PlainZIP

Kenly, NC · standard

ZIP Code 27542

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

9,133
41/sq mi
$66,038
Median income
$214,100
Median home value
21.4%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Kenly pairs a below-median household income with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

40th pct
household income, US ZIPs
47th pct
home value, US ZIPs
41
people per sq mi
75%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 27542 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 27542 is a mid-sized community (a standard USPS delivery area) in Kenly, Johnston County, North Carolina, home to 9,133 residents across 222.8 square miles, a density of 41 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.

ZIP 27542 reports a modest median household income of $66,038 (5% below the North Carolina average), while per-capita income is $31,562. Local economic indicators show a 14.1% poverty rate alongside 2.8% unemployment. On housing, the median home value is $214,100 (17% below the state average) with median rent at $757 per month, and 74.6% of occupied units are owner-occupied.

Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 21.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 40.8, and the average commute is 28 minutes. A geography-based comparison follows: 5 ZIP codes within about 10 miles of 27542, plus 6 more within Johnston County, give a clearer read than the national average 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 27542

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Kenly, NC

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 27542.

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 27542, Kenly, 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

9,133

Population

222.8

Area (sq mi)

41

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 27542?

40.8

Median Age

48.7%

Male

51.3%

Female

4.7%

Foreign-Born

White 69.5%
African American 16.2%
Asian 0.0%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 10.1%
Hispanic or Latino 11.4%

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?

$66,038

Median Household Income

-5% vs state

$31,562

Per Capita Income

14.1%

Poverty Rate

2.8%

Unemployment Rate

27.6 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 27542 ranks nationally

Kenly, NC household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$66,038 40th percentile higher than 40% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 2,855 US ZIPs (9%). Above this entry. $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 51.9%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 21.4%

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

What does housing look like?

4,214

Total Housing Units

3,892

Occupied Units

322

Vacant Units

2.53

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 74.6%
Renter 25.4%

$214,100

Median Home Value

-17% vs state

$757

Median Rent

1989

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

-1.4%

YoY Change (2024)

199

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+99%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 27542 have decreased 1.4% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +99% cumulative appreciation.

Year Annual Change HPI Index
2020 +6.7% 141
2021 +8.8% 154
2022 +13.7% 175
2023 +15.3% 202
2024 -1.4% 199

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 135 business establishments in ZIP 27542, employing approximately 1,690 people with a combined annual payroll of $70,711,000.

135

Businesses

1,690

Employees

$70.7M

Annual Payroll

13

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Retail trade 28 20.7%
Construction 26 19.3%
Accommodation and food services 19 14.1%
Other services (except public administration) 18 13.3%
Manufacturing 6 4.4%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 6 4.4%
Wholesale trade 5 3.7%
Transportation and warehousing 5 3.7%
Professional, scientific, and technical services 5 3.7%
Finance and insurance 4 3.0%
Health care and social assistance 4 3.0%
Real estate and rental and leasing 3 2.2%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation 3 2.2%

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 27542 vs 27555 →

ZIP 27542 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 27542 ranks #2 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 27542 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 27542 ranks #5 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
27555 Micro, NC 441 5.3 mi
27851 Lucama, NC 5,268 6.5 mi
27576 Selma, NC 17,091 7.0 mi
27880 Sims, NC 3,304 8.6 mi
27568 Pine Level, NC 480 9.5 mi

More ZIP Codes in Johnston County

27520 standard
Clayton, NC
Pop: 36,357
27577 standard
Smithfield, NC
Pop: 22,911
27527 standard
Clayton, NC
Pop: 18,216
27576 standard
Selma, NC
Pop: 17,091
27504 standard
Benson, NC
Pop: 14,566
27524 standard
Four Oaks, NC
Pop: 12,338

Related Areas

Johnston County Kenly, NC North Carolina

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 27542 in? ▼
ZIP code 27542 (Kenly) 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 27542? ▼
ZIP code 27542 in Kenly, NC has a population of 9,133 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 27542? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 27542 is $66,038, which is 13% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 27542? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 27542 is $214,100, which is 23% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 27542? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 27542 is White at 69.5%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 11.4% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 27542? ▼
ZIP code 27542 has 135 business establishments employing approximately 1,690 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 27542? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 27542 are: Retail trade (28), Construction (26), Accommodation and food services (19). There are 13 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 27542? ▼
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 27542 decreased by 1.4% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 99%. 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 27542? ▼
In ZIP code 27542, 51.9% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 21.4% 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 27542? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 27542 is 27.6 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 27542? ▼
In ZIP code 27542, approximately 74.6% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 25.4% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 27542? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 27542 is 14.1% 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.