28403 ZIP Code — Wilmington, NC
New Hanover County, North Carolina
ZIP code 28403 is located in Wilmington, North Carolina, within New Hanover County. It covers approximately 14.03 square miles and serves a population of 39,628 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 910.
About ZIP code 28403
The housing stock consists of a significant share of large multi-unit buildings. Most homes were built in the 1980s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $297,100. Renters make up the majority at 64%, typical of denser urban areas.
Median household income is $50,757. Poverty affects 24% of residents, above the national average.
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 high — 47% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher, well above the national average of 33%.
39,628
population
14.03
sq mi land
Standard
ZIP type
Eastern (ET)
timezone
28403 ZIP code map
Cities in ZIP code 28403
Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 28403. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.
| City | Status |
|---|---|
| Wilmington | Acceptable |
| Wilmington | Preferred |
Nearby ZIP codes
28405 Wilmington (3.4 mi)
28410 Wilmington (4.3 mi)
28480 Wrightsville Beach (4.4 mi)
28409 Wilmington (6.2 mi)
28401 Wilmington (6.4 mi)
28411 Wilmington (6.5 mi)
28412 Wilmington (7.2 mi)
28429 Castle Hayne (8.2 mi)
28428 Carolina Beach (12.9 mi)
28451 Leland (13.5 mi)
28479 Winnabow (14.5 mi)
28457 Rocky Point (17.5 mi)
Demographics
updated 05/2026
| Population | |
|---|---|
| Total population | 39,628 |
| Population density | 2,825 / sq mi |
| State FIPS | 37 |
| County FIPS | 129 |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Land area | 14.03 sq mi |
| Water area | 0.39 sq mi |
| Latitude | 34.2219 |
| Longitude | -77.8704 |
| 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 | 56.3% | 44.1% | 44.4% |
| $50k – $100k | 26.1% | 29.4% | 30.6% |
| $100k – $200k | 12.0% | 19.3% | 19.1% |
| Over $200k | 5.6% | 7.2% | 6.0% |
Demographics & statistics
39,628
Population
2,825
People per sq mi
30.3
Median age
$50,757
Median household income
$35,939
Per capita income
$297,100
Median home value
$1,206
Median monthly rent
35.8%
Home ownership
24.4%
Poverty rate
5.2%
Unemployment
8,393
Housing units
46.7%
Bachelor's or higher
Age distribution
Male
Female
565
Under 5
680
466
5–9
562
629
10–14
757
2,131
15–19
2,567
3,528
20–24
4,251
2,773
25–34
3,342
2,009
35–44
2,420
1,529
45–54
1,842
1,083
55–59
1,305
1,023
60–64
1,232
1,167
65–74
1,405
729
75–84
879
342
85+
412
← Male
Female →
Age summary
| Group | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 4,533 | 11.4% |
| 18 and over | 35,095 | 88.6% |
| 65 and over | 4,934 | 12.5% |
| Median age | 30.3 years | |
Race & ethnicity
White
78.9%
Black or African American
11.7%
Two or more races
3.7%
Hispanic or Latino
2.3%
Asian
2.2%
Other race
0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.2%
| Group | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| White | 32,011 | 78.9% |
| Black or African American | 4,753 | 11.7% |
| Two or more races | 1,516 | 3.7% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 933 | 2.3% |
| Asian | 888 | 2.2% |
| Other race | 381 | 0.9% |
| American Indian / Alaska Native | 79 | 0.2% |
Household income
| Income range | This ZIP | County avg | State avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under $50k | 56.3% | 44.1% | 44.4% |
| $50k – $100k | 26.1% | 29.4% | 30.6% |
| $100k – $200k | 12.0% | 19.3% | 19.1% |
| Over $200k | 5.6% | 7.2% | 6.0% |
Under $10k
10.5%
$10k–$15k
5.4%
$15k–$25k
8.4%
$25k–$35k
10.3%
$35k–$50k
14.9%
$50k–$75k
