28480 ZIP Code — Wrightsville Beach, NC

New Hanover County, North Carolina

ZIP code 28480 is located in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, within New Hanover County. It covers approximately 3.90 square miles and serves a population of 2,899 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 910.

About ZIP code 28480

The housing stock consists of a mix of housing types. Most homes were built in the 1970s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $973,800. Owner-occupancy is high at 78%, well above the national average.

The gap between median ($121,417) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. The poverty rate of 7% 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 17 minutes is near the national average. Remote work is prevalent — 21% of workers work from home.

Educational attainment is high — 72% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher, well above the national average of 33%.

Overall, ZIP code 28480 reflects a community defined by a highly educated population, high homeownership, a high rate of remote workers, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

2,899

population

3.90

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

28480 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 28480

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 28480. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Wrightsville Beach	Acceptable
Wrightsville Beach	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

28403 Wilmington (4.4 mi) 28405 Wilmington (5.3 mi) 28411 Wilmington (5.3 mi) 28409 Wilmington (6.8 mi) 28410 Wilmington (8.7 mi) 28412 Wilmington (9.6 mi) 28429 Castle Hayne (10.3 mi) 28401 Wilmington (10.6 mi) 28428 Carolina Beach (13.9 mi) 28443 Hampstead (16.9 mi) 28451 Leland (17.9 mi) 28479 Winnabow (18.3 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	2,899
Population density	743 / sq mi
State FIPS	37
County FIPS	129

Geography
Land area	3.90 sq mi
Water area	1.51 sq mi
Latitude	34.2169
Longitude	-77.7933
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	28.5%	44.1%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	17.9%	29.4%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	29.6%	19.3%	19.1%
Over $200k	24.1%	7.2%	6.0%

Demographics & statistics

2,899

Population

743

People per sq mi

52.8

Median age

$121,417

Median household income

$86,781

Per capita income

$973,800

Median home value

$2,013

Median monthly rent

77.7%

Home ownership

6.8%

Poverty rate

1.2%

Unemployment

2,555

Housing units

72.1%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

15–19

175

20–24

132

104

25–34

159

35–44

120

244

45–54

184

147

55–59

111

166

60–64

126

279

65–74

211

133

75–84

100

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	363	12.5%
18 and over	2,536	87.5%
65 and over	748	25.8%
Median age	52.8 years

Race & ethnicity

White 95.9%

Two or more races 1.7%

Black or African American 1.4%

Hispanic or Latino 0.6%

Asian 0.2%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	2,797	95.9%
Two or more races	51	1.7%
Black or African American	40	1.4%
Hispanic or Latino	17	0.6%
Asian	7	0.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native	4	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	28.5%	44.1%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	17.9%	29.4%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	29.6%	19.3%	19.1%
Over $200k	24.1%	7.2%	6.0%

Under $10k 1.6%

$10k–$15k 2.9%

$15k–$25k 8.8%

$25k–$35k 1.9%

$35k–$50k 4.0%

$50k–$75k 13.8%

$75k–$100k 8.7%

$100k–$150k 15.7%

$150k–$200k 5.7%

$200k+ 36.8%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	1.6%
$10k–$15k	2.9%
$15k–$25k	8.8%
$25k–$35k	1.9%
$35k–$50k	4.0%
$50k–$75k	13.8%
$75k–$100k	8.7%
$100k–$150k	15.7%
$150k–$200k	5.7%
$200k+	36.8%
Median income	$121,417

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 3.0%

$50k–$100k 0.8%

$100k–$150k 1.4%

$200k–$300k 1.4%

$300k–$500k 10.0%

$500k–$1M 35.9%

$1M+ 47.5%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$973,800
Median rent / month	$2,013
Owner occupied	77.7%
Renter occupied	22.3%
Vacant	53.0%
Single-family detached	45.9%
Large apartment buildings	10.6%
Mobile homes	0.5%
Median rooms	5.7
Avg household size (owned)	2.09

