Wilmington, NC · standard
ZIP Code 28403
New Hanover County, North Carolina — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 36,063
- 989/sq mi
- $54,547
- Median income
- $386,700
- Median home value
- 48.1%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
Wilmington pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with upper-quartile home values, in a low-density, renter-heavy area.
- 20th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 22%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 989
- people per sq mi
- 36%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 28403 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 28403 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 36.5 square miles in Wilmington, New Hanover County, North Carolina. The area is home to 36,063 residents, producing a population density of 989 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 28403 against North Carolina and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 28403 sits at $54,547 (21% below the North Carolina average), while per-capita income is $41,022. The poverty rate stands at 24.8% and the unemployment rate at 4.8%. On housing, the median home value is $386,700 (49% above the state average) with median rent at $1,380 per month, and 35.7% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 28403 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 48.1% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 28.5, and the average commute is 18 minutes. We also surface 8 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing New Hanover County, so you can benchmark 28403 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 28403
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 28403.
- Retail trade
Retail trade
389 establishments
- Professional, scientific, and technical services
Professional, scientific, and technical services
342 establishments
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
339 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
234 establishments
- Finance and insurance
Finance and insurance
194 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 28403, 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
36,063
Population
36.5
Area (sq mi)
989
People / sq mi
New York
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 28403?
28.5
Median Age
44.8%
Male
55.2%
Female
4.6%
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?
$54,547
Median Household Income
-21% vs state
$41,022
Per Capita Income
24.8%
Poverty Rate
4.8%
Unemployment Rate
17.6 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 28403 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$54,547 20th percentile higher than 20% 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?
20,479
Total Housing Units
18,577
Occupied Units
1,902
Vacant Units
1.98
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$386,700
Median Home Value
+49% vs state
$1,380
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
+2.8%
YoY Change (2024)
294
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+194%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 28403 have increased 2.8% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +194% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +5.6% | 183 |
| 2021 | +12.4% | 205 |
| 2022 | +20.0% | 247 |
| 2023 | +15.9% | 286 |
| 2024 | +2.8% | 294 |
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 2,389 business establishments in ZIP 28403, employing approximately 32,708 people with a combined annual payroll of $1,658,505,000.
2,389
Businesses
32,708
Employees
$1.7B
Annual Payroll
16
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 389 | 16.3% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 342 | 14.3% |
| Health care and social assistance | 339 | 14.2% |
| Accommodation and food services | 234 | 9.8% |
| Finance and insurance | 194 | 8.1% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 192 | 8.0% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 190 | 8.0% |
| Construction | 157 | 6.6% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 109 | 4.6% |
| Wholesale trade | 62 | 2.6% |
| Information | 40 | 1.7% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 39 | 1.6% |
| Manufacturing | 32 | 1.3% |
| Educational services | 32 | 1.3% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 23 | 1.0% |
| Management of companies and enterprises | 12 | 0.5% |
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 28403 vs 28405 →
ZIP 28403 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
- 28411
Wilmington (28411)
31,962 residents
- 28409
Wilmington (28409)
31,296 residents
- 28405
Wilmington (28405)
29,152 residents
- 28401
Wilmington (28401)
22,094 residents
- 28429 8,026
Castle Hayne (28429)
8,026 residents
- 28479 4,903
Winnabow (28479)
4,903 residents
- 28480 2,473
Wrightsville Beach (28480)
2,473 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 28403 ranks the most populous — useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 28403 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 28480
Wrightsville Beach (28480)
$172,500 median income
- 28409
Wilmington (28409)
$111,048 median income
- 28411
Wilmington (28411)
$97,387 median income
- 28479
Winnabow (28479)
$80,391 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 $57,968
Wilmington (28401)
$57,968 median income
- 28403 $54,547
Wilmington (28403)
$54,547 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 28403 ranks #9 of 9 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
| ZIP Code | City | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28405 | Wilmington, NC | 29,152 | 3.1 mi |
| 28409 | Wilmington, NC | 31,296 | 4.7 mi |
| 28480 | Wrightsville Beach, NC | 2,473 | 4.9 mi |
| 28412 | Wilmington, NC | 35,573 | 6.5 mi |
| 28401 | Wilmington, NC | 22,094 | 5.9 mi |
| 28429 | Castle Hayne, NC | 8,026 | 8.4 mi |
| 28411 | Wilmington, NC | 31,962 | 7.5 mi |
| 28479 | Winnabow, NC | 4,903 | 11.7 mi |
More ZIP Codes in New Hanover County
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Frequently Asked Questions
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What is the population of ZIP code 28403? ▼
What is the median household income in ZIP 28403? ▼
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How many businesses are in ZIP code 28403? ▼
What are the main industries in ZIP code 28403? ▼
How have home values changed in ZIP code 28403? ▼
What is the education level in ZIP code 28403? ▼
What is the average commute time in ZIP 28403? ▼
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 28403? ▼
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 28403? ▼
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.