PlainZIP

Atkinson, NC · standard

ZIP Code 28421

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

1,521
11/sq mi
$60,025
Median income
$118,400
Median home value
6.5%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Atkinson pairs a below-median household income with among the most affordable home values nationally, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

29th pct
household income, US ZIPs
16th pct
home value, US ZIPs
11
people per sq mi
77%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 28421 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 28421 covers 143.5 square miles in Atkinson, Pender County, North Carolina (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 1,521 residents on file, a density of 11 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.

ZIP 28421 reports a modest median household income of $60,025 (13% below the North Carolina average), while per-capita income is $26,221. 13.9% of residents live below the poverty line, and the unemployment rate reads 2.0%. On housing, the median home value is $118,400 (54% below the state average) with median rent at $672 per month, and 77.0% of occupied units are owner-occupied.

Formal educational attainment runs low here: just 6.5% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 48.3, and the average commute is -. Beyond these figures, 5 nearby ZIP codes within about 10 miles are surfaced below, along with 5 more sharing Pender County, letting you compare 28421 to its immediate surroundings rather than a national baseline alone.

Every figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (including median rent) and the FHFA House Price Index, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with Census →

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 28421, Atkinson, NC · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.

Quick Facts

1,521

Population

143.5

Area (sq mi)

11

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 28421?

48.3

Median Age

46.7%

Male

53.3%

Female

1.6%

Foreign-Born

White 42.5%
African American 21.7%
Asian 0.1%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 13.4%
Hispanic or Latino 23.6%

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?

$60,025

Median Household Income

-13% vs state

$26,221

Per Capita Income

13.9%

Poverty Rate

2.0%

Unemployment Rate

How ZIP 28421 ranks nationally

Atkinson, NC household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$60,025 29th percentile higher than 29% of 30,318 US ZIPs

$0–$20,000: 118 US ZIPs (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 1,573 US ZIPs (5%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 7,092 US ZIPs (23%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). This entry sits in this band. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 2,855 US ZIPs (9%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 1,362 US ZIPs (4%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 686 US ZIPs (2%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 364 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 186 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 324 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. This ZIP $0 $200K+ every reporting US ZIP, bucketed by value

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 52.3%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 6.5%

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

What does housing look like?

974

Total Housing Units

799

Occupied Units

175

Vacant Units

2.52

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 77.0%
Renter 23.0%

$118,400

Median Home Value

-54% vs state

$672

Median Rent

1992

Median Year Built

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

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 16 business establishments in ZIP 28421, employing approximately 43 people with a combined annual payroll of $1,335,000.

16

Businesses

43

Employees

$1.3M

Annual Payroll

2

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Other services (except public administration) 6 37.5%
Accommodation and food services 3 18.8%

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 28421 vs 28447 →

ZIP 28421 vs its nearest neighbors, by population

Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

residents

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 28421 ranks #4 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023

ZIP 28421 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income

Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

median income

What this shows By household income, ZIP 28421 ranks #3 of 6 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023
ZIP Code City Population Distance
28447 Ivanhoe, NC 1,391 7.2 mi
28448 Kelly, NC 1,243 8.4 mi
28435 Currie, NC 2,490 8.8 mi
28456 Riegelwood, NC 3,658 11.6 mi
28478 Willard, NC 4,588 11.6 mi

More ZIP Codes in Pender County

28443 standard
Hampstead, NC
Pop: 17,512
28425 standard
Burgaw, NC
Pop: 10,906
28457 standard
Rocky Point, NC
Pop: 9,905
28478 standard
Willard, NC
Pop: 4,588
28435 standard
Currie, NC
Pop: 2,490

Related Areas

Pender County Atkinson, NC North Carolina

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 28421 in? ▼
ZIP code 28421 (Atkinson) is located in Pender County, North Carolina. Pender County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/pender-nc.
What is the population of ZIP code 28421? ▼
ZIP code 28421 in Atkinson, NC has a population of 1,521 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 28421? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 28421 is $60,025, which is 21% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 28421? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 28421 is $118,400, which is 57% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 28421? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 28421 is White at 42.5%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 23.6% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 28421? ▼
ZIP code 28421 has 16 business establishments employing approximately 43 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What is the education level in ZIP code 28421? ▼
In ZIP code 28421, 52.3% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 6.5% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 28421? ▼
In ZIP code 28421, approximately 77.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 23.0% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 28421? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 28421 is 13.9% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.

Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.