PlainZIP

Kure Beach, NC · standard

ZIP Code 28449

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

1,692
164/sq mi
$107,563
Median income
$759,700
Median home value
53.9%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Kure Beach pairs an upper-quartile household income with top-decile home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

Top 15%
household income, US ZIPs
Top 5%
home value, US ZIPs
164
people per sq mi
80%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 28449 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 28449 covers 10.3 square miles in Kure Beach, New Hanover County, North Carolina (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 1,692 residents on file, a density of 164 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.

ZIP 28449 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $107,563 (56% above the North Carolina average), while per-capita income is $64,660. Local economic indicators show a 3.2% poverty rate alongside 2.2% unemployment. Housing costs here run $759,700 for a typical home value (193% above the state average), with rent averaging $1,420 a month; 80.0% of homes are owner-occupied.

This is a highly-educated ZIP: 53.9% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 57.2, and the average commute is -. To put 28449 in local context, 3 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles appear further down this page alongside 6 additional ZIPs in New Hanover County, for a geography-aware comparison.

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 28449

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Kure Beach, NC

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 28449.

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 28449, Kure Beach, 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

1,692

Population

10.3

Area (sq mi)

164

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 28449?

57.2

Median Age

46.7%

Male

53.3%

Female

2.3%

Foreign-Born

White 96.9%
African American 0.0%
Asian 0.6%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 2.5%
Hispanic or Latino 0.9%

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?

$107,563

Median Household Income

+56% vs state

$64,660

Per Capita Income

3.2%

Poverty Rate

2.2%

Unemployment Rate

How ZIP 28449 ranks nationally

Kure Beach, NC household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$107,563 Top 15% higher than 85% 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%). Below this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). Below this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 2,855 US ZIPs (9%). This entry sits in this band. $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 71.4%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 53.9%

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

What does housing look like?

1,820

Total Housing Units

913

Occupied Units

907

Vacant Units

2.33

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 80.0%
Renter 20.0%

$759,700

Median Home Value

+193% vs state

$1,420

Median Rent

1996

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

+20.5%

YoY Change (2022)

325

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+225%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 28449 have increased 20.5% over the past year (2022). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +225% cumulative appreciation.

Year Annual Change HPI Index
2018 -3.2% 201
2019 +9.0% 219
2020 +6.7% 234
2021 +15.3% 270
2022 +20.5% 325

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 2022. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 58 business establishments in ZIP 28449, employing approximately 302 people with a combined annual payroll of $13,272,000.

58

Businesses

302

Employees

$13.3M

Annual Payroll

7

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Accommodation and food services 17 29.3%
Professional, scientific, and technical services 11 19.0%
Construction 5 8.6%
Retail trade 5 8.6%
Real estate and rental and leasing 5 8.6%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation 4 6.9%
Other services (except public administration) 4 6.9%

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 28449 vs 28428 →

ZIP 28449 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 28449 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 28449 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 28449 ranks the highest of 4 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
28428 Carolina Beach, NC 6,033 4.1 mi
28461 Southport, NC 16,126 6.3 mi
28479 Winnabow, NC 4,903 9.5 mi

More ZIP Codes in New Hanover County

28403 standard
Wilmington, NC
Pop: 36,063
28412 standard
Wilmington, NC
Pop: 35,573
28411 standard
Wilmington, NC
Pop: 31,962
28409 standard
Wilmington, NC
Pop: 31,296
28405 standard
Wilmington, NC
Pop: 29,152
28401 standard
Wilmington, NC
Pop: 22,094

Related Areas

New Hanover County Kure Beach, NC North Carolina

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 28449 in? ▼
ZIP code 28449 (Kure Beach) is located in New Hanover County, North Carolina. New Hanover County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/new-hanover-nc.
What is the population of ZIP code 28449? ▼
ZIP code 28449 in Kure Beach, NC has a population of 1,692 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 28449? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 28449 is $107,563, which is 41% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 28449? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 28449 is $759,700, which is 173% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 28449? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 28449 is White at 96.9%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 0.9% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 28449? ▼
ZIP code 28449 has 58 business establishments employing approximately 302 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 28449? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 28449 are: Accommodation and food services (17), Professional, scientific, and technical services (11), Construction (5). There are 7 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 28449? ▼
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 28449 increased by 20.5% in 2022. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 225%. 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 28449? ▼
In ZIP code 28449, 71.4% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 53.9% 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 28449? ▼
In ZIP code 28449, approximately 80.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 20.0% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 28449? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 28449 is 3.2% 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.