Residential delivery area · North Carolina
ZIP Code 28516: Beaufort, NC
ZIP code 28516 uses the postal name Beaufort, North Carolina and lies entirely in Carteret County (Census 2020 ZIP-county file). About 11,000 people live there (Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024). Median household income is $66,057 (Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024). By Census place, 4% of its land lies in Beaufort; 96% is outside any Census place.
- ACS2020-24
- Census2020
- FHFA2025
- ZBP2023
- IRS2022
- Town
- Beaufort · its only residential ZIP
- County
- Carteret County
- Census places
- Beaufort
- Neighborhoods
- Beaufort Meadows, Cedarville Estates, McDaniels, Oakwood Acres, Shell Landing GeoNames
- Micro area
- Morehead City, NC
- House district
- NC-3 119th Congress
- State
- North Carolina
- Time zone
- Eastern
- Land area
- 125.7 sq mi · 90 people per sq mi
Where is ZIP code 28516?
28516 centers on 34.856°, -76.620° and covers 125.7 square miles of land plus 41.7 of water. It borders 6 ZIP codes: 28579, 28528, 28557, 28520, 28532, 28570.
The map draws ZIP code areas only. For the streets inside 28516, open its center on OpenStreetMap.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 ZCTA cartographic boundaries and the 2023 Gazetteer (2020 ZCTAs); ZIP-to-county shares, Census places and House districts (119th Congress) from the Census 2020 relationship files (shares of land); metro area from the OMB delineation (July 2023); town name and time zone from simplemaps US ZIP Codes (CC BY 4.0); neighborhoods from the GeoNames gazetteer (CC BY 4.0), placed in this ZIP code by PlainZIP.
How does 28516 compare with the rest of Carteret County?
| Measure | 28516 | In Carteret County | In NC |
|---|---|---|---|
| People (ACS 2020-2024) | 11,289 | 4th of 18 | 291st of 853 |
| Median household income | $66k | 6th of 7 | 272nd of 528 |
| Median home value | $315k | 6th of 8 | 164th of 572 |
Its median household income is higher than in 40% of U.S. residential ZIP codes, and it is denser than 52% of all U.S. residential ZIP codes. ZIP codes at the ACS caps ($250,000 or more for household income, $2,000,000 or more for home value) share the top rank.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (B01003, B19013, B25077); ranks by PlainZIP over residential ZIP codes (ZCTAs).
How many people live in 28516?
The 2020 Census counted 11,204 people in 28516; the ACS, which samples households over 2020-2024, estimates 11,289. Its boundary changed between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, so the two counts are not compared.
- People, ACS 2020-2024
- 11,289
- 2020 Census count
- 11,204
- Households
- 5,774
- Median age
- 55.6
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (B01003, B01002, B11001); 2020 Census (DHC P1); 2010 Census (SF1 P1).
Who lives in 28516?
Of the 11,289 people the ACS estimates in 28516, 13.1% are under 18 and 30.7% are 65 or older. The largest group by race and Hispanic origin is White (not Hispanic) (84.1%).
- Under 1813.1%
- 18 to 6456.2%
- 65 and older30.7%
- White, not Hispanic84.1%
- Black, not Hispanic9.1%
- Other or two or more4.5%
- Hispanic or Latino2.4%
- Asian, not Hispanic0.0%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (B01001 age by sex, B03002 Hispanic or Latino origin by race); shares of the estimated population, small ZIP codes carry wide margins.
What do households in 28516 earn?
Median household income is $66,057 (ACS 2020-2024), the 6th highest of the 7 ranked ZIP codes in Carteret County.
- Median household income
- $66,057±$10,307
- Income per person
- $45,301
- Below the poverty line
- 11.8%
- Unemployed (of the labor force)
- 3.5%
- Adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree
- 31.4%
- Adjusted gross income per tax return, 2022
- $97,2855,430 returns; wages 52% of AGI (IRS)
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 and 2015-2019 5-year estimates (B19013, B19301, B17001, B23025, B15003; 2015-2019 dollars converted with the BLS CPI-U, 1.22699); IRS Statistics of Income, ZIP code data, tax year 2022 (adjusted gross income per return, filed under the address on the return).
What are homes worth in 28516?
FHFA's house price index for 28516, built from repeat sales and appraisals of the same homes, rose 117% from 2015 to 2025 and rose 69% from 2020 to 2025, and moved +13.9% in 2025.
- Median home value (owners' estimate)
- $315,400
- Median gross rent
- $944
- Homes owned by their occupants
- 72.0%
- Housing units
- 7,481
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (B25077, B25064, B25003, B25001); FHFA House Price Index, annual five-digit ZIP, updated 2026-03-31.
What businesses are in 28516?
335 business establishments had a location in this ZIP code in 2023, 14 more than in 2018; the most are in retail trade (ZIP Code Business Patterns).
- Retail trade58
- Other services (except public administration)48
- Construction47
- Accommodation and food services41
- Professional, scientific, and technical services29
- Health care and social assistance23
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns 2023 and 2018 (establishments with paid employees, by the business's ZIP code).
Which ZIP codes are next to 28516?
| ZIP | Town | People | Household income | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28579 | Smyrna | 331 | $65k | 7.2 mi |
| 28528 | Gloucester | 407 | $64k | 9.7 mi |
| 28557 | Morehead City | 15,253 | $69k | 11.0 mi |
| 28520 | Cedar Island | 101 | $81k | 13.0 mi |
| 28532 | Havelock | 20,908 | $61k | 15.5 mi |
| 28570 | Newport | 22,197 | $70k | 15.8 mi |
| 28589 | Williston | 32 | – | 8.3 mi (near) |
| 28524 | Davis | 261 | $74k | 9.8 mi (near) |
| 28553 | Marshallberg | 413 | $89k | 10.2 mi (near) |
| 28581 | Stacy | 118 | – | 10.5 mi (near) |
| 28531 | Harkers Island | 1,060 | $60k | 11.5 mi (near) |
Source: PlainZIP from the Census 2020 ZCTA boundaries (shared edges) and internal points; figures ACS 2020-2024.