Rocky Mount, NC · standard
ZIP Code 27803
Nash County, North Carolina — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 21,227
- 203/sq mi
- $60,124
- Median income
- $174,500
- Median home value
- 22.3%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
Rocky Mount pairs a below-median household income with below-median home values, in a low-density, homeowner-dominated area.
- 29th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- 36th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 203
- people per sq mi
- 62%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 27803 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 27803 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 104.5 square miles in Rocky Mount, Nash County, North Carolina. The area is home to 21,227 residents, producing a population density of 203 people per square mile, and falls within the New York time zone. These USPS and Census boundary values drive every downstream statistic on this page, including the benchmarks that compare 27803 against North Carolina and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 27803 sits at $60,124 (13% below the North Carolina average), while per-capita income is $37,361. The poverty rate stands at 15.2% and the unemployment rate at 4.7%. On housing, the median home value is $174,500 (33% below the state average) with median rent at $913 per month, and 61.7% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 27803 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 22.3% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 46.5, and the average commute is 22 minutes. We also surface 7 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Nash County, so you can benchmark 27803 against its immediate geography rather than a national average alone. Every figure is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, HUD Fair Market Rents, and FHFA Home Price Index data, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with HUD →
Top industries in ZIP 27803
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 27803.
- Retail trade
Retail trade
55 establishments
- Construction
Construction
37 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
36 establishments
- Wholesale trade
Wholesale trade
23 establishments
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
23 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, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + HUD FMR + FHFA HPI ACS demographics, ZBP business establishments, HUD Fair Market Rents, FHFA HPI for ZIP 27803, Rocky Mount, NC · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; HUD FMR + FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.
Quick Facts
21,227
Population
104.5
Area (sq mi)
203
People / sq mi
New York
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 27803?
46.5
Median Age
46.8%
Male
53.2%
Female
2.9%
Foreign-Born
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?
$60,124
Median Household Income
-13% vs state
$37,361
Per Capita Income
15.2%
Poverty Rate
4.7%
Unemployment Rate
22.4 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 27803 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$60,124 29th percentile higher than 29% of 30,318 US ZIPs
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?
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What does housing look like?
9,835
Total Housing Units
8,857
Occupied Units
978
Vacant Units
2.25
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$174,500
Median Home Value
-33% vs state
$913
Median Rent
1982
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
+3.7%
YoY Change (2024)
183
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+83%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 27803 have increased 3.7% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +83% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +3.4% | 119 |
| 2021 | +11.8% | 133 |
| 2022 | +18.8% | 157 |
| 2023 | +12.1% | 177 |
| 2024 | +3.7% | 183 |
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 259 business establishments in ZIP 27803, employing approximately 2,710 people with a combined annual payroll of $112,370,000.
259
Businesses
2,710
Employees
$112.4M
Annual Payroll
14
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 55 | 21.2% |
| Construction | 37 | 14.3% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 36 | 13.9% |
| Wholesale trade | 23 | 8.9% |
| Health care and social assistance | 23 | 8.9% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 16 | 6.2% |
| Accommodation and food services | 12 | 4.6% |
| Manufacturing | 11 | 4.3% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 11 | 4.3% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 10 | 3.9% |
| Finance and insurance | 7 | 2.7% |
| Educational services | 6 | 2.3% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 5 | 1.9% |
| Information | 3 | 1.2% |
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 27803 vs 27878 →
ZIP 27803 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 27804
Rocky Mount (27804)
29,058 residents
- 27801
Rocky Mount (27801)
21,740 residents
- 27803
Rocky Mount (27803)
21,227 residents
- 27896
Wilson (27896)
20,130 residents
- 27856
Nashville (27856)
17,141 residents
- 27822 8,143
Elm City (27822)
8,143 residents
- 27809 5,091
Battleboro (27809)
5,091 residents
- 27878 1,931
Sharpsburg (27878)
1,931 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 27803 ranks #3 by population — useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 27803 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 27809
Battleboro (27809)
$88,750 median income
- 27896
Wilson (27896)
$75,696 median income
- 27856
Nashville (27856)
$66,510 median income
- 27822
Elm City (27822)
$63,703 median income
- 27804
Rocky Mount (27804)
$61,359 median income
- 27803
Rocky Mount (27803)
$60,124 median income
- 27878
Sharpsburg (27878)
$53,382 median income
- 27801
Rocky Mount (27801)
$44,884 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 27803 ranks #6 of 8 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
More ZIP Codes in Nash County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 27803 in? ▼
What is the population of ZIP code 27803? ▼
What is the median household income in ZIP 27803? ▼
What is the average home value in ZIP 27803? ▼
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 27803? ▼
How many businesses are in ZIP code 27803? ▼
What are the main industries in ZIP code 27803? ▼
How have home values changed in ZIP code 27803? ▼
What is the education level in ZIP code 27803? ▼
What is the average commute time in ZIP 27803? ▼
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 27803? ▼
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 27803? ▼
ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for Rocky Mount, NC
Verify and explore additional data for this area using these official government sources.
Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.