ZIP Code 28501 — Kinston city, NC Demographics & Data

ZIP code 28501 covers Kinston, NC in Lenoir County with a population of about 18,112.

At a glance, the area shows median age of 39.8 (near the U.S. median).

It sits in telephone area code 252; U.S. House district NC-1; the GREENVILLE - N. BERN - WASHNGTN media market.

Median household income in ZIP 28501 is about $33,823 — about 55% below the U.S. median ($75,149).

On socioeconomic markers, US5 shows a poverty rate of 30.0%; unemployment rate near 9.4%; 12.6% of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher (about 21.1 points below the national share (33.7%)).

Labor and commute patterns include leading industry context around Healthcare, Manufacturing, and Construction; about 2.5% of workers reporting work-from-home (about 12.8 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 $78,600 — about 77% below the U.S. median home value ($348,079).

Housing tenure and rents show median gross rent around $456 (about 61% below the U.S. median rent ($1,163)), and owner-occupancy near 48.8% (about 16.6 points below the national owner-occupancy rate (65.4%)).

To comfortably buy a median-priced home in ZIP 28501 in Kinston, NC, a household would need roughly $22,000 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 $505. That sits below the local median household income ($33,823), 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 Kinston city, NC as Relatively Moderate (composite score 84.6), which is elevated versus much of the country. The strongest component scores on US5 are hurricane (94.9) and flood (79.1). 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 Kinston city, NC show little to no average snow and around 53.0 inches of annual precipitation.

IRS migration statistics show a net inflow of about 752 for ZIP 28501 (Kinston 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.