28401 ZIP Code — Wilmington, NC

New Hanover County, North Carolina

ZIP code 28401 is located in Wilmington, North Carolina, within New Hanover County. It covers approximately 30.99 square miles and serves a population of 21,872 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 910.

About ZIP code 28401

The housing stock consists of a mix of housing types. Most homes were built in the pre-1940, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $219,700. Renters make up the majority at 63%, typical of denser urban areas.

Median household income is $46,743. Poverty affects 23% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 22% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 33% 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 19 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 31% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

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

Overall, ZIP code 28401 reflects a community defined by economic challenges above the national average, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

21,872

population

30.99

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

28401 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 28401

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 28401. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Wilmington	Acceptable
Wilmington	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

28410 Wilmington (3.1 mi) 28405 Wilmington (6.3 mi) 28429 Castle Hayne (6.4 mi) 28403 Wilmington (6.4 mi) 28451 Leland (7.7 mi) 28412 Wilmington (10.1 mi) 28411 Wilmington (10.1 mi) 28480 Wrightsville Beach (10.6 mi) 28409 Wilmington (11.2 mi) 28479 Winnabow (12.4 mi) 28435 Currie (13.7 mi) 28457 Rocky Point (15.1 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	21,872
Population density	706 / sq mi
State FIPS	37
County FIPS	129

Geography
Land area	30.99 sq mi
Water area	5.32 sq mi
Latitude	34.2659
Longitude	-77.9697
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	59.2%	44.1%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	28.0%	29.4%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	11.3%	19.3%	19.1%
Over $200k	1.6%	7.2%	6.0%

Demographics & statistics

21,872

Population

706

People per sq mi

41.7

Median age

$46,743

Median household income

$34,410

Per capita income

$219,700

Median home value

$1,073

Median monthly rent

37.3%

Home ownership

23.2%

Poverty rate

5.3%

Unemployment

6,046

Housing units

30.6%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

447

Under 5

508

612

5–9

694

403

10–14

458

403

15–19

458

660

20–24

749

1,713

25–34

1,944

1,303

35–44

1,478

1,330

45–54

1,510

759

55–59

862

684

60–64

776

1,227

65–74

1,393

488

75–84

553

215

85+

245

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	3,614	16.5%
18 and over	18,258	83.5%
65 and over	4,121	18.8%
Median age	41.7 years

Race & ethnicity

White 52%

Black or African American 32.1%

Hispanic or Latino 6.1%

Two or more races 5%

Other race 3.9%

Asian 0.5%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%

Group	Count	%
White	12,105	52%
Black or African American	7,472	32.1%
Hispanic or Latino	1,410	6.1%
Two or more races	1,174	5%
Other race	918	3.9%
Asian	107	0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native	96	0.4%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	59.2%	44.1%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	28.0%	29.4%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	11.3%	19.3%	19.1%
Over $200k	1.6%	7.2%	6.0%

Under $10k 11.1%

$10k–$15k 7.3%

$15k–$25k 13.4%

$25k–$35k 8.3%

$35k–$50k 12.5%

$50k–$75k 17.4%

$75k–$100k 9.7%

$100k–$150k 13.5%

$150k–$200k 4.2%

$200k+ 2.6%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	11.1%
$10k–$15k	7.3%
$15k–$25k	13.4%
$25k–$35k	8.3%
$35k–$50k	12.5%
$50k–$75k	17.4%
$75k–$100k	9.7%
$100k–$150k	13.5%
$150k–$200k	4.2%
$200k+	2.6%
Median income	$46,743

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 5.2%

$50k–$100k 6.5%

$100k–$150k 9.9%

$150k–$200k 23.9%

$200k–$300k 20.4%

$300k–$500k 25.3%

$500k–$1M 7.8%

$1M+ 1.0%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$219,700
Median rent / month	$1,073
Owner occupied	37.3%
Renter occupied	62.7%
Vacant	16.2%
Single-family detached	53.0%
Large apartment buildings	13.7%
Mobile homes	2.0%
Median rooms	4.6
Avg household size (owned)	1.92

