| ZIP Codes: | 16 ZIP Codes (10 Standard, 5 PO Box, 1 Unique) [See All] |
| Area Codes: | 472 / 910 |
| Timezone: | Eastern (GMT -05:00) |
| Local Time: | 2:12:58 PM |
| Population: | 237,060 [See All] |
| FIPS: | 37129 |
| CBSA: | Wilmington, NC |
| Land Area: | 239 sq mi |
| Water Area: | 29 sq mi |
| Coordinates: | 34.2042, -77.8943 |
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237,060 residents live across 16 ZIPs covering 239 sq mi, served by 5 distinct USPS-recognized cities.
Population moved from 211,158 to 237,060 from 2014 to 2024 — a +12.3% change. 9 ZIPs gained residents, 1 lost.
The county's wealthiest ZIP 28480 (Wrightsville Beach, $172,500 median) and poorest ZIP 28403 (Wilmington, $54,547) are 4.7 miles apart — a 3.2× income gap across local geography.
Median home values vary 4.7× across this county — from $239,200 in 28429 (Castle Hayne) to $1,131,800 in 28480 (Wrightsville Beach).
Density varies 11× across the county — from 234 people/sq mi in 28429 (Castle Hayne) to 2,609 in 28403 (Wilmington).
Most of the decade's growth concentrated around Wilmington — top growth ZIPs averaged +19.0% over the past ten years ( 28405 , 28412 and 28409 ).
Educational attainment ranges from 25.5% bachelor's+ in 28429 (Castle Hayne) to 73.8% in 28480 (Wrightsville Beach) — the breadth of educational profiles across the area.
Within North Carolina, this is the #10 most populous of 100 counties and ranks #7 for median household income with the #22 fastest decade growth .
Hosts 1 single-entity Unique ZIP: 28410Bedford Fair Industries .
Weighted by population, the typical household earns about $79,497 across the county — reflecting what a typical resident sees, not a simple ZIP average.
45.5% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher (75,337 of 165,648 reporting).
10 Standard delivery, 5 PO Box only, 1 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.
Median household income spans 3.2× between the wealthiest and poorest ZIPs — a sign of significant intra-county inequality.
| ZIP | City | Type | Population | Median Income | Area (sq mi) | 10-yr Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28412 | Wilmington | Standard | 44,166 | $71,636 | 28.3 | 20.6% |
| 28403 | Wilmington | Standard | 40,319 | $54,547 | 15.5 | 1.4% |
| 28411 | Wilmington | Standard | 37,233 | $97,387 | 41.8 | 15.4% |
| 28409 | Wilmington | Standard | 36,163 | $111,048 | 27.5 | 15.7% |
| 28405 | Wilmington | Standard | 35,467 | $70,274 | 24.3 | 20.7% |
| 28401 | Wilmington | Standard | 22,007 | $57,968 | 41.1 | -1.0% |
| 28429 | Castle Hayne | Standard | 9,662 | $72,337 | 41.2 | 9.5% |
| 28428 | Carolina Beach | Standard | 7,136 | $93,241 | 8.8 | 11.8% |
| 28480 | Wrightsville Beach | Standard | 2,776 | $172,500 | 4.2 | 9.9% |
| 28449 | Kure Beach | Standard | 2,131 | $107,563 | 6.7 | 12.5% |
| 28408 | Wilmington | PO Box | — | — | 0.0 | — |
| 28410 | Wilmington | Unique | — | — | 0.0 | — |
| 28407 | Wilmington | PO Box | — | — | 0.0 | — |
| 28402 | Wilmington | PO Box | — | — | 0.0 | — |
| 28404 | Wilmington | PO Box | — | — | 0.0 | — |
| 28406 | Wilmington | PO Box | — | — | 0.0 | — |