28409 ZIP Code — Wilmington, NC

New Hanover County, North Carolina

ZIP code 28409 is located in Wilmington, North Carolina, within New Hanover County. It covers approximately 22.41 square miles and serves a population of 34,397 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 910.

About ZIP code 28409

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 $360,500. Owner-occupancy is high at 83%, well above the national average.

The gap between median ($101,796) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. The poverty rate of 4% is below the national average. 35% 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 21 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is high — 51% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher, well above the national average of 33%.

Overall, ZIP code 28409 reflects a community defined by a highly educated population, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

34,397

population

22.41

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

28409 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 28409

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 28409. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Wilmington	Acceptable
Wilmington	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

28412 Wilmington (3.8 mi) 28403 Wilmington (6.2 mi) 28480 Wrightsville Beach (6.8 mi) 28428 Carolina Beach (7.2 mi) 28410 Wilmington (8.2 mi) 28405 Wilmington (9.5 mi) 28401 Wilmington (11.2 mi) 28411 Wilmington (11.6 mi) 28449 Kure Beach (11.9 mi) 28479 Winnabow (13.4 mi) 28429 Castle Hayne (14.3 mi) 28461 Southport (15.9 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	34,397
Population density	1,535 / sq mi
State FIPS	37
County FIPS	129

Geography
Land area	22.41 sq mi
Water area	5.13 sq mi
Latitude	34.1337
Longitude	-77.8554
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	27.4%	44.1%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	28.2%	29.4%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	31.5%	19.3%	19.1%
Over $200k	12.8%	7.2%	6.0%

Demographics & statistics

34,397

Population

1,535

People per sq mi

43.8

Median age

$101,796

Median household income

$51,721

Per capita income

$360,500

Median home value

$1,382

Median monthly rent

82.6%

Home ownership

3.9%

Poverty rate

3.7%

Unemployment

12,044

Housing units

50.6%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

954

Under 5

1,015

1,098

5–9

1,169

965

10–14

1,026

1,090

15–19

1,160

781

20–24

831

1,310

25–34

1,394

2,466

35–44

2,624

2,508

45–54

2,668

982

55–59

1,044

1,302

60–64

1,385

1,891

65–74

2,011

913

75–84

972

406

85+

432

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	7,802	22.7%
18 and over	26,595	77.3%
65 and over	6,625	19.3%
Median age	43.8 years

Race & ethnicity

White 86.5%

Two or more races 4.2%

Hispanic or Latino 3.4%

Black or African American 2.8%

Other race 1.5%

Asian 0.9%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%

Group	Count	%
White	30,829	86.5%
Two or more races	1,487	4.2%
Hispanic or Latino	1,227	3.4%
Black or African American	990	2.8%
Other race	537	1.5%
Asian	335	0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native	219	0.6%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	27.4%	44.1%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	28.2%	29.4%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	31.5%	19.3%	19.1%
Over $200k	12.8%	7.2%	6.0%

Under $10k 3.2%

$10k–$15k 1.8%

$15k–$25k 6.0%

$25k–$35k 4.0%

$35k–$50k 8.5%

$50k–$75k 15.2%

$75k–$100k 10.9%

$100k–$150k 21.1%

$150k–$200k 12.7%

$200k+ 16.7%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	3.2%
$10k–$15k	1.8%
$15k–$25k	6.0%
$25k–$35k	4.0%
$35k–$50k	8.5%
$50k–$75k	15.2%
$75k–$100k	10.9%
$100k–$150k	21.1%
$150k–$200k	12.7%
$200k+	16.7%
Median income	$101,796

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 1.5%

$50k–$100k 0.9%

$100k–$150k 1.9%

$150k–$200k 6.5%

$200k–$300k 23.9%

$300k–$500k 43.8%

$500k–$1M 16.6%

$1M+ 4.9%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$360,500
Median rent / month	$1,382
Owner occupied	82.6%
Renter occupied	17.4%
Vacant	5.0%
Single-family detached	89.3%
Large apartment buildings	1.8%
Mobile homes	2.1%
Median rooms	6.9
Avg household size (owned)	2.53

