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 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 145.3 square miles in Cove City, Craven County, North Carolina. The area is home to 2,456 residents, producing a population density of 17 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 28523 against North Carolina and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 28523 sits at $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%. On housing, the median home value is $158,600 (39% below the state average) with median rent at $850 per month, and 66.2% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 28523 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 23.1% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 36, and the average commute is —. We also surface 3 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Craven County, so you can benchmark 28523 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 28523
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 28523.
- Construction
Construction
4 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
3 establishments
- Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services
3 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
3 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 28523, Cove City, 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
2,456
Population
145.3
Area (sq mi)
17
People / sq mi
New York
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 28523?
36.0
Median Age
45.2%
Male
54.8%
Female
2.3%
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?
$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
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
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?
1,154
Total Housing Units
1,116
Occupied Units
38
Vacant Units
2.47
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$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.
- 28586
Vanceboro (28586)
8,218 residents
- 28585
Trenton (28585)
3,942 residents
- 28526 2,489
Dover (28526)
2,489 residents
- 28523 2,456
Cove City (28523)
2,456 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 28523 ranks #4 by population — useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 28523 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 28585
Trenton (28585)
$60,855 median income
- 28586
Vanceboro (28586)
$57,041 median income
- 28523
Cove City (28523)
$45,452 median income
- 28526
Dover (28526)
$39,110 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.
More ZIP Codes in Craven County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 28523 in? ▼
What is the population of ZIP code 28523? ▼
What is the median household income in ZIP 28523? ▼
What is the average home value in ZIP 28523? ▼
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 28523? ▼
How many businesses are in ZIP code 28523? ▼
What are the main industries in ZIP code 28523? ▼
What is the education level in ZIP code 28523? ▼
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 28523? ▼
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 28523? ▼
ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for Cove City, 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.