Population & age
- Total population
- 153
- Median age
- 51.9
ZIP 28581, NC (28581)
Carteret County · Population 153
Fresh.Data current as of Apr 24, 2026
NC 28581 (ZIP 28581) sits in Carteret County. The page draws on 1 federal data feed retrieved Apr 24. Top health signal: High Blood Pressure comes in above the national average at 45.5%. No NCES schools are mapped to this ZIP in the current dataset. 7 colleges and universities serve the area, with median in-state tuition of $2,411. Local establishments report average pay of $12,000 per worker (Census ZBP) — below the US average. BLS QCEW reports average annual pay of $45,708 per worker, roughly 30% below the US average. Social vulnerability is low in this ZIP at the 4th percentile (CDC SVI), reflecting strong baseline resilience to public-health emergencies and natural disasters. FEMA has issued 30 federal disaster declarations affecting this ZIP since 1993 — a high-frequency exposure profile. Annual precipitation averages 61.2" — a wet-climate ZCTA per NOAA's 1991–2020 Normals. County Health Rankings reports 10,599 years of potential life lost per 100,000 (2025) — well above the national county median. 33.2% of residents in this county are flagged low-access by USDA's 2025 Food Environment Atlas — a notable supermarket-access gap. IRS migration data (2022-2023) shows a net gain of 1,070 residents (483 households) — the ZIP's primary county is growing. Healthcare access is the area's quieter strength; school options sit on the lighter side, so families may find themselves looking at districts a few ZIPs over. Notable: fair market rent of $1,180 for a two-bedroom, a typical home value of $252,236, up 8.5% over the past year, and a median home value of $165,800. Every figure on this page links to its underlying federal dataset with a retrieval date so you can audit the freshness yourself.
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Demographics
Race & ethnicity
- White
- 100.0%
- Black
- 0.0%
- Asian
- 0.0%
- Hispanic / Latino
- 0.0%
Income & housing
- Median home value
- $165,800
Education
- Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+)
- 33.3%
Employment
- Unemployment rate
- 0.0%
Housing
- Owner-occupied
- 54(90.0%)
- Renter-occupied
- 6(10.0%)
- Vacant units
- 89
- Built (median)
- 1992
Commute
- Public transit
- 0(0.0%)
- Work from home
- 6(8.8%)
Economic wellbeing
- Below poverty line
- 12(8.5%)
- Uninsured
- 0(0.0%)
Digital access
- Broadband access
- 60(100.0%)
Language & nativity
- Foreign-born
- 0(0.0%)
- Non-English at home
- 0(0.0%)
Fair Market Rent
Fresh.HUD SAFMR · May 1, 2026Studio
$890
/month
1 Bed
$890
/month
2 Bed
$1,180
/month
3 Bed
$1,510
/month
4 Bed
$1,930
/month
HUD Fair Market Rents represent the 40th percentile of standard-quality rental housing in this area. FY2026 data.
Home values
Typical home value
$252,236
Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI) · as of March 2026
Year-over-year change
+8.5%
vs. March 2025
5-year change
+40.4%
vs. March 2021
Metro area
Morehead City, NC
Metropolitan statistical area
Source: Zillow Research, ZHVI All Homes (SFR, Condo/Co-op) Time Series (zillow.com/research/data). Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI) is copyrighted by Zillow, Inc.
New housing construction
New housing units permitted
935
Across 586 permitted buildings. Total construction value: $279.4M.
Single-family
559
60% of total units
Multifamily (2+ unit)
376
40% of total units
Single-family value
$229.3M
construction value
Multifamily value
$50.1M
construction value
Based on county-level data (2024).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (census.gov/construction/bps). Public domain. BPS reports annual residential building permits from local permit-issuing jurisdictions, aggregated to county. A permit reflects intent to build, not a completed unit — actual construction lags by 6-24 months for multifamily projects.