17.3%
$75k–$100k
11.3%
$100k–$150k
11.4%
$150k–$200k
3.9%
$200k+
6.6%
| Range | % of households |
|---|---|
| Under $10k | 10.5% |
| $10k–$15k | 5.4% |
| $15k–$25k | 8.4% |
| $25k–$35k | 10.3% |
| $35k–$50k | 14.9% |
| $50k–$75k | 17.3% |
| $75k–$100k | 11.3% |
| $100k–$150k | 11.4% |
| $150k–$200k | 3.9% |
| $200k+ | 6.6% |
| Median income | $50,757 |
Housing
Home values
Under $50k
1.8%
$50k–$100k
2.9%
$100k–$150k
5.7%
$150k–$200k
12.8%
$200k–$300k
27.4%
$300k–$500k
27.6%
$500k–$1M
18.8%
$1M+
2.9%
Housing overview
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Median home value | $297,100 |
| Median rent / month | $1,206 |
| Owner occupied | 35.8% |
| Renter occupied | 64.2% |
| Vacant | 9.6% |
| Single-family detached | 39.7% |
| Large apartment buildings | 20.7% |
| Mobile homes | 1.2% |
| Median rooms | 4.6 |
| Avg household size (owned) | 2.07 |
Year built
| Era | % |
|---|---|
| 2020 or later | 0.6% |
| 2010–2019 | 13.4% |
| 2000–2009 | 11.8% |
| 1990–1999 | 16.3% |
| 1980–1989 | 17.9% |
| 1970–1979 | 11.2% |
| 1960–1969 | 8.0% |
| 1950–1959 | 9.6% |
| 1940–1949 | 4.3% |
| 1939 or earlier | 6.9% |
Bedrooms
| Size | % of units |
|---|---|
| No bedroom (studio) | 5.0% |
| 1 bedroom | 13.3% |
| 2 bedrooms | 37.3% |
| 3 bedrooms | 34.5% |
| 4 bedrooms | 8.3% |
| 5+ bedrooms | 1.6% |
Vehicles per household
| Vehicles | % of households |
|---|---|
| No vehicle | 8.6% |
| 1 vehicle | 41.2% |
| 2 vehicles | 35.1% |
| 3 or more | 15.2% |
Heating fuel
| Fuel type | % |
|---|---|
| Utility gas | 10.6% |
| Electricity | 86.6% |
| Propane / LP gas | 1.6% |
| Fuel oil | 0.4% |
| No fuel used | 0.6% |
Households & families
| Household type | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Married-couple family | 5,069 | 28.0% |
| Cohabiting couple | 1,520 | 8.4% |
| Male householder, no spouse | 4,321 | 23.9% |
| Female householder, no spouse | 7,169 | 39.7% |
| Households with children under 18 | 2,760 | 15.3% |
| Households with seniors (65+) | 3,664 | 20.3% |
| Average household size | 1.97 | |
Marital status
| Status | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Never married | 55.6% | 54.6% |
| Married | 33.7% | 27.4% |
| Separated | 0.8% | 2.8% |
| Widowed | 1.4% | 5.9% |
| Divorced | 8.5% | 9.4% |
Education
Less than 9th grade
2.6%
Some HS, no diploma
3.5%
HS graduate
17.8%
Some college, no degree
18.5%
Associate's degree
10.9%
Bachelor's degree
31.4%
Graduate / professional
15.3%
| Metric | % |
|---|---|
| HS diploma or higher | 93.9% |
| Bachelor's or higher | 46.7% |
School enrollment (ages 3–17)
| Type | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Nursery / preschool | 526 | 3.8% |
| Kindergarten | 122 | 0.9% |
| Elementary school | 2,054 | 14.8% |
| High school | 995 | 7.2% |
| College / grad school | 10,212 | 73.4% |
Employment
Industry of employment
Education & healthcare
24.4%
Arts, food & hospitality
16.2%
Professional & management
13.5%
Retail trade
12.6%
Other services
7.2%
Finance & real estate
6.6%
Manufacturing
5.1%
Construction
4.5%
Information
3.0%
Transportation & utilities
2.6%
Wholesale trade
2.0%
Public administration
2.0%
Agriculture & mining
0.3%
Occupation
| Category | % |
|---|---|
| Management, business & arts | 43.6% |
| Service | 22.0% |
| Sales & office | 20.6% |
| Natural resources & construction | 5.6% |
| Production & transportation | 8.2% |
Employment type
| Type | % |
|---|---|
| Private sector | 79.0% |
| Government | 11.9% |
| Self-employed | 8.6% |
| Unpaid family workers | 0.5% |
Commute
| Method | % |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 73.8% |
| Carpool | 8.0% |
| Public transit | 0.6% |