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.5%
2010–2019	3.2%
2000–2009	11.0%
1990–1999	9.3%
1980–1989	21.2%
1970–1979	24.2%
1960–1969	5.4%
1950–1959	12.6%
1940–1949	4.2%
1939 or earlier	8.4%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.2%
1 bedroom	2.9%
2 bedrooms	20.8%
3 bedrooms	43.0%
4 bedrooms	22.0%
5+ bedrooms	11.0%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	0.4%
1 vehicle	38.3%
2 vehicles	36.4%
3 or more	24.9%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	1.2%
Electricity	94.5%
Propane / LP gas	2.9%
Fuel oil	0.4%
Wood	1.0%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	692	51.6%
Cohabiting couple	80	6.0%
Male householder, no spouse	349	26.0%
Female householder, no spouse	220	16.4%
Households with children under 18	211	15.7%
Households with seniors (65+)	519	38.7%
Average household size	2.12

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	40.9%	22.6%
Married	47.5%	65.4%
Separated	2.4%	0.0%
Widowed	2.1%	8.0%
Divorced	7.1%	4.0%

Education

Less than 9th grade 0.8%

Some HS, no diploma 0.4%

HS graduate 11.2%

Some college, no degree 9.2%

Associate's degree 6.3%

Bachelor's degree 48.8%

Graduate / professional 23.3%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	98.8%
Bachelor's or higher	72.1%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	24	4.2%
Kindergarten	44	7.7%
Elementary school	196	34.3%
High school	74	12.9%
College / grad school	234	40.9%

Employment

Industry of employment

Finance & real estate 16.8%

Education & healthcare 16.5%

Professional & management 14.6%

Arts, food & hospitality 11.6%

Construction 11.0%

Manufacturing 8.9%

Retail trade 8.0%

Information 3.9%

Transportation & utilities 2.6%

Public administration 2.0%

Agriculture & mining 1.5%

Wholesale trade 1.5%

Other services 1.3%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	58.8%
Service	5.9%
Sales & office	24.6%
Natural resources & construction	5.2%
Production & transportation	5.5%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	77.6%
Government	6.1%
Self-employed	16.4%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	73.4%
Carpool	3.4%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.9%
Work from home	20.8%
Other means	1.5%
Avg commute (minutes)	16.5

Poverty

All people 6.8%

Under 18 years 0.0%

18 and over 7.7%

Married-couple families 0.0%

Female-led households 0.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	35.0%
Retirement income	22.7%
Supplemental Security	0.5%
Cash public assistance	0.0%
Food stamps / SNAP	1.0%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	20.9%
High blood pressure	24.7%
High cholesterol	29.3%
Diabetes	5.9%
Heart disease	4.2%
Stroke	1.8%
Asthma	7.8%
Arthritis	17.8%
Kidney disease	2.0%
Pulmonary disease	3.6%
Cancer	5.8%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	9.4%
Binge drinking	21.7%
No physical activity	12.0%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	23.3%
Depression	19.7%
Fair or poor health	6.4%
Poor mental health	11.7%
Poor physical health	6.0%
No health insurance	10.1%
Visited doctor (checkup)	74.5%
Visited dentist	75.8%
Cholesterol screening	89.6%
Teeth loss	6.1%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	119	4.8%

Disability	%
Any disability	5.1%
Under 18	0.6%
18–64 years	0.3%
65 and over	18.4%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	87.7%
Public insurance	26.3%
No insurance	3.4%
Uninsured under 19	0.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	2,859	98.6%
Spanish	18	0.6%
Other Indo-European	6	0.2%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	12	0.4%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	2,776	95.8%
Born in same state	2,746	94.7%
Born in different state	1,449	50.0%
Foreign born	30	1.0%
Naturalized citizen	123	4.2%
Not a US citizen	96	78.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	529	18.2%
Italian	359	12.4%
Arab	132	4.6%
English	90	3.1%

Ancestry	Count	%
German	47	1.6%
Irish	6	0.2%
Polish	6	0.2%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	46.3%
Internet access	98.9%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 28480

What city is ZIP code 28480 in?

ZIP code 28480 is primarily assigned to Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina.

What county is ZIP code 28480 in?

ZIP code 28480 falls within New Hanover County, North Carolina.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 28480?

72% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — well above the national average of ~33%, reflecting a highly educated population.

Does ZIP code 28480 have an older population?

26% of residents in ZIP code 28480 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 28480?

The median home value in ZIP code 28480 is $973,800.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 28480?

The median household income in ZIP code 28480 is $121,417, above the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 28480 in?

ZIP code 28480 observes the EST timezone.