Postal Codes

28401 ZIP Code

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ZIP code 28401 covers Wilmington, North Carolina, with a population of about 21,820 and a median household income of $52,159.

Population
21,820704 per square mile
Median age
41.62.9 points above the US average
Median household income
$52,15925% below the North Carolina median
Poverty rate
22.1%9.7 points above the US average
Typical home value
$332,931up 28.8% in five years
Median rent
$1,183about the North Carolina median
Degree or higher
33.7%1.3 points below the US average
Homeownership
40.5%24.5 points below the US average
Time zone
Eastern UTC-05:00observes daylight saving time
Businesses
1,393

Where 28401 is

Wilmington, North Carolina — the area the Census Bureau draws for this ZIP code. ZIP codes are sets of delivery routes rather than areas, so this is the Census approximation of one, not a Postal Service boundary.

People and households

American Community Survey 2019–2023 five-year estimates

Population21,820
Median age41.6
Family households41.1%
Born outside the US5.9%
Speaks a language other than English at home8.9%
White (non-Hispanic)51.9%
Black (non-Hispanic)32.6%
Asian (non-Hispanic)0.6%
Hispanic or Latino9.3%
Veterans4.3%
Population by age
MaleFemale0-45-910-1415-1920-2425-3435-4445-5455-6465-7475-8485+
Income and poverty

American Community Survey 2019–2023 five-year estimates

Median household income$52,159
Income per person$36,582
Poverty rate22.1%
Households on SNAP or cash assistance23.9%

Household income distribution

Under $10k9.9%
$10–15k7.9%
$15–20k6.1%
$20–25k5.1%
$25–30k3.6%
$30–35k4.5%
$35–40k4.2%
$40–45k3.6%
$45–50k3.6%
$50–60k7.1%
$60–75k9.3%
$75–100k11.4%
$100–125k8.3%
$125–150k7.2%
$150–200k4.8%
$200k or more3.5%

Income as declared to the IRS

Filed returns rather than survey responses, so this counts tax units and not households.

Tax returns filed10,790
Mean adjusted gross income$60,284
Returns declaring $200,000 or more3.8%
Returns, under $25k35.0%
Returns, $25k–$50k28.9%
Returns, $50k–$75k14.6%
Returns, $75k–$100k7.5%
Returns, $100k–$200k10.2%
Returns, $200k or more3.8%
Housing

American Community Survey 2019–2023 five-year estimates

Median home value$263,000
Median gross rent$1,183
Rent as a share of household income32%
Owner-occupied40.5%
Vacant homes17.2%
Median year built1954

What the homes are

Detached house54.3%
Attached house3.4%
2 to 4 units16.4%
5 to 19 units10.2%
20 or more units13.6%
Mobile home2.1%
Boat, RV or van0.1%
Home values and rents today

Zillow Home Value Index and Zillow Observed Rent Index, courtesy of Zillow. Monthly and current, where the Census figures above are a five-year average and are capped at $2,000,000.

Typical home value$332,931as of 2026-07
Typical home value, 1 yeardown 1.3%
Typical home value, 5 yearsup 28.8%
Typical home value, 10 yearsup 129.8%
Typical asking rent$1,647as of 2026-07
Typical asking rent, 1 yearup 3.3%
Typical asking rent, 5 yearsup 27.1%
Typical asking rent, 10 yearsup 106.8%
Typical home value since 2000
200320142026$347,824$109,875

$109,875 in 2003 to $332,931 in 2026.

Typical asking rent
201620212026$1,647$796

$796 in 2016 to $1,647 in 2026.

Work, commuting and education

American Community Survey 2019–2023 five-year estimates

Unemployment rate5.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher33.7%
High school diploma or higher88.3%
Works from home19.6%
Drives to work alone64.5%
Takes public transport0.9%
Commutes 45 minutes or more3.5%
Health

CDC PLACES 2025 release, model-based estimates. These are modelled small-area estimates for adults, not counts of diagnosed cases.

