River Bend is a town in Craven County, North Carolina, home to about 2,874 people across 2.5 square miles. It has no ZIP code of its own: it’s part of 28562.
Homes sold for a median of $183 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a seller’s market.
Mostly New Bern; part is in River Bend
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside River Bend. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up River Bend’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)109 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Coastal Carolina Regional Airport (EWN)4 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Raleigh, NC100 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Philadelphia, PA356 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of River Bend; 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.
River Bend had 2,902 residents in the 2020 census, down 1% since 2000.
It’s the 267th largest of 771 towns in North Carolina by population.
Craven County grew from 24,160 residents in 1900 to 100,720 in 2020.
Craven County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 88°F in summer, and winter lows average 35°F. About 57.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Perrytown, NC weather station (3 miles away).
30,858 jobs at 2,224 businesses in Craven County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
815 doctors and other health care providers list an office in River Bend.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 78 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 158 |
| Dentists | 59 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 164 |
| Mental health providers | 235 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 87 |
| Optometrists | 16 |
| Chiropractors | 18 |
| Pharmacies | 22 |
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.
Parks (1 nearby)
Grocery stores (5 nearby)
Pharmacies (3 nearby)
Libraries
Museums
Theaters and performance venues
Counts are within about 1.5 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.
Public schools here are run by Craven County Board of Education, Riverside Leadership Academy. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albert H Bangert ElementaryNew Bern | K–5 | 446 | Public | 1.6 mi |
| Ben D. Quinn ElementaryNew Bern | K–5 | 312 | Public | 1.6 mi |
| Creekside ElementaryNew Bern | K–5 | 453 | Public | 6.8 mi |
| Riverside Leadership AcademyNew Bern | K–7 | 374 | Charter | 4.8 mi |
| Trent Park ElementaryNew Bern | K–5 | 390 | Public | 1.4 mi |
| Craven Virtual AcademyNew Bern | 4–12 | 117 | Public | 0.5 mi |
| H J MacDonald MiddleNew Bern | 6–8 | 632 | Public | 1.2 mi |
| West Craven MiddleNew Bern | 6–8 | 614 | Public | 8.5 mi |
| Craven Early College HighNew Bern | 9–13 | 221 | Public | 0.7 mi |
| New Bern HighNew Bern | 9–12 | 1,637 | Public | 0.7 mi |
| School | Grades | Students | Affiliation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Paul Catholic SchoolNew Bern | Pre-K–8 | 177 | Roman Catholic | 2.2 mi |
| The Epiphany School of Global StudiesNew Bern | K–12 | 485 | Nonsectarian | 1.6 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools; Private School Universe Survey (2023-2024) for private schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Shares ZIP codes with New Bern, Trent Woods, Brices Creek and James City.
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.