, a strong veteran community, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

4,424

population

122.87

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

28478 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 28478

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 28478. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Willard	Acceptable
Willard	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

28425 Burgaw (7.8 mi) 28464 Teachey (9.8 mi) 28466 Wallace (10.5 mi) 28447 Ivanhoe (11.5 mi) 28421 Atkinson (12 mi) 28458 Rose Hill (12.7 mi) 28457 Rocky Point (14.2 mi) 28444 Harrells (14.4 mi) 28435 Currie (15.1 mi) 28453 Magnolia (16.6 mi) 28454 Maple Hill (16.9 mi) 28448 Kelly (17.6 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	4,424
Population density	36 / sq mi
State FIPS	37
County FIPS	141

Geography
Land area	122.87 sq mi
Water area	0.23 sq mi
Latitude	34.6364
Longitude	-78.0450
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	48.6%	40.8%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	38.7%	35.1%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	10.8%	19.7%	19.1%
Over $200k	1.9%	4.4%	6.0%

Demographics & statistics

4,424

Population

People per sq mi

48.1

Median age

$61,680

Median household income

$32,447

Per capita income

$161,000

Median home value

$710

Median monthly rent

86.2%

Home ownership

22.6%

Poverty rate

7.8%

Unemployment

1,859

Housing units

13.7%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

112

Under 5

127

109

5–9

123

128

10–14

145

15–19

103

140

20–24

158

156

25–34

175

220

35–44

248

393

45–54

443

174

55–59

195

252

60–64

283

204

65–74

229

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	902	20.4%
18 and over	3,522	79.6%
65 and over	648	14.6%
Median age	48.1 years

Race & ethnicity

White 63.6%

Black or African American 26.4%

Hispanic or Latino 4.5%

Other race 4.4%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.8%

Two or more races 0.3%

Group	Count	%
White	2,945	63.6%
Black or African American	1,222	26.4%
Hispanic or Latino	208	4.5%
Other race	204	4.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native	37	0.8%
Two or more races	16	0.3%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	48.6%	40.8%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	38.7%	35.1%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	10.8%	19.7%	19.1%
Over $200k	1.9%	4.4%	6.0%

Under $10k 7.5%

$10k–$15k 8.0%

$15k–$25k 7.9%

$25k–$35k 14.0%

$35k–$50k 6.5%

$50k–$75k 17.1%

$75k–$100k 23.3%

$100k–$150k 8.0%

$150k–$200k 4.9%

$200k+ 2.7%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	7.5%
$10k–$15k	8.0%
$15k–$25k	7.9%
$25k–$35k	14.0%
$35k–$50k	6.5%
$50k–$75k	17.1%
$75k–$100k	23.3%
$100k–$150k	8.0%
$150k–$200k	4.9%
$200k+	2.7%
Median income	$61,680

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 13.7%

$50k–$100k 14.4%

$100k–$150k 15.6%

$150k–$200k 20.7%

$200k–$300k 19.8%

$300k–$500k 9.0%

$500k–$1M 6.6%

$1M+ 0.1%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$161,000
Median rent / month	$710
Owner occupied	86.2%
Renter occupied	13.8%
Vacant	12.3%
Single-family detached	71.6%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	26.4%
Median rooms	5.4
Avg household size (owned)	2.30

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.3%
2010–2019	7.1%
2000–2009	17.1%
1990–1999	20.7%
1980–1989	11.1%
1970–1979	9.9%
1960–1969	5.6%
1950–1959	13.1%
1940–1949	4.4%
1939 or earlier	10.5%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.1%
1 bedroom	2.8%
2 bedrooms	19.1%
3 bedrooms	69.6%
4 bedrooms	8.0%
5+ bedrooms	0.5%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	6.2%
1 vehicle	26.4%
2 vehicles	25.3%
3 or more	42.0%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Electricity	68.4%
Propane / LP gas	24.6%
Fuel oil	1.7%
Wood	4.9%
No fuel used	0.4%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	1,002	54.0%
Cohabiting couple	96	5.2%
Male householder, no spouse	355	19.1%
Female householder, no spouse	402	21.7%
Households with children under 18	666	35.9%
Households with seniors (65+)	491	26.5%
Average household size	2.38

