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ZipNumbers

Onslow County · North Carolina

ZIP code 28540

Population, income, housing costs and the sales tax rate charged on purchases inside ZIP 28540 — Census 2019-2023 ACS 5-year, no modelled estimates.
Population
50,808

ZCTA residents

Median income
$61,462

Household, past 12 months

Median home
$201,700

Owner-occupied value

Sales tax
4.75%

North Carolina state rate

Quick answer

ZIP 28540 sits in Onslow County, North Carolina and is home to 50,808 people. Median household income is $61,462, the median home is worth $201,700 and median gross rent is $1,014. 59.1% of households own their home, and purchases are taxed at 4.75% (North Carolina state rate).

County
Onslow County

FIPS 37133

State
North Carolina (NC)

853 ZIPs covered

Area codes
Not published

No NANPA match for this ZIP

Metro area
Outside covered metros

Rate jurisdiction used for tax

The numbers for 28540

American Community Survey 2019-2023 ACS 5-year estimates for this ZCTA.

Population
50,808ZIP 28540 residents
Median household income
$61,462Past 12 months, inflation adjusted
Median home value
$201,700Owner-occupied units
Median gross rent
$1,014Rent plus utilities, monthly
Median age
29 yrsAll residents
Homeownership rate
59.1%Owner-occupied households

Sales tax in 28540

What a purchase inside this ZIP costs at checkout.

Rate applied
4.75%State base rate only
Tax on $100
$5Rounded to the dollar
Tax on $1,000
$48Before any exemptions

North Carolina levies 4.75% statewide, and counties, cities and special districts inside this ZIP can add their own local rate on top. Check the county page for the local component before you quote a price.

Affordability in this ZIP

Derived from the Census medians above — indicative, not an offer.

Rent burden
20%Median rent ÷ median income
Price-to-income
3.3×Home value ÷ household income
Est. mortgage
$1,047/mo20% down, 30-yr at 6.75%
Poverty rate
15.2%Residents below poverty line

A rent burden above 30% is the federal threshold for cost-burdened households, and a price-to-income multiple above 4× is generally considered a stretched housing market. The mortgage figure is principal and interest only — taxes, insurance and HOA dues are extra.

How 28540 compares

ZIP 28540 against the median ZIP in Onslow County and across North Carolina.

MeasureZIP 28540County medianState medianvs state
Median household income$61,462$67,981$62,646-2%
Median home value$201,700$205,850$203,100-1%
Median gross rent$1,014$1,176$941+8%
Population50,8089,7845,300+859%

Medians are computed across the 13 ZIP areas in Onslow County and the 853 ZIP areas in North Carolina.

Statewide rank

Where this ZIP places among all 853 North Carolina ZIP areas.

Income

richer than 47% of 766 state ZIPs

#408
Home value

above 49% of 763 state ZIPs

#388
Population

larger than 96% of 853 state ZIPs

#33

Comparable ZIP codes

North Carolina ZIP areas with almost the same household income.

ZIPCountyIncomeHome valueRent
27298Randolph County$61,488$183,000$887
27024Surry County$61,395$182,300$596
27851Wilson County$61,556$127,200$775
28712Transylvania County$61,560$372,900$939
28681Alexander County$61,343$188,000$719
28539Onslow County$61,280$207,200$1,176

Nearby ZIP codes

Other ZIP codes filed under Onslow County.

ZIP 28540 questions

Common questions about this ZIP code.

Where is ZIP code 28540?
ZIP 28540 lies mostly in Onslow County, North Carolina. County assignment follows the largest share of land area, so a ZIP straddling a county line is filed under its dominant county.
What sales tax do I pay in 28540?
North Carolina charges 4.75% statewide, plus any county, city or district rate that applies locally.
Is 28540 expensive to live in?
Median rent runs $1,014 a month, about 20% of median household income, and the median home is worth $201,700-1% against the typical North Carolina ZIP.
Is a ZCTA the same as a postal ZIP code?
Not exactly. The Census builds ZIP Code Tabulation Areas from the ZIP codes of addresses inside each census block, so a ZCTA can differ slightly from the USPS delivery route of the same number, and PO-box-only ZIPs have no ZCTA at all.

Related pages for this area.

Sources & transparency

Every figure on this page is a published estimate for ZIP Code Tabulation Area 28540, except the affordability ratios and mortgage estimate, which we derive from those medians and label as estimates.

Last reviewed December 2024. Figures are published for reference and can change; verify with the source agency before filing or contracting. How we build and check this data.