Elizabeth City, NC · standard

ZIP Code 27909

Pasquotank 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 13, 2026

40,699
69/sq mi: $66,732
Median income: $234,600
Median home value: 27.6%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

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

41th pct
household income, US ZIPs: Top 46%
home value, US ZIPs: 69
people per sq mi: 68%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 27909 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 27909 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 587.3 square miles in Elizabeth City, Pasquotank County, North Carolina. The area is home to 40,699 residents, producing a population density of 69 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 27909 against North Carolina and the nation.

On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 27909 sits at $66,732 (4% below the North Carolina average), while per-capita income is $33,769. The poverty rate stands at 11.0% and the unemployment rate at 5.7%. On housing, the median home value is $234,600 (10% below the state average) with median rent at $1,170 per month, and 67.5% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 27909 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.

Education and household profile round out the picture: 27.6% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 39.7, and the average commute is 28 minutes. We also surface 2 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles, so you can benchmark 27909 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 27909

Retail trade

176
Health care and social assistance

157
Accommodation and food services

104
Other services (except public administration)

104
Construction

76

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 27909, Elizabeth City, NC · 2023 Accessed 2026-06-13 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

40,699

Population

587.3

Area (sq mi)

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 27909?

39.7

Median Age

48.2%

Male

51.8%

Female

2.6%

Foreign-Born

White 55.1%

African American 34.7%

Asian 1.4%

American Indian or Alaska Native 0.5%

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.4%

Two or More Ethnicities 5.9%

Hispanic or Latino 6.0%

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?

$66,732

Median Household Income

-4% vs state

$33,769

Per Capita Income

11.0%

Poverty Rate

5.7%

Unemployment Rate

28.0 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 27909 ranks nationally

Household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$66,732 41st percentile higher than 41% 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 54.3%

Bachelor's Degree or Higher 27.6%

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

What does housing look like?

17,740

Total Housing Units

15,804

Occupied Units

1,936

Vacant Units

2.44

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 67.5%

Renter 32.5%

$234,600

Median Home Value

-10% vs state

$1,170

Median Rent

1988

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

+8.8%

YoY Change (2024)

251

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+151%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 27909 have increased 8.8% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +151% cumulative appreciation.

Year	Annual Change	HPI Index
2020	+5.6%	158
2021	+12.8%	179
2022	+19.1%	213
2023	+8.5%	231
2024	+8.8%	251

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 910 business establishments in ZIP 27909, employing approximately 11,085 people with a combined annual payroll of $493,727,000.

910

Businesses

11,085

Employees

$493.7M

Annual Payroll

Industry Sectors

Industry	Establishments	% of Total
Retail trade	176	19.3%
Health care and social assistance	157	17.3%
Accommodation and food services	104	11.4%
Other services (except public administration)	104	11.4%
Construction	76	8.3%
Professional, scientific, and technical services	66	7.3%
Finance and insurance	40	4.4%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services	36	4.0%
Real estate and rental and leasing	33	3.6%
Wholesale trade	29	3.2%
Transportation and warehousing	26	2.9%
Manufacturing	24	2.6%
Information	15	1.6%
Educational services	10	1.1%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation	9	1.0%

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 27909 vs 27921 →

27909

40,699
27944

11,909
27921

4,805

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 27909 ranks the most populous — useful context the national average alone can't give.

27921

$94,473
27944

$67,938
27909

$66,732

What this shows By household income, ZIP 27909 ranks #3 of 3 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

ZIP Code	City	Population	Distance
27921	Camden, NC	4,805	7.7 mi
27944	Hertford, NC	11,909	11.3 mi

Pasquotank County Elizabeth City, NC North Carolina

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 27909 in? ▼

ZIP code 27909 (Elizabeth City) is located in Pasquotank County, North Carolina. Pasquotank County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/pasquotank-nc.

What is the population of ZIP code 27909? ▼

ZIP code 27909 in Elizabeth City, NC has a population of 40,699 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in ZIP 27909? ▼

The median household income in ZIP 27909 is $66,732, which is 13% below the national average of $76,288.

What is the average home value in ZIP 27909? ▼

The median home value in ZIP 27909 is $234,600, which is 16% below the national average of $278,155.

What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 27909? ▼

The largest racial group in ZIP 27909 is White at 55.1%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 6.0% of the population.

How many businesses are in ZIP code 27909? ▼

ZIP code 27909 has 910 business establishments employing approximately 11,085 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.

What are the main industries in ZIP code 27909? ▼

The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 27909 are: Retail trade (176), Health care and social assistance (157), Accommodation and food services (104). There are 15 industry sectors represented in total.

How have home values changed in ZIP code 27909? ▼

According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 27909 increased by 8.8% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 151%. 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 27909? ▼

In ZIP code 27909, 54.3% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 27.6% 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 27909? ▼

The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 27909 is 28.0 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 27909? ▼

In ZIP code 27909, approximately 67.5% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 32.5% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 27909? ▼

The poverty rate in ZIP code 27909 is 11.0% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.