Obesity38.5% 5.1 pts above the national average of 33.4%
Diagnosed diabetes15.3% 3.3 pts above the national average of 12%
Currently smokes17.3% 4.1 pts above the national average of 13.2%
High blood pressure41.5% 7.4 pts above the national average of 34.1%
Fair or poor general health24.8% 4.5 pts above the national average of 20.3%
No health insurance (18–64)12.3% 1 pts above the national average of 11.3%
Depression24.8% 2.9 pts above the national average of 21.9%
No leisure-time physical activity29.2% 3.8 pts above the national average of 25.4%
Arthritis29.5% 4.4 pts above the national average of 25.1%
Binge drinking15.6% same as the national average of 16%
Taking blood pressure medication77.3% 2.6 pts above the national average of 74.7%
Cancer (non-skin)7.2% 0.5 pts below the national average of 7.7%
Current asthma11.9% 1.5 pts above the national average of 10.4%
Coronary heart disease7.8% 1.6 pts above the national average of 6.2%
Routine check-up in past year80.3% 3.6 pts above the national average of 76.7%
Cholesterol screening86% same as the national average of 85.9%
Cognitive disability17.9% 3.1 pts above the national average of 14.8%
Colorectal screening65.1% 0.8 pts above the national average of 64.3%
COPD9.2% 2.6 pts above the national average of 6.6%
Visited a dentist55.3% 6 pts below the national average of 61.3%
Any disability37.9% 7.2 pts above the national average of 30.7%
Lacks emotional support24.4% same as the national average of 24.8%
Food insecurity23.1% 6 pts above the national average of 17.1%
Received food stamps22.9% 8.6 pts above the national average of 14.3%
Hearing disability7.7% 1 pts above the national average of 6.7%
High cholesterol37.5% 1.3 pts above the national average of 36.2%
Housing insecurity17.4% 3.6 pts above the national average of 13.8%
Independent living disability11.1% 2.7 pts above the national average of 8.4%
Lacks transport12.5% 3.3 pts above the national average of 9.2%
Loneliness34.6% same as the national average of 34.4%
Mammography use77.9% 2 pts above the national average of 75.9%
Poor mental health (14+ days)18.7% 1.9 pts above the national average of 16.8%
Mobility disability18.5% 4.5 pts above the national average of 14%
Poor physical health (14+ days)14.8% 1.3 pts above the national average of 13.5%
Self-care disability6.1% 2.1 pts above the national average of 4%
Utility shut-off threat13.2% 4.4 pts above the national average of 8.8%
Sleeps under 7 hours37.9% 1.5 pts above the national average of 36.4%
Stroke4.9% 1.5 pts above the national average of 3.4%
All natural teeth lost23.4% 10.4 pts above the national average of 13%
Vision disability7.9% 2.3 pts above the national average of 5.6%
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Business and employment

Census ZIP Code Business Patterns 2022

Business establishments1,393
People employed31,418
Annual payroll$2,244,832,000
Natural hazard risk

FEMA National Risk Index, estimated for this ZIP code from census tract data — the NRI is not published per ZIP.

Overall riskHigher than 88.6% of US census tracts
FEMA ratingRelatively Moderate to Very High across the 14 census tracts this ZIP code covers
Expected annual loss86.2 out of 100
Community resilience77.7 out of 100

By hazard

Score is out of 100 and is the area-weighted average across the census tracts this ZIP code covers. The rating beside it is the highest any one of those tracts carries.

Hurricane98.4Very High at its worst in this ZIP code
Lightning91.1Very High at its worst in this ZIP code
Winter weather90.2Relatively High at its worst in this ZIP code
Coastal flooding88.5Very High at its worst in this ZIP code
Wildfire83Relatively Moderate at its worst in this ZIP code
Ice storm80.3Relatively High at its worst in this ZIP code
Drought66.9Relatively Low at its worst in this ZIP code
Tornado66.5Relatively High at its worst in this ZIP code
River flooding60.9Relatively High at its worst in this ZIP code
Landslide60.8Very Low at its worst in this ZIP code
Earthquake58.3Relatively Moderate at its worst in this ZIP code
Heat wave51.2Relatively Moderate at its worst in this ZIP code
Strong wind49.1Relatively Moderate at its worst in this ZIP code
Cold wave42.2Relatively Moderate at its worst in this ZIP code
Hail33.2Relatively Low at its worst in this ZIP code
Compared with North Carolina and the United States

