Town guide

Princeton, North Carolina

Princeton is a town in Johnston County, North Carolina, home to about 1,658 people across 1.1 square miles. It has no ZIP code of its own: it’s part of 27569.

Homes sold for a median of $183 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a balanced market.

Population1,6581,454 per sq mi
Median home value$215,400Census, as estimated by owners
Price per sq ft$183Sold homes, 3 months to August 2026
Sold over asking15%Latest 3 months

ZIP codes in Princeton

1 ZIP code, 1 shared with neighboring towns

Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Princeton. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology

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Around Princeton

Distances

Nearest major airportRaleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU)45 miles away
Nearest city of 250,000+Raleigh, NC37 miles away
Nearest city of 1 million+Philadelphia, PA355 miles away

Straight-line distances from the center of Princeton; driving is longer.

Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Who represents Princeton

Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.

Population over time

Princeton had 1,315 residents in the 2020 census, up 23% since 2000.

It’s the 369th largest of 771 towns in North Carolina by population.

Johnston County grew from 32,250 residents in 1900 to 215,999 in 2020.

Princeton population by census2000: 1,066, 2010: 1,194, 2020: 1,3151,06620001,19420101,3152020

Johnston County, 1900–2020

Johnston County population, 1900 to 20201900: 32,250, 1910: 41,401, 1920: 48,998, 1930: 57,621, 1940: 63,798, 1950: 65,906, 1960: 62,936, 1970: 61,737, 1980: 70,599, 1990: 81,306, 2000: 121,965, 2010: 168,878, 2020: 215,99932K’00’1049K’20’3064K’40’5063K’60’7071K’80’90122K’00’10216K’20

Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).

Weather by month

Average highs peak around 88°F in summer, and winter lows average 32°F. About 52.5 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year.

Average high and low temperature and precipitation by month near PrincetonJan: high 52°F, low 32°F, 3.8 in; Feb: high 55°F, low 33°F, 3.2 in; Mar: high 62°F, low 39°F, 3.9 in; Apr: high 72°F, low 48°F, 3.8 in; May: high 79°F, low 58°F, 4 in; Jun: high 86°F, low 67°F, 4.4 in; Jul: high 88°F, low 71°F, 5.5 in; Aug: high 86°F, low 69°F, 6.1 in; Sep: high 82°F, low 63°F, 7.3 in; Oct: high 73°F, low 52°F, 3.5 in; Nov: high 62°F, low 40°F, 3.4 in; Dec: high 55°F, low 35°F, 3.6 in52°32°Jan3.855°33°Feb3.262°39°Mar3.972°48°Apr3.879°58°May4.086°67°Jun4.488°71°Jul5.586°69°Aug6.182°63°Sep7.373°52°Oct3.562°40°Nov3.455°35°Dec3.6Rain and melted snow, inches

Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Goldsboro Ag 1 N, NC weather station (10 miles away).

Jobs in Johnston County

49,067 jobs at 4,151 businesses in Johnston County. The biggest industries by employees:

Largest industries in Johnston CountyRetail trade: 9,012 jobs; Manufacturing: 7,853 jobs; Hotels and restaurants: 7,371 jobs; Health care and social assistance: 5,547 jobs; Construction: 5,390 jobs; Administrative and support: 3,170 jobs; Wholesale trade: 2,111 jobs; Other services: 2,003 jobsRetail trade 18% Manufacturing 16% Hotels and restaurants 15% Health care and social assistance 11% Construction 11% Administrative and support 7% Wholesale trade 4% Other services 4%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).

Health care

13 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Princeton.

Nearest hospitals

  • Johnston HealthGeneral hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 4 of 5 · Smithfield10.7 miles
  • Unc Health Care WayneGeneral hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 3 of 5 · Goldsboro12.5 miles
  • Wilson Medical CenterGeneral hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 1 of 5 · Wilson22.2 miles

Providers with an office here

Primary care doctors1
Nurse practitioners and physician assistants4
Mental health providers5
Physical and occupational therapists1
Optometrists2
Pharmacies5

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.

Places in and around Princeton

Parks (1 nearby)

  • Princeton Park · 3 acres0.6 mi

Grocery stores (1 nearby)

  • Piggly Wiggly1.0 mi

Pharmacies (1 nearby)

  • Woodard Drug Store0.8 mi

Libraries (1 nearby)

  • Princeton Public Library0.9 mi

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.

Schools in Princeton

Public schools here are run by Johnston County Public Schools. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.

Public schools (2)
SchoolGradesStudentsTypeDistance
Princeton ElementaryPrincetonPre-K–5770Public0.8 mi
Princeton HighPrinceton6–12988Public1.0 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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Where Princeton is

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Towns near Princeton

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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.