PlainZIP

Cove City, NC · standard

ZIP Code 28523

Craven County, North Carolina - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.

2,456
17/sq mi
$45,452
Median income
$158,600
Median home value
23.1%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Cove City pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

9th pct
household income, US ZIPs
29th pct
home value, US ZIPs
17
people per sq mi
66%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 28523 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 28523 covers 145.3 square miles in Cove City, Craven County, North Carolina (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 2,456 residents on file, a density of 17 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.

ZIP 28523 reports a modest median household income of $45,452 (34% below the North Carolina average), while per-capita income is $34,822. The poverty rate stands at 7.3% and the unemployment rate at 2.4%. Housing costs here run $158,600 for a typical home value (39% below the state average), with rent averaging $850 a month; 66.2% of homes are owner-occupied.

Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 23.1% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 36, and the average commute is -. A geography-based comparison follows: 3 ZIP codes within about 10 miles of 28523, plus 6 more within Craven County, give a clearer read than the national average alone.

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 28523

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Cove City, NC

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 28523.

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 · ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) As of 2023

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 28523, Cove City, 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

2,456

Population

145.3

Area (sq mi)

17

People / sq mi

New York

Time Zone

standard

ZIP Type

Neighborhood Scorecard
Get an A-F grade across income, safety, housing, rent, education, commute, and childcare for this ZIP code.
View Scorecard →

Who lives in ZIP 28523?

36.0

Median Age

45.2%

Male

54.8%

Female

2.3%

Foreign-Born

White 72.9%
African American 16.5%
Asian 0.0%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 5.1%
Hispanic or Latino 3.7%

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?

$45,452

Median Household Income

-34% vs state

$34,822

Per Capita Income

7.3%

Poverty Rate

2.4%

Unemployment Rate

How ZIP 28523 ranks nationally

Cove City, NC household income vs. every US ZIP code

Median household income, the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked

$45,452 9th percentile higher than 9% of 30,318 US ZIPs

$0–$20,000: 118 US ZIPs (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 1,573 US ZIPs (5%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 7,092 US ZIPs (23%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). Above this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 2,855 US ZIPs (9%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 1,362 US ZIPs (4%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 686 US ZIPs (2%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 364 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 186 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 324 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. This ZIP $0 $200K+ every reporting US ZIP, bucketed by value

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?

High School Graduate or Higher 63.3%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 23.1%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What does housing look like?

1,154

Total Housing Units

1,116

Occupied Units

38

Vacant Units

2.47

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 66.2%
Renter 33.8%

$158,600

Median Home Value

-39% vs state

$850

Median Rent

1983

Median Year Built

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 20 business establishments in ZIP 28523, employing approximately 140 people with a combined annual payroll of $7,387,000.

20

Businesses

140

Employees

$7.4M

Annual Payroll

4

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Construction 4 20.0%
Retail trade 3 15.0%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 3 15.0%
Other services (except public administration) 3 15.0%

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 28523 vs 28526 →

ZIP 28523 vs its nearest neighbors, by population

Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

residents

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 28523 ranks #4 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023

ZIP 28523 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income

Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

median income

What this shows By household income, ZIP 28523 ranks #3 of 4 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023
ZIP Code City Population Distance
28526 Dover, NC 2,489 6.6 mi
28586 Vanceboro, NC 8,218 10.4 mi
28585 Trenton, NC 3,942 11.6 mi

More ZIP Codes in Craven County

28562 standard
New Bern, NC
Pop: 36,176
28560 standard
New Bern, NC
Pop: 28,921
28532 standard
Havelock, NC
Pop: 23,320
28586 standard
Vanceboro, NC
Pop: 8,218
28530 standard
Grifton, NC
Pop: 7,332
28533 standard
Cherry Point, NC
Pop: 2,952

Related Areas

Craven County Cove City, NC North Carolina

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 28523 in? ▼
ZIP code 28523 (Cove City) is located in Craven County, North Carolina. Craven County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/craven-nc.
What is the population of ZIP code 28523? ▼
ZIP code 28523 in Cove City, NC has a population of 2,456 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 28523? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 28523 is $45,452, which is 40% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 28523? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 28523 is $158,600, which is 43% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 28523? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 28523 is White at 72.9%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 3.7% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 28523? ▼
ZIP code 28523 has 20 business establishments employing approximately 140 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 28523? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 28523 are: Construction (4), Retail trade (3), Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services (3). There are 4 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 28523? ▼
In ZIP code 28523, 63.3% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 23.1% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 28523? ▼
In ZIP code 28523, approximately 66.2% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 33.8% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 28523? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 28523 is 7.3% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.

Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.