| ZIP Codes: | 17 ZIP Codes (15 Standard, 2 PO Box, 0 Unique) [See All] |
| Area Code: | 252 |
| Timezone: | Eastern (GMT -05:00) |
| Local Time: | 2:12:56 PM |
| Population: | 61,509 [See All] |
| FIPS: | 37031 |
| CBSA: | Morehead City, NC |
| Land Area: | 521 sq mi |
| Water Area: | 242 sq mi |
| Coordinates: | 34.7931, -76.6257 |
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61,509 residents live across 17 ZIPs covering 521 sq mi, served by 17 distinct USPS-recognized cities.
Population moved from 62,954 to 61,509 from 2014 to 2024 — a -2.3% change. 7 ZIPs gained residents, 10 lost.
The county's wealthiest ZIP 28577 (Sealevel, $96,563 median) and poorest ZIP 28511 (Atlantic, $55,978) are 2.8 miles apart — a 1.7× income gap across local geography.
Median home values vary 3.9× across this county — from $156,000 in 28511 (Atlantic) to $603,700 in 28594 (Emerald Isle).
Density varies 66× across the county — from 12 people/sq mi in 28579 (Smyrna) to 777 in 28594 (Emerald Isle).
Educational attainment ranges from 17.4% bachelor's+ in 28511 (Atlantic) to 61.8% in 28512 (Atlantic Beach) — the breadth of educational profiles across the area.
Within North Carolina, this is the #45 most populous of 100 counties and ranks #20 for median household income .
Weighted by population, the typical household earns about $71,883 across the county — reflecting what a typical resident sees, not a simple ZIP average.
34.5% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher (16,428 of 47,562 reporting).
15 Standard delivery, 2 PO Box only, 0 single-entity Unique ZIPs serve this county.
1 ZIP in this county where more than 60% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor's degree — typically college campuses, research enclaves, or tech corridors.
| ZIP | City | Type | Population | Median Income | Area (sq mi) | 10-yr Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28570 | Newport | Standard | 22,197 | $70,229 | 131.4 | 1.7% |
| 28557 | Morehead City | Standard | 15,253 | $68,528 | 22.4 | 5.0% |
| 28516 | Beaufort | Standard | 11,289 | $66,057 | 185.1 | 0.1% |
| 28594 | Emerald Isle | Standard | 3,934 | $89,773 | 5.1 | 6.6% |
| 28512 | Atlantic Beach | Standard | 3,358 | $91,488 | 6.7 | 2.2% |
| 28582 | Stella | Standard | 1,658 | $89,348 | 16.3 | -26.8% |
| 28531 | Harkers Island | Standard | 1,060 | $60,000 | 10.8 | -36.6% |
| 28511 | Atlantic | Standard | 610 | $55,978 | 20.3 | -15.0% |
| 28553 | Marshallberg | Standard | 413 | $88,984 | 6.3 | 73.5% |
| 28528 | Gloucester | Standard | 407 | $64,000 | 2.9 | -39.9% |
| 28579 | Smyrna | Standard | 331 | $64,519 | 28.0 | -45.6% |
| 28577 | Sealevel | Standard | 318 | $96,563 | 3.6 | -29.8% |
| 28524 | Davis | Standard | 261 | $74,219 | 5.1 | -31.0% |
| 28575 | Salter Path | PO Box | 169 | — | 0.0 | -53.7% |
| 28581 | Stacy | Standard | 118 | — | 54.3 | 8.3% |
| 28520 | Cedar Island | Standard | 101 | $80,859 | 22.6 | -76.3% |
| 28589 | Williston | PO Box | 32 | — | 0.0 | -92.4% |