| Walk | 3.6% |
| Work from home | 11.7% |
| Other means | 2.4% |
| Avg commute (minutes) | 16.8 |
Poverty
All people
24.4%
Under 18 years
21.6%
18 and over
24.8%
Married-couple families
3.8%
Female-led households
36.8%
Income support
| Source | % of households |
|---|---|
| Social Security | 21.7% |
| Retirement income | 16.4% |
| Supplemental Security | 3.4% |
| Cash public assistance | 1.4% |
| Food stamps / SNAP | 7.7% |
Health indicators
| Condition | % |
|---|---|
| Obesity | 26.4% |
| High blood pressure | 27.0% |
| High cholesterol | 27.0% |
| Diabetes | 7.5% |
| Heart disease | 4.8% |
| Stroke | 2.5% |
| Asthma | 10.0% |
| Arthritis | 18.6% |
| Kidney disease | 2.5% |
| Pulmonary disease | 5.5% |
| Cancer | 4.7% |
| Behavior / access | % |
|---|---|
| Smoking | 16.3% |
| Binge drinking | 19.6% |
| No physical activity | 19.9% |
| Less than 7 hrs sleep | 28.6% |
| Depression | 23.5% |
| Fair or poor health | 12.0% |
| Poor mental health | 16.6% |
| Poor physical health | 9.1% |
| No health insurance | 17.6% |
| Visited doctor (checkup) | 75.0% |
| Visited dentist | 60.2% |
| Cholesterol screening | 83.2% |
| Teeth loss | 13.1% |
Veterans & disability
| Veterans | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Civilian veterans | 1,679 | 4.8% |
| Disability | % |
|---|---|
| Any disability | 9.4% |
| Under 18 | 1.4% |
| 18–64 years | 7.4% |
| 65 and over | 29.1% |
Health insurance coverage
| Type | % |
|---|---|
| Private insurance | 74.4% |
| Public insurance | 24.6% |
| No insurance | 11.6% |
| Uninsured under 19 | 3.8% |
Language & origin
Language spoken at home (age 5+)
| Language | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| English only | 38,383 | 96.9% |
| Spanish | 1,012 | 2.6% |
| Other Indo-European | 424 | 1.1% |
| Asian & Pacific Islander | 258 | 0.7% |
| Other languages | 233 | 0.6% |
Place of birth & citizenship
| Origin | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Native born (US) | 37,596 | 94.9% |
| Born in same state | 36,928 | 93.2% |
| Born in different state | 20,675 | 52.2% |
| Foreign born | 668 | 1.7% |
| Naturalized citizen | 2,032 | 5.1% |
| Not a US citizen | 910 | 44.8% |
Ancestry
| Ancestry | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| French | 4,569 | 11.5% |
| Italian | 3,944 | 10% |
| Arab | 1,582 | 4% |
| English | 393 | 1% |
| German | 251 | 0.6% |
| Ancestry | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Irish | 224 | 0.6% |
| Polish | 128 | 0.3% |
| Dutch | 56 | 0.1% |
| Norwegian | 22 | 0.1% |
Technology access
| Metric | % of households |
|---|---|
| Computer access | 45.6% |
| Internet access | 96.2% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.
Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 28403
What city is ZIP code 28403 in?
ZIP code 28403 is primarily assigned to Wilmington, North Carolina.
What county is ZIP code 28403 in?
ZIP code 28403 falls within New Hanover County, North Carolina.
Is ZIP code 28403 mostly rentals?
64% of occupied units in ZIP code 28403 are renter-occupied.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 28403?
24% of residents in ZIP code 28403 live below the poverty line, above the national average.
How educated is the population of ZIP code 28403?
47% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — well above the national average of ~33%, reflecting a highly educated population.
What is the population of ZIP code 28403?
ZIP code 28403 has an estimated population of 39,628 residents, with a density of 2,825 people per square mile.
What timezone is ZIP code 28403 in?
ZIP code 28403 observes the EST timezone.