Wilmington, NC · standard
ZIP Code 28401
New Hanover County, North Carolina — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 22,094
- 353/sq mi
- $57,968
- Median income
- $298,500
- Median home value
- 33.3%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
Wilmington pairs a below-median household income with above-median home values, in a low-density, mixed-tenure area.
- 26th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 34%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 353
- people per sq mi
- 41%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 28401 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 28401 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 62.6 square miles in Wilmington, New Hanover County, North Carolina. The area is home to 22,094 residents, producing a population density of 353 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 28401 against North Carolina and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 28401 sits at $57,968 (16% below the North Carolina average), while per-capita income is $39,108. The poverty rate stands at 18.6% and the unemployment rate at 5.1%. On housing, the median home value is $298,500 (15% above the state average) with median rent at $1,274 per month, and 41.1% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 28401 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 33.3% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 41.7, and the average commute is 17 minutes. We also surface 7 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing New Hanover County, so you can benchmark 28401 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 28401
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 28401.
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
231 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
199 establishments
- Professional, scientific, and technical services
Professional, scientific, and technical services
198 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
173 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
141 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 28401, Wilmington, 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
22,094
Population
62.6
Area (sq mi)
353
People / sq mi
New York
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 28401?
41.7
Median Age
46.4%
Male
53.6%
Female
5.8%
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?
$57,968
Median Household Income
-16% vs state
$39,108
Per Capita Income
18.6%
Poverty Rate
5.1%
Unemployment Rate
17.4 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 28401 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$57,968 26th percentile higher than 26% 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?
13,424
Total Housing Units
11,085
Occupied Units
2,339
Vacant Units
1.89
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$298,500
Median Home Value
+15% vs state
$1,274
Median Rent
1958
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
+5.3%
YoY Change (2024)
341
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+241%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 28401 have increased 5.3% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +241% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +7.6% | 200 |
| 2021 | +16.3% | 233 |
| 2022 | +21.5% | 283 |
| 2023 | +14.4% | 323 |
| 2024 | +5.3% | 341 |
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 1,470 business establishments in ZIP 28401, employing approximately 33,286 people with a combined annual payroll of $2,436,270,000.
1,470
Businesses
33,286
Employees
$2.4B
Annual Payroll
17
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 231 | 15.7% |
| Accommodation and food services | 199 | 13.5% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 198 | 13.5% |
| Retail trade | 173 | 11.8% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 141 | 9.6% |
| Construction | 95 | 6.5% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 77 | 5.2% |
| Wholesale trade | 67 | 4.6% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 60 | 4.1% |
| Finance and insurance | 52 | 3.5% |
| Manufacturing | 51 | 3.5% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 46 | 3.1% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 27 | 1.8% |
| Information | 25 | 1.7% |
| Educational services | 13 | 0.9% |
| Management of companies and enterprises | 10 | 0.7% |
| Utilities | 3 | 0.2% |
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 28401 vs 28405 →
ZIP 28401 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 28403
Wilmington (28403)
36,063 residents
- 28412
Wilmington (28412)
35,573 residents
- 28409
Wilmington (28409)
31,296 residents
- 28405
Wilmington (28405)
29,152 residents
- 28451
Leland (28451)
27,112 residents
- 28401
Wilmington (28401)
22,094 residents
- 28429 8,026
Castle Hayne (28429)
8,026 residents
- 28435 2,490
Currie (28435)
2,490 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 28401 ranks #6 by population — useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 28401 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 28409
Wilmington (28409)
$111,048 median income
- 28451
Leland (28451)
$81,481 median income
- 28429
Castle Hayne (28429)
$72,337 median income
- 28412
Wilmington (28412)
$71,636 median income
- 28405
Wilmington (28405)
$70,274 median income
- 28401
Wilmington (28401)
$57,968 median income
- 28403
Wilmington (28403)
$54,547 median income
- 28435
Currie (28435)
$46,429 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 28401 ranks #6 of 8 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
More ZIP Codes in New Hanover County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 28401 in? ▼
What is the population of ZIP code 28401? ▼
What is the median household income in ZIP 28401? ▼
What is the average home value in ZIP 28401? ▼
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 28401? ▼
How many businesses are in ZIP code 28401? ▼
What are the main industries in ZIP code 28401? ▼
How have home values changed in ZIP code 28401? ▼
What is the education level in ZIP code 28401? ▼
What is the average commute time in ZIP 28401? ▼
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 28401? ▼
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 28401? ▼
ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for Wilmington, 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.