ZIP Code 28472 — Whiteville city, NC Demographics & Data

ZIP code 28472 covers Whiteville, NC in Columbus County with a population of about 17,833.

At a glance, the area shows median age of 40.5 versus a U.S. median of about 38.9.

It sits in telephone area codes 472, 910; U.S. House district NC-7; the WILMINGTON media market.

Median household income in ZIP 28472 is about $48,963 — about 35% below the U.S. median ($75,149).

On socioeconomic markers, US5 shows a poverty rate of 16.4%; unemployment rate near 5.0%; 17.9% of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher (about 15.8 points below the national share (33.7%)).

Labor and commute patterns include leading industry context around Retail trade, Healthcare, and Food services; about 3.6% of workers reporting work-from-home (about 11.6 points below the U.S. share (15.2%)); a mean commute of about 180.0 minutes (U.S. average near 26.8).

Median home value is about $141,000 — about 59% below the U.S. median home value ($348,079).

Housing tenure and rents show median gross rent around $588 (about 49% below the U.S. median rent ($1,163)), and owner-occupancy near 70.7% (about 5.3 points above the national owner-occupancy rate (65.4%)).

To comfortably buy a median-priced home in ZIP 28472 in Whiteville, NC, a household would need roughly $39,000 in annual income under a 20% down, 30-year loan at 6.8% (illustrative), keeping housing costs near 28% of income. Estimated monthly PITI is about $906. That sits below the local median household income ($48,963), suggesting the typical household income is closer to a workable buy-in level under these assumptions. Rates, taxes, insurance, and HOA fees vary — treat this as a planning estimate, not a lender quote.

FEMA’s National Risk Index rates natural-hazard risk for Whiteville city, NC as Relatively Moderate (composite score 86.9), which is elevated versus much of the country. The strongest component scores on US5 are hurricane (96.7) and wildfire (77.7). These scores are county-linked NRI values published for planning context — all ZIP codes in the same county share the same composite score on US5. Useful when comparing insurance and disaster exposure across areas, not a substitute for a parcel-level flood or fire determination.

Climate normals for Whiteville city, NC show little to no average snow and around 50.9 inches of annual precipitation.

IRS migration statistics show a net inflow of about 740 for ZIP 28472 (Whiteville city, NC) on US5’s published series — a signal of people/tax filers moving in relative to those leaving. Inflows often track job growth, housing demand, or lifestyle migration; treat the figure as a directional indicator rather than a precise headcount.