State and national columns are figures for those areas, not for this ZIP code. American Community Survey 2019–2023 five-year estimates

This ZIPNorth CarolinaUnited States
Median household income$52,159$69,904$78,538
Income per person$36,582$39,616$43,289
Poverty rate22.1%13.2%12.4%
Median home value$263,000$259,400$303,400
Median gross rent$1,183$1,162$1,348
Homeownership40.5%66.4%65%
Bachelor's degree or higher33.7%34.7%35%
Unemployment rate5.8%4.8%5.2%
Works from home19.6%14.5%13.5%
Born outside the US5.9%8.7%13.9%
Median age41.639.138.7
Climate

NOAA US Climate Normals 1991-2020, from the nearest weather station with a full year of records. The station and its distance are named above, because a station forty kilometres away describes somewhere else.

Weather stationWILMINGTON INTL AP, NC US6.2 km away
Rain in a year60 in
Snow in a year1 in

Average high and low by month

January57.2°F / 36.3°F3.81 in rain, 0.7 in snow
February60.3°F / 38.4°F3.47 in rain, 0.2 in snow
March66.5°F / 44.1°F3.97 in rain
April74.6°F / 52.6°F3.07 in rain
May81.1°F / 61.1°F4.54 in rain
June87°F / 69.3°F5.67 in rain
July90°F / 73°F6.86 in rain
August88.3°F / 71.7°F8.16 in rain
September83.9°F / 66.7°F8.69 in rain
October76.1°F / 55.6°F4.66 in rain
November67.4°F / 44.8°F3.56 in rain
December60.3°F / 39.1°F3.69 in rain
Access to food

USDA Food Access Research Atlas, estimated for this ZIP code from census tract data. Each figure is the share of the ZIP code's land area that falls in a tract carrying that flag.

Low income and far from a supermarket10% of this ZIP code's area
Far from a supermarket10% of this ZIP code's area
No vehicle and far from a supermarket9% of this ZIP code's area
School districts

NCES Geographic Relationship File 2025, which states the association between each district and each ZIP code tabulation area directly. Elementary and secondary districts can cover the same ground, so shares need not total 100%.

This ZIP code is served by 2 school districts, so the address decides which one, not the ZIP code.

New Hanover County Schools78.2% of this ZIP code's land area
Pender County Schools21.8% of this ZIP code's land area
Community and walkability

CDC/ATSDR Social Vulnerability Index 2022 and the EPA National Walkability Index, both estimated for this ZIP code from census tract data. Vulnerability figures are national percentile ranks, not measurements.

Overall social vulnerability68more vulnerable than 68% of US census tracts
Socioeconomic status69more vulnerable than 69% of US census tracts
Household characteristics56more vulnerable than 56% of US census tracts
Racial and ethnic minority status48more vulnerable than 48% of US census tracts
Housing type and transport68more vulnerable than 68% of US census tracts
Walkability7.5 out of 20Below average
Nearby ZIP codes

The closest ZIP codes by centre point, which is not the same as sharing a border.

28404 Wilmington, NC0 km away
28408 Wilmington, NC0 km away
28403 Wilmington, NC5.4 km away
28412 Wilmington, NC8.1 km away
28405 Wilmington, NC8.4 km away
28409 Wilmington, NC9.4 km away
28429 Castle Hayne, NC11.3 km away
28451 Leland, NC11.4 km away
Location, counties and time zone

County shares from Census 2020 ZCTA relationship files. Time zone from the USDOT National Transportation Atlas, which renders the boundaries written into 49 CFR Part 71.

New Hanover County78.2% of this ZIP code's land area
Pender County21.8% of this ZIP code's land area
Time zoneEastern (UTC-05:00 standard)
Daylight saving timeObserved
Land area30.99 sq mi
Water area5.32 sq mi
Population density704 people per sq mi
Latitude, longitude34.2257, -77.9447

Figures are published for this ZIP code or its Census tabulation area unless a section says otherwise. Estimates whose margin of error made them unreliable are omitted rather than shown. Sources: US Census Bureau, CDC, IRS.

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