PlainZIP

Riegelwood, NC · standard

ZIP Code 28456

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

3,658
22/sq mi
$49,670
Median income
$167,900
Median home value
11.1%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Riegelwood pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

14th pct
household income, US ZIPs
33th pct
home value, US ZIPs
22
people per sq mi
85%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 28456 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 28456 covers 167.0 square miles in Riegelwood, Brunswick County, North Carolina (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 3,658 residents on file, a density of 22 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.

ZIP 28456 reports a modest median household income of $49,670 (28% below the North Carolina average), while per-capita income is $27,062. 14.5% of residents live below the poverty line, and the unemployment rate reads 11.0%. Housing costs here run $167,900 for a typical home value (35% below the state average), with rent averaging $785 a month; 84.7% of homes are owner-occupied.

Formal educational attainment runs low here: just 11.1% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 47.2, and the average commute is 24 minutes. A geography-based comparison follows: 4 ZIP codes within about 10 miles of 28456, plus 6 more within Brunswick 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 28456

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Riegelwood, NC

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 28456.

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 28456, Riegelwood, 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

3,658

Population

167.0

Area (sq mi)

22

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 28456?

47.2

Median Age

46.4%

Male

53.6%

Female

6.7%

Foreign-Born

White 39.5%
African American 47.5%
Asian 0.0%
American Indian or Alaska Native 1.5%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.5%
Two or More Ethnicities 6.3%
Hispanic or Latino 5.9%

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?

$49,670

Median Household Income

-28% vs state

$27,062

Per Capita Income

14.5%

Poverty Rate

11.0%

Unemployment Rate

24.1 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 28456 ranks nationally

Riegelwood, NC household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$49,670 14th percentile higher than 14% 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 55.3%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 11.1%

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

What does housing look like?

1,832

Total Housing Units

1,531

Occupied Units

301

Vacant Units

2.52

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 84.7%
Renter 15.3%

$167,900

Median Home Value

-35% vs state

$785

Median Rent

1980

Median Year Built

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

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 51 business establishments in ZIP 28456, employing approximately 1,129 people with a combined annual payroll of $94,491,000.

51

Businesses

1,129

Employees

$94.5M

Annual Payroll

7

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Transportation and warehousing 11 21.6%
Retail trade 9 17.6%
Construction 8 15.7%
Other services (except public administration) 6 11.8%
Manufacturing 4 7.8%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 4 7.8%
Finance and insurance 3 5.9%

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 28456 vs 28436 →

ZIP 28456 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 28456 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 28456 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 28456 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
28436 Delco, NC 2,203 6.9 mi
28448 Kelly, NC 1,243 8.4 mi
28423 Bolton, NC 2,290 7.8 mi
28421 Atkinson, NC 1,521 11.6 mi

More ZIP Codes in Brunswick County

28451 standard
Leland, NC
Pop: 27,112
28461 standard
Southport, NC
Pop: 16,126
28462 standard
Supply, NC
Pop: 11,680
28470 standard
Shallotte, NC
Pop: 10,644
28467 standard
Calabash, NC
Pop: 8,703
28422 standard
Bolivia, NC
Pop: 6,641

Related Areas

Brunswick County Riegelwood, NC North Carolina

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 28456 in? ▼
ZIP code 28456 (Riegelwood) is located in Brunswick County, North Carolina. Brunswick County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/brunswick-nc.
What is the population of ZIP code 28456? ▼
ZIP code 28456 in Riegelwood, NC has a population of 3,658 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 28456? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 28456 is $49,670, which is 35% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 28456? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 28456 is $167,900, which is 40% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 28456? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 28456 is African American at 47.5%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 5.9% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 28456? ▼
ZIP code 28456 has 51 business establishments employing approximately 1,129 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 28456? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 28456 are: Transportation and warehousing (11), Retail trade (9), Construction (8). There are 7 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 28456? ▼
In ZIP code 28456, 55.3% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 11.1% 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 28456? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 28456 is 24.1 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend less time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 28456? ▼
In ZIP code 28456, approximately 84.7% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 15.3% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 28456? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 28456 is 14.5% 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.