Business & employment
Business establishments
3
Total employment
2
Annual payroll
$24K
Average annual pay
$12,000
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Business Patterns (census.gov). Public domain. ZBP covers establishments with paid employees; Census suppresses employment and payroll values when fewer employers operate in a ZIP than would protect their confidentiality.
Employment & wages
Average annual pay
$45,708
Average weekly wage
$879
Total employment
25,022
Total establishments
2,721
That is roughly 30% below the US national average of $65,470 per worker.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (bls.gov/cew). Public domain. QCEW is derived from state unemployment-insurance filings and covers ~95% of US jobs. Figures are county-level totals assigned to ZIPs whose primary county matches; small-employer cells are suppressed by BLS to protect employer confidentiality.
Unemployment
Unemployment rate
3.4%
That is 0.6 percentage points below the US national unemployment rate of about 4.0%.
Labor force
32,153
Employed
31,073
Unemployed
1,080
Based on Carteret County, NC data (2024).
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (bls.gov/lau). Public domain. LAUS publishes monthly and annual labor-force estimates for every US county. Figures are county-level totals assigned to ZIPs whose primary county matches.
Federal Disaster Declarations
Federally Declared Disasters
30
Date Range
1993–2026
Most Recent Declaration
SEVERE WINTER STORM
Winter Storm — declared January 24, 2026 (DR-3637)
Incident period: January 21, 2026 – January 27, 2026
Top Incident Types
- Hurricane23 (77%)
- Tropical Storm3 (10%)
- Biological2 (7%)
- Winter Storm1 (3%)
- Snowstorm1 (3%)
Individual Assistance
6
Direct help to disaster survivors
Households Program
5
Housing & temporary lodging support
Public Assistance
29
Repair of public facilities & roads
Hazard Mitigation
12
Funding to reduce future disaster risk
FEMA declares disasters at the county level; counts here include every federally declared disaster touching any county that overlaps this ZIP. Statewide declarations and pre-1964 records without county granularity are excluded. Program flags reflect which FEMA assistance categories were activated (Individual Assistance, Households, Public Assistance, Hazard Mitigation). Source: fema.gov/openfema. Public domain.
Climate
30-year averages (1991-2020) from the nearest GHCN-D weather station. Temperature and precipitation values reflect typical annual conditions, not any single year.
Avg. temperature
63.2°F
55° – 71.4°
Annual precipitation
61.2"
Annual snowfall
0.5"
Heating · cooling days
2,483.1 · 1,849.1
Annual base 65°F
Nearest station: MOREHEAD CITY 2 WNW, NC US, 18.7 miles from the centroid of ZIP 28581 (ZIP 28581)
Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals (ncei.noaa.gov). Public domain.
Air quality
Median daily AQI
35
GoodGood 357dModerate 7d
Peak AQI (2024)
71
Moderate
Primary pollutant
Ozone
364 days as main pollutant
Days measured
364
Based on Carteret County data (2024).
Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Air Quality System (epa.gov). Public domain. Only counties with EPA AQS monitoring stations appear here (~30% of US counties); rural ZIPs whose primary county has no monitor will not show this section.
Community health profile
Years of potential life lost (per 100K)
10,599
That is roughly 2,399 years per 100,000 above the national county median (~8,200).
Premature death is the headline composite outcome CHR reports — age-adjusted, all-cause, before age 75.
Fair or poor health
15%
of adults self-report
Poor physical health days
3.8
avg per adult per month
Poor mental health days
5.1
avg per adult per month
Uninsured
12.3%
of residents under 65
Primary care MDs
61
per 100,000 residents
Preventable hospital stays
2,568
per 100K Medicare enrollees
Food environment (0-10)
7.5
10 = best access & security
Exercise access
85%
residents near a facility
Flu vaccinated
50%
of Medicare enrollees
Low birth weight (under 2,500 g) accounts for 7.2% of live births in this county — an early-life health input that downstream outcomes track against.
Based on Carteret data (2025 CHR release).
