Willard, NC · standard
ZIP Code 28478
Pender County, North Carolina — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 4,588
- 15/sq mi
- $73,388
- Median income
- $178,900
- Median home value
- 15.1%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
Willard pairs an above-median household income with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 48%
- household income, US ZIPs
- 38th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 15
- people per sq mi
- 91%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 28478 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 28478 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 314.2 square miles in Willard, Pender County, North Carolina. The area is home to 4,588 residents, producing a population density of 15 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 28478 against North Carolina and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 28478 sits at $73,388 (6% above the North Carolina average), while per-capita income is $40,605. The poverty rate stands at 14.1% and the unemployment rate at 5.9%. On housing, the median home value is $178,900 (31% below the state average) with median rent at $718 per month, and 90.8% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 28478 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 15.1% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 44.8, and the average commute is 33 minutes. We also surface 4 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 5 additional ZIPs sharing Pender County, so you can benchmark 28478 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 28478
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 28478.
- Construction
Construction
13 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
11 establishments
- Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services
6 establishments
- Health care and social assistance 5
Health care and social assistance
5 establishments
- Transportation and warehousing 4
Transportation and warehousing
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 + HUD FMR + FHFA HPI ACS demographics, ZBP business establishments, HUD Fair Market Rents, FHFA HPI for ZIP 28478, Willard, NC · 2023 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
4,588
Population
314.2
Area (sq mi)
15
People / sq mi
New York
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 28478?
44.8
Median Age
50.6%
Male
49.4%
Female
4.4%
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?
$73,388
Median Household Income
+6% vs state
$40,605
Per Capita Income
14.1%
Poverty Rate
5.9%
Unemployment Rate
32.6 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 28478 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$73,388 Top 48% higher than 52% 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?
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What does housing look like?
2,327
Total Housing Units
2,087
Occupied Units
240
Vacant Units
2.40
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$178,900
Median Home Value
-31% vs state
$718
Median Rent
1992
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 53 business establishments in ZIP 28478, employing approximately 218 people with a combined annual payroll of $9,171,000.
53
Businesses
218
Employees
$9.2M
Annual Payroll
7
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | 13 | 24.5% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 11 | 20.8% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 6 | 11.3% |
| Health care and social assistance | 5 | 9.4% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 4 | 7.5% |
| Wholesale trade | 3 | 5.7% |
| Retail trade | 3 | 5.7% |
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 28478 vs 28464 →
ZIP 28478 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 28425
Burgaw (28425)
10,906 residents
- 28466
Wallace (28466)
10,103 residents
- 28478
Willard (28478)
4,588 residents
- 28464 2,457
Teachey (28464)
2,457 residents
- 28421 1,521
Atkinson (28421)
1,521 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 28478 ranks #3 by population — useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 28478 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 28478
Willard (28478)
$73,388 median income
- 28425
Burgaw (28425)
$66,478 median income
- 28466
Wallace (28466)
$65,558 median income
- 28464
Teachey (28464)
$60,130 median income
- 28421
Atkinson (28421)
$60,025 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 28478 ranks the highest of 5 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
More ZIP Codes in Pender County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 28478 in? ▼
What is the population of ZIP code 28478? ▼
What is the median household income in ZIP 28478? ▼
What is the average home value in ZIP 28478? ▼
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 28478? ▼
How many businesses are in ZIP code 28478? ▼
What are the main industries in ZIP code 28478? ▼
What is the education level in ZIP code 28478? ▼
What is the average commute time in ZIP 28478? ▼
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 28478? ▼
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 28478? ▼
ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for Willard, NC
Verify and explore additional data for this area using these official government sources.
Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.