Wilson, NC · standard

ZIP Code 27896

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

Reviewed by PlainZIP Editorial Team, ZIP Code Data Editors · June 14, 2026

20,130
225/sq mi: $75,696
Median income: $242,700
Median home value: 36.2%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Wilson pairs an above-median household income with above-median home values, in a low-density, homeowner-dominated area.

Top 44%
household income, US ZIPs: Top 44%
home value, US ZIPs: 225
people per sq mi: 72%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 27896 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 27896 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 89.5 square miles in Wilson, Wilson County, North Carolina. The area is home to 20,130 residents, producing a population density of 225 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 27896 against North Carolina and the nation.

On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 27896 sits at $75,696 (9% above the North Carolina average), while per-capita income is $46,684. The poverty rate stands at 7.0% and the unemployment rate at 2.3%. On housing, the median home value is $242,700 (6% below the state average) with median rent at $1,063 per month, and 72.3% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 27896 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.

Education and household profile round out the picture: 36.2% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 44.6, and the average commute is 24 minutes. We also surface 7 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Wilson County, so you can benchmark 27896 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 27896

Retail trade

84
Health care and social assistance

64
Accommodation and food services

56
Other services (except public administration)

55
Finance and insurance

47

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 27896, Wilson, NC · 2023 Accessed 2026-06-14 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

20,130

Population

89.5

Area (sq mi)

225

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 27896?

44.6

Median Age

49.7%

Male

50.3%

Female

6.5%

Foreign-Born

White 61.1%

African American 23.8%

Asian 2.9%

American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%

Two or More Ethnicities 6.4%

Hispanic or Latino 8.9%

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?

$75,696

Median Household Income

+9% vs state

$46,684

Per Capita Income

7.0%

Poverty Rate

2.3%

Unemployment Rate

24.0 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 27896 ranks nationally

Household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$75,696 Top 44% higher than 56% 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?

High School Graduate or Higher 63.7%

Bachelor's Degree or Higher 36.2%

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

What does housing look like?

9,030

Total Housing Units

8,430

Occupied Units

600

Vacant Units

2.29

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 72.3%

Renter 27.7%

$242,700

Median Home Value

-6% vs state

$1,063

Median Rent

1995

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

+7.1%

YoY Change (2024)

202

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+102%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 27896 have increased 7.1% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +102% cumulative appreciation.

Year	Annual Change	HPI Index
2020	+6.4%	128
2021	+12.4%	143
2022	+21.8%	175
2023	+8.1%	189
2024	+7.1%	202

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 528 business establishments in ZIP 27896, employing approximately 5,898 people with a combined annual payroll of $221,272,000.

528

Businesses

5,898

Employees

$221.3M

Annual Payroll

Industry Sectors

Industry	Establishments	% of Total
Retail trade	84	15.9%
Health care and social assistance	64	12.1%
Accommodation and food services	56	10.6%
Other services (except public administration)	55	10.4%
Finance and insurance	47	8.9%
Construction	45	8.5%
Professional, scientific, and technical services	45	8.5%
Real estate and rental and leasing	41	7.8%
Wholesale trade	23	4.4%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services	21	4.0%
Transportation and warehousing	10	1.9%
Educational services	9	1.7%
Manufacturing	8	1.5%
Information	7	1.3%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting	6	1.1%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation	5	0.9%

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 27896 vs 27807 →

27893

39,723
27803

21,227
27896

20,130
27822

8,143
27882

7,413
27807

6,629
27880

3,304
27878

1,931

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 27896 ranks #3 by population — useful context the national average alone can't give.

27807

$80,382
27880

$79,375
27896

$75,696
27822

$63,703
27803

$60,124
27878

$53,382
27882

$52,691
27893

$42,810

What this shows By household income, ZIP 27896 ranks #3 of 8 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

ZIP Code	City	Population	Distance
27807	Bailey, NC	6,629	6.6 mi
27822	Elm City, NC	8,143	7.7 mi
27880	Sims, NC	3,304	7.3 mi
27893	Wilson, NC	39,723	8.0 mi
27878	Sharpsburg, NC	1,931	9.5 mi
27803	Rocky Mount, NC	21,227	10.1 mi
27882	Spring Hope, NC	7,413	13.0 mi

More ZIP Codes in Wilson County

Wilson County Wilson, NC North Carolina

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 27896 in? ▼

ZIP code 27896 (Wilson) is located in Wilson County, North Carolina. Wilson County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/wilson-nc.

What is the population of ZIP code 27896? ▼

ZIP code 27896 in Wilson, NC has a population of 20,130 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in ZIP 27896? ▼

The median household income in ZIP 27896 is $75,696, which is 1% below the national average of $76,288.

What is the average home value in ZIP 27896? ▼

The median home value in ZIP 27896 is $242,700, which is 13% below the national average of $278,155.

What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 27896? ▼

The largest racial group in ZIP 27896 is White at 61.1%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 8.9% of the population.

How many businesses are in ZIP code 27896? ▼

ZIP code 27896 has 528 business establishments employing approximately 5,898 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.

What are the main industries in ZIP code 27896? ▼

The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 27896 are: Retail trade (84), Health care and social assistance (64), Accommodation and food services (56). There are 16 industry sectors represented in total.

How have home values changed in ZIP code 27896? ▼

According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 27896 increased by 7.1% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 102%. 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 27896? ▼

In ZIP code 27896, 63.7% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 36.2% 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 27896? ▼

The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 27896 is 24.0 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend less time traveling to work than typical.

What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 27896? ▼

In ZIP code 27896, approximately 72.3% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 27.7% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 27896? ▼

The poverty rate in ZIP code 27896 is 7.0% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.