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	1.1%
2010–2019	13.0%
2000–2009	15.1%
1990–1999	22.8%
1980–1989	20.5%
1970–1979	15.4%
1960–1969	8.4%
1950–1959	1.9%
1940–1949	1.1%
1939 or earlier	0.7%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.4%
1 bedroom	0.7%
2 bedrooms	8.6%
3 bedrooms	53.1%
4 bedrooms	30.0%
5+ bedrooms	7.2%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	3.6%
1 vehicle	23.0%
2 vehicles	46.6%
3 or more	26.8%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	5.7%
Electricity	88.9%
Propane / LP gas	3.7%
Fuel oil	0.5%
No fuel used	0.7%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	8,365	61.0%
Cohabiting couple	809	5.9%
Male householder, no spouse	1,683	12.3%
Female householder, no spouse	2,866	20.9%
Households with children under 18	4,198	30.6%
Households with seniors (65+)	4,656	33.9%
Average household size	2.50

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	26.0%	18.6%
Married	63.2%	59.2%
Separated	0.8%	1.4%
Widowed	2.9%	8.8%
Divorced	7.1%	11.9%

Education

Less than 9th grade 1.1%

Some HS, no diploma 2.7%

HS graduate 14.1%

Some college, no degree 19.4%

Associate's degree 12.1%

Bachelor's degree 30.4%

Graduate / professional 20.2%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	96.2%
Bachelor's or higher	50.6%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	832	10.0%
Kindergarten	383	4.6%
Elementary school	3,168	38.2%
High school	2,167	26.1%
College / grad school	1,754	21.1%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 28.0%

Professional & management 13.4%

Arts, food & hospitality 10.0%

Retail trade 9.2%

Finance & real estate 8.7%

Manufacturing 7.6%

Construction 6.4%

Other services 4.3%

Public administration 3.7%

Transportation & utilities 3.2%

Information 2.8%

Wholesale trade 2.5%

Agriculture & mining 0.2%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	51.5%
Service	13.5%
Sales & office	21.1%
Natural resources & construction	7.1%
Production & transportation	6.7%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	80.4%
Government	13.4%
Self-employed	5.7%
Unpaid family workers	0.5%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	79.2%
Carpool	5.2%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.3%
Work from home	15.1%
Other means	0.2%
Avg commute (minutes)	21.1

Poverty

All people 3.9%

Under 18 years 1.8%

18 and over 4.5%

Married-couple families 1.8%

Female-led households 7.6%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	35.2%
Retirement income	29.9%
Supplemental Security	2.2%
Cash public assistance	1.2%
Food stamps / SNAP	2.6%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	25.1%
High blood pressure	31.9%
High cholesterol	35.0%
Diabetes	8.5%
Heart disease	5.7%
Stroke	2.6%
Asthma	8.3%
Arthritis	23.9%
Kidney disease	2.6%
Pulmonary disease	5.4%
Cancer	7.1%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	13.2%
Binge drinking	17.9%
No physical activity	16.2%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	26.1%
Depression	20.1%
Fair or poor health	9.5%
Poor mental health	11.9%
Poor physical health	8.3%
No health insurance	12.2%
Visited doctor (checkup)	77.3%
Visited dentist	71.5%
Cholesterol screening	92.5%
Teeth loss	8.5%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	2,432	9.2%

Disability	%
Any disability	10.8%
Under 18	2.6%
18–64 years	7.0%
65 and over	31.7%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	84.5%
Public insurance	25.9%
No insurance	5.8%
Uninsured under 19	6.5%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	32,428	94.3%
Spanish	400	1.2%
Other Indo-European	279	0.9%
Asian & Pacific Islander	64	0.2%
Other languages	43	0.1%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	33,217	96.6%
Born in same state	32,928	95.7%
Born in different state	15,890	46.2%
Foreign born	289	0.8%
Naturalized citizen	1,180	3.4%
Not a US citizen	702	59.5%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	6,175	18%
Italian	4,217	12.3%
Arab	1,821	5.3%
Polish	672	2%
English	423	1.2%

Ancestry	Count	%
Dutch	266	0.8%
Irish	132	0.4%
Norwegian	115	0.3%
German	104	0.3%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	39.9%
Internet access	97.7%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 28409

What city is ZIP code 28409 in?

ZIP code 28409 is primarily assigned to Wilmington, North Carolina.

What county is ZIP code 28409 in?

ZIP code 28409 falls within New Hanover County, North Carolina.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 28409?

51% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — well above the national average of ~33%, reflecting a highly educated population.

Is ZIP code 28409 mostly owner-occupied?

83% of occupied units in ZIP code 28409 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 28409?

The median home value in ZIP code 28409 is $360,500.

Does ZIP code 28409 have a large retiree population?

35% of households in ZIP code 28409 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What timezone is ZIP code 28409 in?

ZIP code 28409 observes the EST timezone.