Source: County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute (countyhealthrankings.org). Annual release. Underlying source datasets vary by measure (CDC BRFSS, NCHS Vital Statistics, AHA, USDA Food Environment Atlas, and others). Figures are county-level and assigned to every ZIP whose primary county matches.
Food access
Food access status
Significant food access concerns
33.2% of Carteret County, NC residents live more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket.
Grocery stores
0.22
per 1,000 residents
Supercenters & clubs
—
per 1,000 residents
SNAP-authorized stores
1.10
accepting food benefits
Fast-food restaurants
0.95
per 1,000 residents
Among low-income residents, 7.7% are low-access — those without a supermarket within 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural).
Per-1,000 figures show how many of each store type exist in Carteret County, NC for every 1,000 residents. Higher grocery and supercenter density usually means easier access to fresh food; higher convenience-store-only density (with low grocery rate) often signals a food swamp.
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Environment Atlas (ers.usda.gov). County-level metrics fanned to ZIP via the primary county in the Census ZCTA-county relationship file. Variable years differ per family (stores ~2020, low-access ~2019).
Safety
FBI publishes crime data at the county level. Numbers below cover the primary county that contains this ZIP. Rates are per 100,000 residents in the area covered by reporting agencies.
Violent crime rate
—
per 100K residents · 58 reports
Property crime rate
—
per 100K residents · 343 reports
Homicide
1
Robbery
1
Burglary
82
Vehicle theft
28
County-level data for Carteret (2024)
Source: U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, Uniform Crime Reporting Program (cde.ucr.cjis.gov). Public domain. Coverage varies by reporting agency; areas with partial agency coverage may understate true crime totals.
Who’s moving in and out
Net migration (2022-2023)
▲+1,070 people
+483 households • +$100.0M net AGI flow
Moved in
3,289households
5,799 people • $302.6M AGI
Moved out
2,806households
4,729 people • $202.5M AGI
Where new residents came from
- Craven County, NC — 288 households
- Onslow County, NC — 206 households
- Wake County, NC — 191 households
- Johnston County, NC — 60 households
- Pitt County, NC — 55 households
Where departing residents went
- Craven County, NC — 318 households
- Onslow County, NC — 245 households
- Wake County, NC — 129 households
- New Hanover County, NC — 59 households
- Pitt County, NC — 56 households
Incoming households reported an average AGI of $91,989 versus departing households' $72,174.
Source: U.S. Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income, Migration Data (irs.gov). Public domain. Migration is measured by year-over-year changes in the address on individual tax returns; figures are county-level totals attributed to ZIPs whose primary county matches. Foreign migration contributes to inflow/outflow totals but does not appear in the top-county lists. Small flows are suppressed by IRS to protect taxpayer confidentiality.
Taxes & benefits in North Carolina
State-level rules that apply to every resident of ZIP 28581. Numbers reflect the most recent published year per source.
Tax rates
Income tax
4.25%
flat · 1 brackets
Sales tax (combined)
7.00%
State 4.75% · avg local 2.25%
Property tax (effective)
0.48%
Median $1,058/year
Tax burden rank
21 of 50
9.60% of personal income
For ZIP 28581: Applied to this ZIP's typical home value of $252,236, that works out to roughly $1,200/year in property tax.
Paid family leave
Program
No program
No program
Safety net
SNAP eligibility
200% FPL
Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility (raises gross income limit above federal 130% floor). No asset test.
Sources: Tax Foundation (state tax rates & brackets), Bipartisan Policy Center (paid family leave), USDA FNS (SNAP categorical eligibility).
Other ZIPs near 28581
Nearby ZIPs by distance
28524 (Davis, 3.8 mi) · 28579 (4.5 mi) · 28577 (4.7 mi) · 28589 (4.7 mi) · 28511 (Atlantic, 6.4 mi) · 28553 (Marshallberg, 8.4 mi)
Compare ZIP-level stats — population, schools, housing, climate — across nearby areas. Source: U.S. Census Bureau ZCTA basemap.
