ZIP Code 28551 — La Grange town, NC Demographics & Data

ZIP code 28551 covers La Grange, NC in Lenoir County with a population of about 13,264.

At a glance, the area shows median age of 37.9 (near the U.S. median).

It sits in telephone area codes 252, 919, 984; U.S. House district NC-1; the GREENVILLE - N. BERN - WASHNGTN media market.

Median household income in ZIP 28551 is about $52,449 — about 30% below the U.S. median ($75,149).

On socioeconomic markers, US5 shows a poverty rate of 12.0%; unemployment rate near 5.8%; 18.4% of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher (about 15.3 points below the national share (33.7%)).

Labor and commute patterns include leading industry context around Retail trade, Healthcare, and Manufacturing; about 4.8% of workers reporting work-from-home (about 10.3 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 $119,700 — about 66% below the U.S. median home value ($348,079).

Housing tenure and rents show median gross rent around $501 (about 57% below the U.S. median rent ($1,163)), and owner-occupancy near 71.4% (about 6.0 points above the national owner-occupancy rate (65.4%)).

To comfortably buy a median-priced home in ZIP 28551 in La Grange, NC, a household would need roughly $33,000 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 $769. That sits below the local median household income ($52,449), 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 La Grange town, 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 La Grange town, NC show little to no average snow and around 52.3 inches of annual precipitation.

IRS migration statistics show a net inflow of about 551 for ZIP 28551 (La Grange town, 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.