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	27.6%	23.2%
Married	54.1%	55.9%
Separated	2.9%	4.0%
Widowed	4.4%	8.2%
Divorced	11.0%	8.7%

Education

Less than 9th grade 4.0%

Some HS, no diploma 10.9%

HS graduate 43.8%

Some college, no degree 18.5%

Associate's degree 9.2%

Bachelor's degree 9.6%

Graduate / professional 4.1%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	85.2%
Bachelor's or higher	13.7%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	142	15.4%
Kindergarten	0	0.0%
Elementary school	433	46.8%
High school	197	21.3%
College / grad school	153	16.5%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 16.1%

Construction 13.1%

Public administration 12.8%

Transportation & utilities 12.1%

Retail trade 9.1%

Arts, food & hospitality 7.0%

Professional & management 6.7%

Agriculture & mining 6.5%

Other services 5.0%

Manufacturing 4.9%

Information 3.1%

Finance & real estate 2.1%

Wholesale trade 1.6%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	22.2%
Service	17.4%
Sales & office	16.2%
Natural resources & construction	25.4%
Production & transportation	18.8%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	77.2%
Government	17.2%
Self-employed	5.6%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	89.5%
Carpool	8.4%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.1%
Work from home	2.0%
Other means	0.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	30.0

Poverty

All people 22.6%

Under 18 years 43.2%

18 and over 17.5%

Married-couple families 13.2%

Female-led households 29.9%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	38.0%
Retirement income	15.4%
Supplemental Security	12.5%
Cash public assistance	2.4%
Food stamps / SNAP	13.5%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	37.0%
High blood pressure	42.9%
High cholesterol	37.6%
Diabetes	15.4%
Heart disease	8.9%
Stroke	5.0%
Asthma	10.4%
Arthritis	30.8%
Kidney disease	4.2%
Pulmonary disease	10.1%
Cancer	6.8%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	25.6%
Binge drinking	13.7%
No physical activity	31.3%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	38.6%
Depression	23.3%
Fair or poor health	21.6%
Poor mental health	15.8%
Poor physical health	14.9%
No health insurance	22.3%
Visited doctor (checkup)	79.1%
Visited dentist	51.9%
Cholesterol screening	89.4%
Teeth loss	22.8%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	408	11.6%

Disability	%
Any disability	18.7%
Under 18	2.7%
18–64 years	17.9%
65 and over	44.8%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	69.5%
Public insurance	35.0%
No insurance	9.6%
Uninsured under 19	10.7%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	4,185	94.6%
Spanish	112	2.7%
Other Indo-European	112	2.7%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	4,275	96.6%
Born in same state	4,104	92.8%
Born in different state	2,882	65.1%
Foreign born	171	3.9%
Naturalized citizen	149	3.4%
Not a US citizen	12	8.1%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	484	10.9%
French	283	6.4%
Italian	86	1.9%

Ancestry	Count	%
German	9	0.2%
Polish	1	0%
Dutch	1	0%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	41.9%
Internet access	84.4%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 28478

What city is ZIP code 28478 in?

ZIP code 28478 is primarily assigned to Willard, North Carolina.

What county is ZIP code 28478 in?

ZIP code 28478 falls within Pender County, North Carolina.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 28478?

23% of residents in ZIP code 28478 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

Is ZIP code 28478 mostly owner-occupied?

86% of occupied units in ZIP code 28478 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 28478?

14% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — below the national average of ~33%, consistent with a trades-oriented local economy.

Does ZIP code 28478 have a large retiree population?

38% of households in ZIP code 28478 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What timezone is ZIP code 28478 in?

ZIP code 28478 observes the EST timezone.