| ZIP Codes: | 14 ZIP Codes (13 Standard, 1 PO Box, 0 Unique) [See All] |
| Area Codes: | 472 / 910 |
| Timezone: | Eastern (GMT -05:00) |
| Local Time: | 11:54:15 PM |
| Population: | 50,255 [See All] |
| FIPS: | 37047 |
| Land Area: | 964 sq mi |
| Water Area: | 17 sq mi |
| Coordinates: | 34.2727, -78.6698 |
| Quick Link: |
50,255 residents live across 14 ZIPs covering 964 sq mi, served by 14 distinct USPS-recognized cities.
Population moved from 57,886 to 50,255 from 2014 to 2024 — a -13.2% change. 4 ZIPs gained residents, 10 lost.
The county's wealthiest ZIP 28432 (Clarendon, $90,815 median) and poorest ZIP 28439 (Fair Bluff, $32,361) are 19.5 miles apart — a 2.8× income gap across local geography.
Median home values vary 2.7× across this county — from $98,900 in 28442 (Hallsboro) to $264,200 in 28450 (Lake Waccamaw).
Density varies 4× across the county — from 23 people/sq mi in 28455 (Nakina) to 84 in 28472 (Whiteville).
Educational attainment ranges from 5.6% bachelor's+ in 28438 (Evergreen) to 29.0% in 28450 (Lake Waccamaw) — the breadth of educational profiles across the area.
Within North Carolina, this is the #51 most populous of 100 counties and ranks #78 for median household income .
Weighted by population, the typical household earns about $48,869 across the county — reflecting what a typical resident sees, not a simple ZIP average.
14.5% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher (5,165 of 35,731 reporting).
13 Standard delivery, 1 PO Box only, 0 single-entity Unique ZIPs serve this county.
A frontier county — vast land area with only a few residents per square mile. Daily life looks very different here than in the country's denser counties.
Columbus County lost 13.2% of residents between 2014 and 2024. ZIPs that shed the largest share:
| ZIP | City | Type | Population | Median Income | Area (sq mi) | 10-yr Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28472 | Whiteville | Standard | 16,780 | $42,003 | 199.3 | -19.0% |
| 28463 | Tabor City | Standard | 7,522 | $45,239 | 118.5 | -26.3% |
| 28431 | Chadbourn | Standard | 5,901 | $40,888 | 79.4 | -5.0% |
| 28456 | Riegelwood | Standard | 3,860 | $49,670 | 73.5 | 15.8% |
| 28423 | Bolton | Standard | 2,388 | $52,250 | 102.1 | -4.1% |
| 28450 | Lake Waccamaw | Standard | 2,337 | $69,554 | 63.2 | -1.0% |
| 28436 | Delco | Standard | 1,922 | $64,297 | 62.3 | -13.7% |
| 28442 | Hallsboro | Standard | 1,810 | $60,964 | 50.9 | 21.8% |
| 28432 | Clarendon | Standard | 1,656 | $90,815 | 32.9 | -19.2% |
| 28455 | Nakina | Standard | 1,644 | $37,760 | 70.8 | -7.3% |
| 28438 | Evergreen | Standard | 1,582 | $59,199 | 42.0 | -1.3% |
| 28430 | Cerro Gordo | Standard | 1,573 | $68,356 | 45.9 | 7.7% |
| 28439 | Fair Bluff | Standard | 1,190 | $32,361 | 22.8 | -37.4% |
| 28424 | Brunswick | PO Box | 90 | $48,875 | 0.0 | 55.2% |