Richlands, NC · standard

ZIP Code 28574

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

Reviewed by PlainZIP Editorial Team, ZIP Code Data Editors · June 14, 2026

15,102
46/sq mi: $67,416
Median income: $216,500
Median home value: 17.7%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Richlands pairs a below-median household income with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

43th pct
household income, US ZIPs: 48th pct
home value, US ZIPs: 46
people per sq mi: 82%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 28574 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 28574 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 331.9 square miles in Richlands, Onslow County, North Carolina. The area is home to 15,102 residents, producing a population density of 46 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 28574 against North Carolina and the nation.

On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 28574 sits at $67,416 (3% below the North Carolina average), while per-capita income is $26,253. The poverty rate stands at 10.0% and the unemployment rate at 8.1%. On housing, the median home value is $216,500 (17% below the state average) with median rent at $1,147 per month, and 81.7% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 28574 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.

Education and household profile round out the picture: 17.7% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 28.3, and the average commute is 33 minutes. We also surface 3 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Onslow County, so you can benchmark 28574 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 28574

Construction

31
Retail trade

29
Other services (except public administration)

23
Accommodation and food services

22
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services

16

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 28574, Richlands, NC · 2023 Accessed 2026-06-14 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

15,102

Population

331.9

Area (sq mi)

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 28574?

28.3

Median Age

52.0%

Male

48.0%

Female

2.2%

Foreign-Born

White 74.0%

African American 7.5%

Asian 0.8%

American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%

Two or More Ethnicities 11.3%

Hispanic or Latino 7.4%

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?

$67,416

Median Household Income

-3% vs state

$26,253

Per Capita Income

10.0%

Poverty Rate

8.1%

Unemployment Rate

32.9 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 28574 ranks nationally

Household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$67,416 43rd percentile higher than 43% 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?

High School Graduate or Higher 54.6%

Bachelor's Degree or Higher 17.7%

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

What does housing look like?

8,239

Total Housing Units

7,137

Occupied Units

1,102

Vacant Units

2.93

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 81.7%

Renter 18.3%

$216,500

Median Home Value

-17% vs state

$1,147

Median Rent

2003

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

+6.7%

YoY Change (2024)

232

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+132%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 28574 have increased 6.7% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +132% cumulative appreciation.

Year	Annual Change	HPI Index
2020	+0.3%	148
2021	+14.1%	169
2022	+16.9%	197
2023	+10.5%	218
2024	+6.7%	232

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 190 business establishments in ZIP 28574, employing approximately 1,821 people with a combined annual payroll of $55,712,000.

190

Businesses

1,821

Employees

$55.7M

Annual Payroll

Industry Sectors

Industry	Establishments	% of Total
Construction	31	16.3%
Retail trade	29	15.3%
Other services (except public administration)	23	12.1%
Accommodation and food services	22	11.6%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services	16	8.4%
Health care and social assistance	14	7.4%
Transportation and warehousing	12	6.3%
Professional, scientific, and technical services	10	5.3%
Finance and insurance	8	4.2%
Real estate and rental and leasing	7	3.7%
Manufacturing	5	2.6%
Educational services	4	2.1%
Wholesale trade	3	1.6%
Information	3	1.6%

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 28574 vs 28521 →

28540

49,252
28574

15,102
28572

6,531
28521

2,287

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 28574 ranks #2 by population — useful context the national average alone can't give.

28574

$67,416
28540

$65,625
28572

$55,660
28521

$47,813

What this shows By household income, ZIP 28574 ranks the highest of 4 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

ZIP Code	City	Population	Distance
28521	Chinquapin, NC	2,287	8.9 mi
28540	Jacksonville, NC	49,252	9.8 mi
28572	Pink Hill, NC	6,531	12.6 mi

More ZIP Codes in Onslow County

Onslow County Richlands, NC North Carolina

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 28574 in? ▼

ZIP code 28574 (Richlands) is located in Onslow County, North Carolina. Onslow County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/onslow-nc.

What is the population of ZIP code 28574? ▼

ZIP code 28574 in Richlands, NC has a population of 15,102 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in ZIP 28574? ▼

The median household income in ZIP 28574 is $67,416, which is 12% below the national average of $76,288.

What is the average home value in ZIP 28574? ▼

The median home value in ZIP 28574 is $216,500, which is 22% below the national average of $278,155.

What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 28574? ▼

The largest racial group in ZIP 28574 is White at 74.0%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 7.4% of the population.

How many businesses are in ZIP code 28574? ▼

ZIP code 28574 has 190 business establishments employing approximately 1,821 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.

What are the main industries in ZIP code 28574? ▼

The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 28574 are: Construction (31), Retail trade (29), Other services (except public administration) (23). There are 14 industry sectors represented in total.

How have home values changed in ZIP code 28574? ▼

According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 28574 increased by 6.7% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 132%. 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 28574? ▼

In ZIP code 28574, 54.6% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 17.7% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).

What is the average commute time in ZIP 28574? ▼

The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 28574 is 32.9 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend more time traveling to work than typical.

What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 28574? ▼

In ZIP code 28574, approximately 81.7% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 18.3% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 28574? ▼

The poverty rate in ZIP code 28574 is 10.0% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.