Oak Island is a town in Brunswick County, North Carolina, home to about 9,030 people across 19 square miles. Its ZIP codes are 28422 and 28465, and parts of 28461 are in Oak Island too.
Homes sold for a median of $311 per square foot across 2 ZIP codes in the three months ending August 2026, and 0 of 2 were seller’s markets.
Mostly Oak Island; also Bolivia and Boiling Spring Lakes
Mostly Oak Island; also Caswell Beach
Mostly St. James; part is in Oak Island
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Oak Island. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Oak Island’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Myrtle Beach International Airport (MYR)50 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Wilmington International Airport (ILM)24 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Raleigh, NC131 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Philadelphia, PA448 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Oak 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.
Oak Island had 8,396 residents in the 2020 census, up 28% since 2000.
It’s the 106th largest of 771 towns in North Carolina by population.
Brunswick County grew from 12,657 residents in 1900 to 136,693 in 2020.
Brunswick County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 92°F in summer, and winter lows average 36°F. About 54.6 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Southport 5 N, NC weather station (8 miles away).
33,646 jobs at 3,093 businesses in Brunswick County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
168 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Oak Island’s ZIP codes.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 9 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 55 |
| Dentists | 13 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 42 |
| Mental health providers | 27 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 20 |
| Chiropractors | 2 |
| Pharmacies | 1 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Grocery stores (1 nearby)
Pharmacies
Libraries
Counts are within about 3 miles 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.
Established in 1999.
Source: Wikidata (wikidata.org), the free knowledge base; people are listed by place of birth.
Public schools here are run by Brunswick County Schools, Classical Charter Schools of Southport. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bolivia ElementaryBolivia | Pre-K–5 | 514 | Public | 6.4 mi |
| Virginia Williamson ElemBolivia | Pre-K–5 | 610 | Public | 5.6 mi |
| Classical Charter Schools of SouthportBolivia | K–8 | 573 | Charter | 3.4 mi |
| The COASTBolivia | 6–12 | 96 | Alternative Education | 7.0 mi |
| Brunswick County Early CollegeBolivia | 9–13 | 332 | Public | 6.6 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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Shares ZIP codes with St. James, Boiling Spring Lakes, Southport, Caswell Beach, Bolivia and Bald Head Island.
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.