State profile · NC
North Carolina ZIP Codes
Demographics, income, and housing across every ZIP code in North Carolina, benchmarked against all 50 states, DC and Puerto Rico.
- 808
- ZIP codes
- 9,535,477
- Population
- $69,165
- Avg ZIP income
- 100
- Counties
The verdict
Texas leads ZIP coverage at 1,935 ZCTAs (#1 of 52). That is not the income board: New Jersey's unweighted average ZIP household income is $121,992 (#1 of 52) on 595 ZCTAs. North Carolina sits #13 of 52 by ZIP count at income #40.
- Texas
- ZIP-count #1 (1,935)
- New Jersey
- income #1 ($121,992)
- #13
- of 52 by ZIP count
- #40
- of 52 by avg income
ZIP-count and income are separate boards among 52 reporting states and territories. Income is the unweighted mean of each ZIP's ACS 2019–2023 median household income, so a rural code counts the same as a dense metro.
Mid-to-lower income footing ($69,165) on a substantial ZIP map (808 codes · population 9,535,477). Home values average $259,491. Cost-of-living questions belong at county and ZIP scale here: the state average mixes unlike labor markets. Start from the most populous counties, then drop to a thin-edge ZIP to see whether the mean is a real center or a blend.
Population is dispersed across many cities (largest share ~8% in Charlotte). No single metro owns the narrative: scan the largest-cities chart for several peers, then pick counties from different regions before drilling to ZIP detail. Unweighted ZIP averages are especially noisy on this dispersed map.
A mid-breadth ZIP set is small enough that city pages and the top-12 ZIP RankBars cover most contrast. Use county drill-downs when two metros sit in different economic zones; otherwise jump straight from this profile to a ZIP compare.
Largest cities in North Carolina
Top 10 cities by population in North Carolina
Total resident population aggregated from every ZIP code the Census assigns to each city.
- Charlotte
Charlotte, NC
790,689 residents
- Raleigh
Raleigh, NC
489,514 residents
- Greensboro 305,168
Greensboro, NC
305,168 residents
- Durham 256,789
Durham, NC
256,789 residents
- Winston Salem 250,944
Winston Salem, NC
250,944 residents
- Fayetteville 238,602
Fayetteville, NC
238,602 residents
- Wilmington 186,140
Wilmington, NC
186,140 residents
- Cary 131,592
Cary, NC
131,592 residents
- Asheville 120,389
Asheville, NC
120,389 residents
- High Point 116,061
High Point, NC
116,061 residents
What this shows No single metro owns North Carolina: the top-10 cities share the map, and most of the 686 places are far smaller – use several peers before drilling to ZIP detail.
Counties in North Carolina
Which cities have the most ZIPs in North Carolina?
Side-by-side: Compare 28269 vs 27610 →
ZIP Codes in North Carolina
More NC ZIP codes
Official Data Resources for North Carolina
Cost-of-living reads should start with Census ACS household fields, then FBI UCR county context when safety inputs sit next to income in North Carolina.
Frequently Asked Questions
How should I navigate North Carolina's mid-breadth ZIP map?
With 808 ZIPs across 100 counties (population 9,535,477), city pages plus the top ZIP RankBars cover most contrast. Jump to a two-ZIP compare when two metros sit in different labor markets rather than scrolling the full list.
Why is North Carolina's average ZIP income a weak relocation signal by itself?
At $69,165, the state mean blends unlike county labor markets (homes average $259,491). Cost-of-living questions belong at county and ZIP scale: start from the most populous counties, then drop to a thin-edge ZIP to see whether the mean is a real center or a blend.
Why doesn't one city define North Carolina?
Population is dispersed (largest share ~8% in Charlotte). Scan several peers on the largest-cities chart, then pick counties from different regions before drilling to ZIP detail – unweighted ZIP averages are especially noisy on a dispersed map.
Take this with you
What to do with North Carolina's numbers, next.
- See how North Carolina compares to a neighboring state on the same Census fields Compare states
- Check where North Carolina's ZIP codes rank nationally on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
- Save a ZIP code to your shortlist to track alongside others you're considering View your shortlist
Figures describe 2019–2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates aggregated from ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs), Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes, not any single address.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023); USPS ZIP Code Tabulation Areas via the HUD USPS Crosswalk.
Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.