Cedar Island, NC · standard
ZIP Code 28520
Carteret County, North Carolina - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 327
- 6/sq mi Low-density area
- $80,859
- Median income Near-median income area
- $265,000
- Median home value Near-median home value
- 25.7%
- Bachelor's or higher Near-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Cedar Island pairs an above-median household income with above-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 37%
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 39%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 6
- people per sq mi
- 100%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 28520 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 28520 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Cedar Island, Carteret County, North Carolina, home to just 327 residents across 57.4 square miles, a density of 6 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.
ZIP 28520 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $80,859 (17% above the average North Carolina ZIP), while per-capita income is $62,949. Both reported hardship measures are comparatively low in absolute terms: poverty is 0.0% and unemployment is 0.0%. Median home value is $265,000 (2% above the average North Carolina ZIP); 100.0% of occupied homes are owner-occupied.
Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 25.7% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 58.3, and the average commute is -. The page also surfaces 3 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Carteret County, so 28520 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 →
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 28520, Cedar Island, 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
327
Population
57.4
Area (sq mi)
6
People / sq mi
New York
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 28520?
58.3
Median Age
82.2%
Male
17.8%
Female
0.0%
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?
$80,859
Median Household Income
+17% vs state ZIP avg
$62,949
Per Capita Income
0.0%
Poverty Rate
0.0%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 28520 ranks among North Carolina ZIPs
Cedar Island, 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)
$80,859 Top 22% higher than 78% 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
185housing units
185
Total Housing Units
57
Occupied Units
128
Vacant Units
1.77
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$265,000
Median Home Value
+2% vs state ZIP avg
2010
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 5 business establishments in ZIP 28520, employing approximately 11 people with a combined annual payroll of $177,000.
5
Businesses
11
Employees
$177K
Annual Payroll
0
Industry Sectors
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 28520 vs 28511 →
ZIP 28520 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 28511
Atlantic (28511)
694 residents
- 28577
Sealevel (28577)
522 residents
- 28520
Cedar Island (28520)
327 residents
- 28581 214
Stacy (28581)
214 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 28520 ranks #3 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 28520 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 28577
Sealevel (28577)
$96,563 median income
- 28520
Cedar Island (28520)
$80,859 median income
- 28511
Atlantic (28511)
$55,978 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 28520 ranks #2 of 3 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 28520, both outside NC so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment (Nearby and same-county blocks stay local).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Carteret County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 28520 in?
ZIP code 28520 (Cedar Island) is located in Carteret County, North Carolina. Carteret County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/carteret-nc.
What is the population of ZIP code 28520?
ZIP code 28520 in Cedar Island, NC has a population of 327 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 28520?
The median household income in ZIP 28520 is $80,859, which is 6% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 28520?
The median home value in ZIP 28520 is $265,000, which is 5% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 28520?
The largest racial group in ZIP 28520 is White at 93.1%.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 28520?
ZIP code 28520 has 5 business establishments employing approximately 11 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What is the education level in ZIP code 28520?
In ZIP code 28520, 74.3% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 25.7% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
Related
Take this with you
What to do with ZIP 28520's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 28520 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Cedar Island, NC ranks among every U.S. ZIP code on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
- Save this ZIP to your shortlist to track alongside others you're considering View your shortlist
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.