Beaufort, NC · standard
ZIP Code 28516
Carteret County, North Carolina — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 11,431
- 21/sq mi
- $66,057
- Median income
- $315,400
- Median home value
- 31.4%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
Beaufort pairs a below-median household income with above-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 40th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 31%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 21
- people per sq mi
- 72%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 28516 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 28516 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 544.3 square miles in Beaufort, Carteret County, North Carolina. The area is home to 11,431 residents, producing a population density of 21 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 28516 against North Carolina and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 28516 sits at $66,057 (4% below the North Carolina average), while per-capita income is $45,301. The poverty rate stands at 11.8% and the unemployment rate at 3.5%. On housing, the median home value is $315,400 (22% above the state average) with median rent at $944 per month, and 72.0% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 28516 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 31.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 55.6, and the average commute is 21 minutes. We also surface 4 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Carteret County, so you can benchmark 28516 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 28516
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 28516.
- Retail trade
Retail trade
58 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
48 establishments
- Construction
Construction
47 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
41 establishments
- Professional, scientific, and technical services
Professional, scientific, and technical services
29 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 28516, Beaufort, 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
11,431
Population
544.3
Area (sq mi)
21
People / sq mi
New York
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 28516?
55.6
Median Age
47.9%
Male
52.1%
Female
2.1%
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?
$66,057
Median Household Income
-4% vs state
$45,301
Per Capita Income
11.8%
Poverty Rate
3.5%
Unemployment Rate
21.1 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 28516 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$66,057 40th percentile higher than 40% 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?
7,481
Total Housing Units
5,774
Occupied Units
1,707
Vacant Units
1.92
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$315,400
Median Home Value
+22% vs state
$944
Median Rent
1988
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
-6.5%
YoY Change (2024)
272
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+172%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 28516 have decreased 6.5% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +172% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +4.3% | 183 |
| 2021 | +14.9% | 211 |
| 2022 | +12.7% | 237 |
| 2023 | +22.5% | 291 |
| 2024 | -6.5% | 272 |
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 2024. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 335 business establishments in ZIP 28516, employing approximately 2,733 people with a combined annual payroll of $106,864,000.
335
Businesses
2,733
Employees
$106.9M
Annual Payroll
14
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 58 | 17.3% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 48 | 14.3% |
| Construction | 47 | 14.0% |
| Accommodation and food services | 41 | 12.2% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 29 | 8.7% |
| Health care and social assistance | 23 | 6.9% |
| Manufacturing | 17 | 5.1% |
| Wholesale trade | 15 | 4.5% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 13 | 3.9% |
| Finance and insurance | 12 | 3.6% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 12 | 3.6% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 8 | 2.4% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 6 | 1.8% |
| Information | 3 | 0.9% |
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 28516 vs 28589 →
ZIP 28516 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 28516
Beaufort (28516)
11,431 residents
- 28579 622
Smyrna (28579)
622 residents
- 28524 426
Davis (28524)
426 residents
- 28581 214
Stacy (28581)
214 residents
- 28589 180
Williston (28589)
180 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 28516 ranks the most populous — useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 28516 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 28524
Davis (28524)
$74,219 median income
- 28516
Beaufort (28516)
$66,057 median income
- 28579
Smyrna (28579)
$64,519 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 28516 ranks #2 of 3 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
More ZIP Codes in Carteret County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 28516 in? ▼
What is the population of ZIP code 28516? ▼
What is the median household income in ZIP 28516? ▼
What is the average home value in ZIP 28516? ▼
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 28516? ▼
How many businesses are in ZIP code 28516? ▼
What are the main industries in ZIP code 28516? ▼
How have home values changed in ZIP code 28516? ▼
What is the education level in ZIP code 28516? ▼
What is the average commute time in ZIP 28516? ▼
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 28516? ▼
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 28516? ▼
ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for Beaufort, 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.