Harkers Island is a community in Carteret County, North Carolina, home to about 1,060 people across 2.2 square miles. Its ZIP code is 28531.
Homes sold for a median of $401 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a buyer’s market.
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Harkers Island. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Harkers Island’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU)150 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Coastal Carolina Regional Airport (EWN)38 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Chesapeake, VA138 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Philadelphia, PA375 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Harkers Island; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Harkers Island had 1,127 residents in the 2020 census, down 26% since 2000.
It’s the 447th largest of 771 towns in North Carolina by population.
Carteret County grew from 11,811 residents in 1900 to 67,686 in 2020.
Carteret County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 87°F in summer, and winter lows average 38°F. About 55.7 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Beaufort Michael J Smith Fld, NC weather station (6 miles away).
21,789 jobs at 2,249 businesses in Carteret County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2022 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
Nearest hospitals
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances.
Parks (1 nearby)
Grocery stores
Pharmacies
Libraries
Museums
Counts are within about 1 mile of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Public schools here are run by Carteret County Public Schools. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harkers Island ElementaryHarkers Island | K–5 | 95 | Public | 0.4 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.