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 Moderate-density area
- $49,670
- Median income Below-median income area
- $167,900
- Median home value Near-median home value
- 11.1%
- Bachelor's or higher Below-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
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
- 33rd 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 average North Carolina ZIP), while per-capita income is $27,062. Unemployment is 11.0%, an important qualifier alongside the household-income figure. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $167,900 (35% below the average North Carolina ZIP), and median rent is $785; owner occupancy is 84.7%.
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. The page also surfaces 4 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Brunswick County, so 28456 can be compared with both its immediate and county-level context.
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.
- Transportation and warehousing
Transportation and warehousing
11 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
9 establishments
- Construction
Construction
8 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
6 establishments
- Manufacturing 4
Manufacturing
4 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, 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
Who lives in ZIP 28456?
47.2
Median Age
46.4%
Male
53.6%
Female
6.7%
Foreign-Born
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 ZIP avg
$27,062
Per Capita Income
14.5%
Poverty Rate
11.0%
Unemployment Rate
24.1 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 28456 ranks among North Carolina ZIPs
Riegelwood, NC household income vs. every North Carolina ZIP code
Median household income among 749 reporting North Carolina ZIPs (this ZIP's population is too small for a reliable national-corpus placement)
$49,670 17th percentile higher than 17% of 749 North Carolina ZIPs
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more North Carolina 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?
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What does housing look like?
Housing stock: occupied vs vacant
1,832housing units
1,832
Total Housing Units
1,531
Occupied Units
301
Vacant Units
2.52
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$167,900
Median Home Value
-35% vs state ZIP avg
$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.
- 28456
Riegelwood (28456)
3,658 residents
- 28423
Bolton (28423)
2,290 residents
- 28436
Delco (28436)
2,203 residents
- 28421
Atkinson (28421)
1,521 residents
- 28448 1,243
Kelly (28448)
1,243 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 28456 ranks the most populous - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 28456 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 28436
Delco (28436)
$64,297 median income
- 28421
Atkinson (28421)
$60,025 median income
- 28448
Kelly (28448)
$53,378 median income
- 28423
Bolton (28423)
$52,250 median income
- 28456
Riegelwood (28456)
$49,670 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.
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 28456, both outside NC so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment (Nearby and same-county blocks stay local).
Similar population
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by resident population (3,658 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Brunswick County
Related Areas
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.
Related
Take this with you
What to do with ZIP 28456's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 28456 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Riegelwood, NC ranks among every U.S. ZIP code on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
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ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.