Data sources used on this page
All data on this page is sourced from federal government datasets · Not AI-generated · Methodology
Health profile
Crude prevalence estimates from CDC PLACES, derived from BRFSS small-area modeling. Population-level figures only.
Obesity
35.3%
2.3pp above the 33.0% national rate.
High Blood Pressure
45.5%
13.5pp above the 32.0% national rate.
Depression
23.2%
Tracks close to the 22.0% national rate.
Annual Checkup
84.9%
8.9pp above the 76.0% national rate.
Health Insurance
5.9%
7.1pp below the 13.0% national rate.
Diabetes
14.0%
3.0pp above the 11.0% national rate.
Colleges & universities nearby
Colleges in this area
7
Median in-state tuition
$2,411
Median earnings (10 yr)
$33,866
- 2-Year
Pitt Community College
Winterville, NC · 28590
- In-state tuition
- $2,580
- Out-of-state tuition
- $8,724
- Acceptance rate
- —
- Graduation rate
- 31.4%
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $37,259
- Median student debt
- $11,977
- 2-Year
Coastal Carolina Community College
Jacksonville, NC · 28546
- In-state tuition
- $2,512
- Out-of-state tuition
- $8,656
- Acceptance rate
- —
- Graduation rate
- 45.7%
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $36,444
- Median student debt
- —
- 2-Year
Craven Community College
New Bern, NC · 28562
- In-state tuition
- $2,022
- Out-of-state tuition
- $6,630
- Acceptance rate
- —
- Graduation rate
- 47.1%
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $34,231
- Median student debt
- —
- 2-Year
Lenoir Community College
Kinston, NC · 28502
- In-state tuition
- $2,578
- Out-of-state tuition
- $8,722
- Acceptance rate
- —
- Graduation rate
- 32.9%
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $33,866
- Median student debt
- —
- 2-Year
Carteret Community College
Morehead City, NC · 28557
- In-state tuition
- $2,310
- Out-of-state tuition
- $8,222
- Acceptance rate
- —
- Graduation rate
- 44.9%
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $33,357
- Median student debt
- —
- 2-Year
Miller-Motte College-Jacksonville
Jacksonville, NC · 28546
- In-state tuition
- —
- Out-of-state tuition
- —
- Acceptance rate
- —
- Graduation rate
- 65.5%
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $31,102
- Median student debt
- $15,917
- 2-Year
Pamlico Community College
Grantsboro, NC · 28529
- In-state tuition
- $1,867
- Out-of-state tuition
- $6,475
- Acceptance rate
- —
- Graduation rate
- 50.0%
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $30,005
- Median student debt
- —
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (collegescorecard.ed.gov). Public domain data. Earnings figures reflect median earnings 10 years after entry for federally-aided students.
What these numbers say together
NC 28581 (ZIP 28581) sits in Carteret County. The page draws on 1 federal data feed retrieved Apr 24. Top health signal: High Blood Pressure comes in above the national average at 45.5%. No NCES schools are mapped to this ZIP in the current dataset. 7 colleges and universities serve the area, with median in-state tuition of $2,411. Local establishments report average pay of $12,000 per worker (Census ZBP) — below the US average. BLS QCEW reports average annual pay of $45,708 per worker, roughly 30% below the US average. Social vulnerability is low in this ZIP at the 4th percentile (CDC SVI), reflecting strong baseline resilience to public-health emergencies and natural disasters. FEMA has issued 30 federal disaster declarations affecting this ZIP since 1993 — a high-frequency exposure profile. Annual precipitation averages 61.2" — a wet-climate ZCTA per NOAA's 1991–2020 Normals. County Health Rankings reports 10,599 years of potential life lost per 100,000 (2025) — well above the national county median. 33.2% of residents in this county are flagged low-access by USDA's 2025 Food Environment Atlas — a notable supermarket-access gap. IRS migration data (2022-2023) shows a net gain of 1,070 residents (483 households) — the ZIP's primary county is growing. Healthcare access is the area's quieter strength; school options sit on the lighter side, so families may find themselves looking at districts a few ZIPs over. Notable: fair market rent of $1,180 for a two-bedroom, a typical home value of $252,236, up 8.5% over the past year, and a median home value of $165,800. Every figure on this page links to its underlying federal dataset with a retrieval date so you can audit the freshness yourself.