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	1.6%
2010–2019	5.3%
2000–2009	7.9%
1990–1999	5.9%
1980–1989	8.4%
1970–1979	8.7%
1960–1969	6.4%
1950–1959	10.9%
1940–1949	16.2%
1939 or earlier	28.8%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	4.3%
1 bedroom	15.4%
2 bedrooms	41.3%
3 bedrooms	30.8%
4 bedrooms	5.9%
5+ bedrooms	2.3%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	18.4%
1 vehicle	47.1%
2 vehicles	25.1%
3 or more	9.4%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	21.5%
Electricity	76.2%
Propane / LP gas	1.3%
Fuel oil	0.1%
Wood	0.2%
Solar	0.1%
No fuel used	0.6%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	2,444	22.9%
Cohabiting couple	982	9.2%
Male householder, no spouse	2,400	22.5%
Female householder, no spouse	4,858	45.5%
Households with children under 18	1,695	15.9%
Households with seniors (65+)	3,141	29.4%
Average household size	1.93

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	46.1%	38.8%
Married	31.6%	26.4%
Separated	4.1%	2.6%
Widowed	4.2%	9.4%
Divorced	14.0%	22.8%

Education

Less than 9th grade 2.7%

Some HS, no diploma 10.3%

HS graduate 25.2%

Some college, no degree 21.0%

Associate's degree 10.2%

Bachelor's degree 19.4%

Graduate / professional 11.1%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	87.0%
Bachelor's or higher	30.6%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	201	5.1%
Kindergarten	331	8.4%
Elementary school	1,470	37.1%
High school	641	16.2%
College / grad school	1,321	33.3%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 20.2%

Arts, food & hospitality 15.8%

Professional & management 15.0%

Retail trade 12.6%

Construction 7.2%

Other services 6.5%

Finance & real estate 5.1%

Transportation & utilities 4.8%

Manufacturing 4.7%

Wholesale trade 3.0%

Public administration 2.8%

Information 2.1%

Agriculture & mining 0.2%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	36.4%
Service	22.0%
Sales & office	22.3%
Natural resources & construction	8.3%
Production & transportation	10.9%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	78.5%
Government	11.7%
Self-employed	9.6%
Unpaid family workers	0.2%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	66.2%
Carpool	10.0%
Public transit	1.5%
Walk	3.8%
Work from home	16.8%
Other means	1.6%
Avg commute (minutes)	18.7

Poverty

All people 23.2%

Under 18 years 38.3%

18 and over 20.2%

Married-couple families 3.8%

Female-led households 35.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	33.0%
Retirement income	19.7%
Supplemental Security	6.9%
Cash public assistance	4.1%
Food stamps / SNAP	22.1%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	35.1%
High blood pressure	40.6%
High cholesterol	33.1%
Diabetes	14.3%
Heart disease	7.3%
Stroke	4.8%
Asthma	10.9%
Arthritis	27.0%
Kidney disease	4.0%
Pulmonary disease	8.7%
Cancer	5.7%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	22.9%
Binge drinking	15.7%
No physical activity	28.4%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	34.1%
Depression	21.6%
Fair or poor health	20.3%
Poor mental health	16.0%
Poor physical health	13.4%
No health insurance	21.7%
Visited doctor (checkup)	78.8%
Visited dentist	51.1%
Cholesterol screening	88.0%
Teeth loss	22.8%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	1,012	5.6%

Disability	%
Any disability	18.9%
Under 18	3.8%
18–64 years	16.5%
65 and over	41.4%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	54.6%
Public insurance	44.2%
No insurance	13.7%
Uninsured under 19	3.7%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	20,917	95.6%
Spanish	748	3.6%
Other Indo-European	601	2.9%
Asian & Pacific Islander	103	0.5%
Other languages	44	0.2%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	20,625	94.3%
Born in same state	20,408	93.3%
Born in different state	12,688	58.0%
Foreign born	217	1.0%
Naturalized citizen	1,247	5.7%
Not a US citizen	436	35.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	1,883	8.6%
Italian	1,607	7.3%
Arab	1,097	5%
English	68	0.3%

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	54	0.2%
German	40	0.2%
Irish	30	0.1%
Norwegian	14	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	48.8%
Internet access	91.6%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 28401

What city is ZIP code 28401 in?

ZIP code 28401 is primarily assigned to Wilmington, North Carolina.

What county is ZIP code 28401 in?

ZIP code 28401 falls within New Hanover County, North Carolina.

Is ZIP code 28401 mostly rentals?

63% of occupied units in ZIP code 28401 are renter-occupied.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 28401?

23% of residents in ZIP code 28401 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 28401?

The median household income in ZIP code 28401 is $46,743, below the national median of ~$75,000.

What is the population of ZIP code 28401?

ZIP code 28401 has an estimated population of 21,872 residents, with a density of 706 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 28401 in?

ZIP code 28401 observes the EST timezone.