Harkers Island, NC · standard
ZIP Code 28531
Carteret County, North Carolina - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 1,207
- 208/sq mi High-density area
- $60,000
- Median income Below-median income area
- $313,100
- Median home value Above-median home value
- 18.3%
- Bachelor's or higher Near-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Harkers Island pairs a below-median household income with above-median home values, in a low-density, homeowner-dominated area.
- 29th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 32%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 208
- people per sq mi
- 89%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 28531 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 28531 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Harkers Island, Carteret County, North Carolina, home to just 1,207 residents across 5.8 square miles, a density of 208 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.
ZIP 28531 reports a modest median household income of $60,000 (13% below the average North Carolina ZIP), while per-capita income is $36,684. The poverty rate is 10.4%, with unemployment at 0.0%; those measures add context to the income figure. Housing is both higher-cost and owner-heavy: median home value is $313,100 (21% above the average North Carolina ZIP), while 89.4% of occupied homes are owner-occupied and median rent is $1,125.
Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 18.3% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 61.5, and the average commute is -. The page also surfaces 5 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Carteret County, so 28531 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 28531, Harkers 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
1,207
Population
5.8
Area (sq mi)
208
People / sq mi
New York
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 28531?
61.5
Median Age
48.4%
Male
51.6%
Female
3.8%
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?
$60,000
Median Household Income
-13% vs state ZIP avg
$36,684
Per Capita Income
10.4%
Poverty Rate
0.0%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 28531 ranks among North Carolina ZIPs
Harkers 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)
$60,000 38th percentile higher than 38% 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
1,170housing units
1,170
Total Housing Units
462
Occupied Units
708
Vacant Units
2.21
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$313,100
Median Home Value
+21% vs state ZIP avg
$1,125
Median Rent
1980
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
+12.0%
YoY Change (2022)
200
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+100%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 28531 have increased 12.0% over the past year (2022). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +100% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | -2.1% | 135 |
| 2019 | +4.2% | 140 |
| 2020 | +5.7% | 148 |
| 2021 | +20.3% | 179 |
| 2022 | +12.0% | 200 |
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 2022. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 25 business establishments in ZIP 28531, employing approximately 139 people with a combined annual payroll of $3,848,000.
25
Businesses
139
Employees
$3.8M
Annual Payroll
2
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | 6 | 24.0% |
| Retail trade | 6 | 24.0% |
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 28531 vs 28528 →
ZIP 28531 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 28531
Harkers Island (28531)
1,207 residents
- 28528
Gloucester (28528)
644 residents
- 28579
Smyrna (28579)
622 residents
- 28553 454
Marshallberg (28553)
454 residents
- 28524 426
Davis (28524)
426 residents
- 28589 180
Williston (28589)
180 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 28531 ranks the most populous - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 28531 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 28553
Marshallberg (28553)
$88,984 median income
- 28524
Davis (28524)
$74,219 median income
- 28579
Smyrna (28579)
$64,519 median income
- 28528
Gloucester (28528)
$64,000 median income
- 28531
Harkers Island (28531)
$60,000 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 28531 ranks #5 of 5 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 28531, both outside NC so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment (Nearby and same-county blocks stay local).
Similar population
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by resident population (1,207 here; floor ≥1,000).
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 28531 in?
ZIP code 28531 (Harkers 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 28531?
ZIP code 28531 in Harkers Island, NC has a population of 1,207 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 28531?
The median household income in ZIP 28531 is $60,000, which is 21% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 28531?
The median home value in ZIP 28531 is $313,100, which is 13% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 28531?
The largest racial group in ZIP 28531 is White at 92.4%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 3.8% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 28531?
ZIP code 28531 has 25 business establishments employing approximately 139 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 28531?
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 28531 increased by 12.0% in 2022. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 100%. This is a developmental index based on repeat sales and appraisal data from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
What is the education level in ZIP code 28531?
In ZIP code 28531, 49.0% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 18.3% 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 28531?
In ZIP code 28531, approximately 89.4% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 10.6% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 28531?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 28531 is 10.4% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.
Related
Take this with you
What to do with ZIP 28531's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 28531 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Harkers 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.