PlainZIP

Chadbourn, NC · standard

ZIP Code 28431

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

7,102
36/sq mi
$40,888
Median income
$136,000
Median home value
12.3%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Chadbourn pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with among the most affordable home values nationally, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

6th pct
household income, US ZIPs
21th pct
home value, US ZIPs
36
people per sq mi
66%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 28431 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 28431 is a mid-sized community (a standard USPS delivery area) in Chadbourn, Columbus County, North Carolina, home to 7,102 residents across 195.1 square miles, a density of 36 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.

ZIP 28431 reports a modest median household income of $40,888 (41% below the North Carolina average), while per-capita income is $28,525. 28.1% of residents live below the poverty line, and the unemployment rate reads 2.9%. Housing costs here run $136,000 for a typical home value (48% below the state average), with rent averaging $767 a month; 66.3% of homes are owner-occupied.

Formal educational attainment runs low here: just 12.3% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 49.4, and the average commute is 37 minutes. A geography-based comparison follows: 4 ZIP codes within about 10 miles of 28431, plus 6 more within Columbus County, give a clearer read than the national average 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 →

Top industries in ZIP 28431

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Chadbourn, NC

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 28431.

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 · ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) As of 2023

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 28431, Chadbourn, 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

7,102

Population

195.1

Area (sq mi)

36

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 28431?

49.4

Median Age

51.1%

Male

48.9%

Female

0.4%

Foreign-Born

White 60.5%
African American 33.5%
Asian 0.0%
American Indian or Alaska Native 2.0%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 2.6%
Hispanic or Latino 1.7%

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?

$40,888

Median Household Income

-41% vs state

$28,525

Per Capita Income

28.1%

Poverty Rate

2.9%

Unemployment Rate

36.6 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 28431 ranks nationally

Chadbourn, NC household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$40,888 6th percentile higher than 6% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). Above this entry. $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 52.1%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 12.3%

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

What does housing look like?

3,279

Total Housing Units

2,835

Occupied Units

444

Vacant Units

2.08

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 66.3%
Renter 33.7%

$136,000

Median Home Value

-48% vs state

$767

Median Rent

1982

Median Year Built

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

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 77 business establishments in ZIP 28431, employing approximately 555 people with a combined annual payroll of $16,793,000.

77

Businesses

555

Employees

$16.8M

Annual Payroll

10

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Retail trade 23 29.9%
Health care and social assistance 11 14.3%
Construction 9 11.7%
Other services (except public administration) 8 10.4%
Accommodation and food services 5 6.5%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 4 5.2%
Wholesale trade 3 3.9%
Transportation and warehousing 3 3.9%
Finance and insurance 3 3.9%
Real estate and rental and leasing 3 3.9%

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 28431 vs 28430 →

ZIP 28431 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 28431 ranks the most populous - useful context the national average alone can't give.

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

ZIP 28431 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 28431 ranks #5 of 5 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
28430 Cerro Gordo, NC 1,900 5.7 mi
28424 Brunswick, NC 128 8.1 mi
28438 Evergreen, NC 1,845 8.3 mi
28432 Clarendon, NC 1,968 10.4 mi

More ZIP Codes in Columbus County

28472 standard
Whiteville, NC
Pop: 19,658
28463 standard
Tabor City, NC
Pop: 9,799
28450 standard
Lake Waccamaw, NC
Pop: 2,438
28423 standard
Bolton, NC
Pop: 2,290
28436 standard
Delco, NC
Pop: 2,203
28455 standard
Nakina, NC
Pop: 2,117

Related Areas

Columbus County Chadbourn, NC North Carolina

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 28431 in? ▼
ZIP code 28431 (Chadbourn) is located in Columbus County, North Carolina. Columbus County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/columbus-nc.
What is the population of ZIP code 28431? ▼
ZIP code 28431 in Chadbourn, NC has a population of 7,102 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 28431? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 28431 is $40,888, which is 46% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 28431? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 28431 is $136,000, which is 51% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 28431? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 28431 is White at 60.5%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 1.7% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 28431? ▼
ZIP code 28431 has 77 business establishments employing approximately 555 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 28431? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 28431 are: Retail trade (23), Health care and social assistance (11), Construction (9). There are 10 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 28431? ▼
In ZIP code 28431, 52.1% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 12.3% 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 28431? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 28431 is 36.6 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 28431? ▼
In ZIP code 28431, approximately 66.3% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 33.7% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 28431? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 28431 is 28.1% 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.