The two domains pull in different directions. Healthcare access reads strong, but the on-paper school count is on the lighter side — that’s less a quality signal and more a density one. Households here often look at districts a few ZIPs over for school choice while keeping their providers local.
One concrete reading worth keeping: Depression prevalence sits near the national rate at 23.2%. Each figure on this page links to the original federal dataset with its retrieval date — this synthesis is a reading, not a substitute for the underlying records.
Frequently Asked Questions — ZIP 28581
What is the obesity rate in ZIP 28581?
35.3%, which is 2.3 percentage points above the national average of 33.0% (CDC PLACES, retrieved Apr 24, 2026).
What is the depression rate in ZIP 28581?
23.2%, which is 1.2 percentage points above the national average of 22.0% (CDC PLACES, retrieved Apr 24, 2026).
What is the high blood pressure rate in ZIP 28581?
45.5%, which is 13.5 percentage points above the national average of 32.0% (CDC PLACES, retrieved Apr 24, 2026).
What is the population of ZIP 28581?
153 people live in ZIP 28581, with a median age of 51.9 (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
Is ZIP 28581 mostly renters or homeowners?
In ZIP 28581, 90.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 10.0% are renter-occupied (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
How do people commute in ZIP 28581?
In ZIP 28581, 8.8% of workers work from home. Public transit is used by 0.0% of commuters (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
What is the poverty rate in ZIP 28581?
8.5% of the population in ZIP 28581 lives below the federal poverty line (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
What percentage of households in ZIP 28581 have broadband internet?
100.0% of households in ZIP 28581 have broadband internet access (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
What is the typical home value in ZIP 28581?
The typical home value in ZIP 28581 is $252,236, up 8.5% from a year ago (Zillow Home Value Index, retrieved May 1, 2026).
Are home values rising or falling in ZIP 28581?
Home values are up 8.5% over the past year and up 40.4% over the past five years (Zillow Home Value Index, retrieved May 1, 2026).
How many businesses are in ZIP 28581?
As of 2022, 3 business establishments operated in ZIP 28581 employing 2 workers (Census ZIP Business Patterns, retrieved May 3, 2026).
What is the average salary in ZIP 28581?
The average annual pay across all local establishments in ZIP 28581 is $12,000, based on Census ZIP Business Patterns 2022 data (retrieved May 3, 2026).
How vulnerable is ZIP 28581 to disasters and public health emergencies?
According to the CDC Social Vulnerability Index (2022), ZIP 28581 ranks in the 4th percentile nationally for social vulnerability — a low vulnerability profile (retrieved May 3, 2026).
What is the biggest vulnerability factor in ZIP 28581?
Socioeconomic Status is the highest-scoring CDC SVI theme for ZIP 28581, ranking in the 12th percentile nationally (CDC/ATSDR Social Vulnerability Index 2022, retrieved May 3, 2026).
How many federally declared disasters has ZIP 28581 experienced?
FEMA has recorded 30 federal disaster declarations affecting ZIP 28581 between 1993–2026 (FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations, retrieved May 3, 2026).
What kinds of disasters most often hit ZIP 28581?
Hurricane is the most common federally declared disaster type affecting ZIP 28581, accounting for 23 of 30 declarations (77%, FEMA OpenFEMA, retrieved May 3, 2026).
What was the most recent disaster declared for ZIP 28581?
The most recent FEMA disaster declaration affecting ZIP 28581 was "SEVERE WINTER STORM" — a winter storm declared in 2026 (DR-3637) (FEMA OpenFEMA, retrieved May 3, 2026).
