PlainZIP

Clayton, NC · standard

ZIP Code 27527

Johnston County, North Carolina - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.

18,216
161/sq mi
$115,035
Median income
$390,200
Median home value
47.0%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Clayton pairs an upper-quartile household income with upper-quartile home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

Top 11%
household income, US ZIPs
Top 22%
home value, US ZIPs
161
people per sq mi
81%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 27527 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 27527 is a mid-sized community (a standard USPS delivery area) in Clayton, Johnston County, North Carolina, home to 18,216 residents across 113.3 square miles, a density of 161 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.

ZIP 27527 skews affluent, with a median household income of $115,035 (66% above the North Carolina average), while per-capita income is $50,056. Local economic indicators show a 9.3% poverty rate alongside 3.4% unemployment. The typical home here is valued at $390,200 (50% above the state average); renters pay a median of $1,823 monthly, and 80.8% of units are owner-occupied.

A solid share of residents have a four-year degree: 47.0% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 35.7, and the average commute is 34 minutes. Beyond these figures, 5 nearby ZIP codes within about 10 miles are surfaced below, along with 6 more sharing Johnston County, letting you compare 27527 to its immediate surroundings rather than a national baseline alone.

Every figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (including median rent) and the FHFA House Price Index, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with Census →

Top industries in ZIP 27527

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Clayton, NC

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 27527.

establishments

What this shows Establishment counts come from the Census ZIP Code Business Patterns program, which counts physical business locations rather than employees or revenue.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) As of 2023

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 27527, Clayton, NC · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.

Quick Facts

18,216

Population

113.3

Area (sq mi)

161

People / sq mi

New York

Time Zone

standard

ZIP Type

Neighborhood Scorecard
Get an A-F grade across income, safety, housing, rent, education, commute, and childcare for this ZIP code.
View Scorecard →

Who lives in ZIP 27527?

35.7

Median Age

49.4%

Male

50.6%

Female

6.5%

Foreign-Born

White 63.5%
African American 18.0%
Asian 1.0%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.5%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 8.6%
Hispanic or Latino 14.1%

Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

How much do residents earn?

$115,035

Median Household Income

+66% vs state

$50,056

Per Capita Income

9.3%

Poverty Rate

3.4%

Unemployment Rate

33.9 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 27527 ranks nationally

Clayton, NC household income vs. every US ZIP code

Median household income, the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked

$115,035 Top 11% higher than 89% of 30,318 US ZIPs

$0–$20,000: 118 US ZIPs (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 1,573 US ZIPs (5%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 7,092 US ZIPs (23%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). Below this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). Below this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 2,855 US ZIPs (9%). This entry sits in this band. $120,000–$140,000: 1,362 US ZIPs (4%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 686 US ZIPs (2%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 364 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 186 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 324 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. This ZIP $0 $200K+ every reporting US ZIP, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US ZIPs. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2019–2023

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What is the education profile here?

High School Graduate or Higher 64.6%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 47.0%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What does housing look like?

14,294

Total Housing Units

13,846

Occupied Units

448

Vacant Units

2.84

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 80.8%
Renter 19.2%

$390,200

Median Home Value

+50% vs state

$1,823

Median Rent

2010

Median Year Built

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

How have home values changed over time?

FHFA House Price Index, annual appreciation data based on repeat sales and appraisals

+1.1%

YoY Change (2024)

231

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+131%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 27527 have increased 1.1% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +131% cumulative appreciation.

Year Annual Change HPI Index
2020 +3.2% 150
2021 +15.3% 172
2022 +29.7% 224
2023 +2.2% 229
2024 +1.1% 231

Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index, All-Transactions, Five-Digit ZIP Codes (Developmental Index). Index base = 100 in year 2000. Data through 2024. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 400 business establishments in ZIP 27527, employing approximately 5,363 people with a combined annual payroll of $346,680,000.

400

Businesses

5,363

Employees

$346.7M

Annual Payroll

15

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Construction 80 20.0%
Professional, scientific, and technical services 72 18.0%
Real estate and rental and leasing 35 8.8%
Health care and social assistance 30 7.5%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 28 7.0%
Other services (except public administration) 28 7.0%
Accommodation and food services 27 6.8%
Retail trade 26 6.5%
Finance and insurance 22 5.5%
Transportation and warehousing 16 4.0%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation 8 2.0%
Wholesale trade 6 1.5%
Information 6 1.5%
Educational services 6 1.5%
Manufacturing 5 1.3%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.

Nearby ZIP Codes

Want a side-by-side? Compare 27527 vs 27591 →

ZIP 27527 vs its nearest neighbors, by population

Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

residents

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 27527 ranks #4 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023

ZIP 27527 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income

Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

median income

What this shows By household income, ZIP 27527 ranks the highest of 6 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023
ZIP Code City Population Distance
27591 Wendell, NC 19,589 8.8 mi
27520 Clayton, NC 36,357 5.8 mi
27576 Selma, NC 17,091 8.8 mi
27545 Knightdale, NC 23,006 10.2 mi
27568 Pine Level, NC 480 13.0 mi

More ZIP Codes in Johnston County

27520 standard
Clayton, NC
Pop: 36,357
27577 standard
Smithfield, NC
Pop: 22,911
27576 standard
Selma, NC
Pop: 17,091
27504 standard
Benson, NC
Pop: 14,566
27524 standard
Four Oaks, NC
Pop: 12,338
27542 standard
Kenly, NC
Pop: 9,133

Related Areas

Johnston County Clayton, NC North Carolina

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 27527 in? ▼
ZIP code 27527 (Clayton) is located in Johnston County, North Carolina. Johnston County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/johnston-nc.
What is the population of ZIP code 27527? ▼
ZIP code 27527 in Clayton, NC has a population of 18,216 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 27527? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 27527 is $115,035, which is 51% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 27527? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 27527 is $390,200, which is 40% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 27527? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 27527 is White at 63.5%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 14.1% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 27527? ▼
ZIP code 27527 has 400 business establishments employing approximately 5,363 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 27527? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 27527 are: Construction (80), Professional, scientific, and technical services (72), Real estate and rental and leasing (35). There are 15 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 27527? ▼
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 27527 increased by 1.1% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 131%. This is a developmental index based on repeat sales and appraisal data from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
What is the education level in ZIP code 27527? ▼
In ZIP code 27527, 64.6% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 47.0% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What is the average commute time in ZIP 27527? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 27527 is 33.9 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend more time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 27527? ▼
In ZIP code 27527, approximately 80.8% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 19.2% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 27527? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 27527 is 9.3% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.

Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.