Holly Ridge, NC · standard

ZIP Code 28445

Onslow 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 14, 2026

5,676
42/sq mi: $84,016
Median income: $386,100
Median home value: 45.6%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Holly Ridge pairs an above-median household income with upper-quartile home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

Top 33%
household income, US ZIPs: Top 22%
home value, US ZIPs: 42
people per sq mi: 83%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 28445 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 28445 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 135.1 square miles in Holly Ridge, Onslow County, North Carolina. The area is home to 5,676 residents, producing a population density of 42 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 28445 against North Carolina and the nation.

On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 28445 sits at $84,016 (21% above the North Carolina average), while per-capita income is $54,773. The poverty rate stands at 3.4% and the unemployment rate at 0.8%. On housing, the median home value is $386,100 (49% above the state average) with median rent at $1,151 per month, and 83.1% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 28445 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.

Education and household profile round out the picture: 45.6% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 41.2, and the average commute is 29 minutes. We also surface 2 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Onslow County, so you can benchmark 28445 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 28445

Accommodation and food services

75
Retail trade

52
Real estate and rental and leasing

49
Construction

43
Other services (except public administration)

32

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 28445, Holly Ridge, NC · 2023 Accessed 2026-06-14 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

5,676

Population

135.1

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 28445?

41.2

Median Age

48.3%

Male

51.7%

Female

1.3%

Foreign-Born

White 90.9%

African American 1.8%

Asian 0.9%

American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%

Two or More Ethnicities 6.4%

Hispanic or Latino 3.7%

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?

$84,016

Median Household Income

+21% vs state

$54,773

Per Capita Income

3.4%

Poverty Rate

0.8%

Unemployment Rate

28.5 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 28445 ranks nationally

Household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$84,016 Top 33% higher than 67% 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 61.7%

Bachelor's Degree or Higher 45.6%

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

What does housing look like?

9,146

Total Housing Units

4,625

Occupied Units

4,521

Vacant Units

2.33

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 83.1%

Renter 16.9%

$386,100

Median Home Value

+49% vs state

$1,151

Median Rent

2002

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

+11.8%

YoY Change (2024)

392

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+292%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 28445 have increased 11.8% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +292% cumulative appreciation.

Year	Annual Change	HPI Index
2020	+5.4%	229
2021	+15.6%	264
2022	+28.3%	339
2023	+3.3%	350
2024	+11.8%	392

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 379 business establishments in ZIP 28445, employing approximately 2,926 people with a combined annual payroll of $108,818,000.

379

Businesses

2,926

Employees

$108.8M

Annual Payroll

Industry Sectors

Industry	Establishments	% of Total
Accommodation and food services	75	19.8%
Retail trade	52	13.7%
Real estate and rental and leasing	49	12.9%
Construction	43	11.3%
Other services (except public administration)	32	8.4%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services	26	6.9%
Health care and social assistance	22	5.8%
Professional, scientific, and technical services	19	5.0%
Finance and insurance	13	3.4%
Manufacturing	12	3.2%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation	10	2.6%
Wholesale trade	9	2.4%
Transportation and warehousing	5	1.3%
Educational services	5	1.3%
Information	4	1.1%

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 28445 vs 28460 →

28443

17,512
28460

7,652
28445

5,676

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 28445 ranks #3 by population — useful context the national average alone can't give.

28443

$90,477
28460

$88,908
28445

$84,016

What this shows By household income, ZIP 28445 ranks #3 of 3 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

ZIP Code	City	Population	Distance
28460	Sneads Ferry, NC	7,652	7.2 mi
28443	Hampstead, NC	17,512	8.6 mi

More ZIP Codes in Onslow County

Onslow County Holly Ridge, NC North Carolina

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 28445 in? ▼

ZIP code 28445 (Holly Ridge) is located in Onslow County, North Carolina. Onslow County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/onslow-nc.

What is the population of ZIP code 28445? ▼

ZIP code 28445 in Holly Ridge, NC has a population of 5,676 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in ZIP 28445? ▼

The median household income in ZIP 28445 is $84,016, which is 10% above the national average of $76,288.

What is the average home value in ZIP 28445? ▼

The median home value in ZIP 28445 is $386,100, which is 39% above the national average of $278,155.

What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 28445? ▼

The largest racial group in ZIP 28445 is White at 90.9%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 3.7% of the population.

How many businesses are in ZIP code 28445? ▼

ZIP code 28445 has 379 business establishments employing approximately 2,926 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.

What are the main industries in ZIP code 28445? ▼

The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 28445 are: Accommodation and food services (75), Retail trade (52), Real estate and rental and leasing (49). There are 15 industry sectors represented in total.

How have home values changed in ZIP code 28445? ▼

According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 28445 increased by 11.8% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 292%. 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 28445? ▼

In ZIP code 28445, 61.7% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 45.6% 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 28445? ▼

The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 28445 is 28.5 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 28445? ▼

In ZIP code 28445, approximately 83.1% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 16.9% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 28445? ▼

The poverty rate in ZIP code 28445 is 3.4% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.