What colleges are near ZIP 28581?
7 colleges and universities are listed near ZIP 28581 by the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, including Pitt Community College, Coastal Carolina Community College, and Craven Community College (retrieved May 2, 2026).
What is the average tuition at colleges near ZIP 28581?
Median in-state tuition across 7 nearby institutions is $2,411 (College Scorecard, retrieved May 2, 2026).
What do graduates earn from colleges near ZIP 28581?
Graduates of nearby colleges earn a median of $33,866 ten years after entry (College Scorecard, retrieved May 2, 2026).
What is the climate like in ZIP 28581?
ZIP 28581 has an average annual temperature of 63.2°F and 61.2" of annual precipitation based on the MOREHEAD CITY 2 WNW, NC US weather station 18.7 miles from the ZIP centroid (NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, retrieved May 8, 2026).
What taxes apply in ZIP 28581?
North Carolina has a flat income tax with a top rate of 4.25%. Combined sales tax: 7.00% (Tax Foundation 2025).
Does North Carolina have paid family leave?
North Carolina has no state paid family leave program (Bipartisan Policy Center 2026).
What data is available for ZIP 28581?
This page covers health outcomes from CDC PLACES (40 metrics), demographics from the Census ACS 5-Year (2022), home values from the Zillow Home Value Index, colleges from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (7 institutions), local business & employment from Census ZIP Business Patterns (2022), social vulnerability scores from the CDC/ATSDR SVI (2022), federal disaster declarations from FEMA OpenFEMA (30 on record), climate normals from NOAA NCEI (1991-2020), county-level crime data from the FBI Crime Data Explorer (2024), and state-level tax rates from the Tax Foundation. Data is refreshed on Mubboo's standard schedule.
How current is this data?
Health data retrieved Apr 24, 2026 from CDC PLACES. Demographics retrieved Apr 30, 2026 from Census ACS 5-Year (2022). Home values retrieved May 1, 2026 from Zillow Research. College data retrieved May 2, 2026 from U.S. Dept of Education College Scorecard. Business & employment retrieved May 3, 2026 from Census ZBP (2022). Social vulnerability scores retrieved May 3, 2026 from CDC/ATSDR SVI (2022). Federal disaster declarations retrieved May 3, 2026 from FEMA OpenFEMA (30 on record). Climate normals retrieved May 8, 2026 from NOAA NCEI (1991-2020). County-level crime data retrieved May 4, 2026 from the FBI Crime Data Explorer (2024). State-level tax rates retrieved 2026-05-05 15:58:22.284+00 from the Tax Foundation.
Other ZIPs near 28581
Nearby ZIPs by distance
28524 (Davis, 3.8 mi) · 28579 (4.5 mi) · 28577 (4.7 mi) · 28589 (4.7 mi) · 28511 (Atlantic, 6.4 mi) · 28553 (Marshallberg, 8.4 mi)
Compare ZIP-level stats — population, schools, housing, climate — across nearby areas. Source: U.S. Census Bureau ZCTA basemap.
More Info topics
Have a specific question about ZIP 28581?
Ask Mubboo — launching Q4 2026.
Data refreshed via Mubboo's ETL pipeline; oldest source on this page retrieved Apr 24, 2026.
Social Vulnerability Index
Overall SVI
4th percentile
Low Vulnerability
Based on 1 census tract, population 100
Vulnerability Themes
Households Without Vehicle
1
Persons with Disability
15
Without HS Diploma
5
Without Health Insurance
6
Adults Age 65+
30
The Social Vulnerability Index uses U.S. Census data to identify communities most at risk during public health emergencies and natural disasters. Higher percentiles indicate greater vulnerability. Tract-level scores are aggregated to this ZCTA via Census 2020 ZCTA→Tract crosswalk, weighted by land-area share. Source: atsdr.cdc.gov. Public domain.