Silver Lake is a community in New Hanover County, North Carolina, home to about 6,563 people across 2.5 square miles. It has no ZIP code of its own: it’s part of 28412.
Homes sold for a median of $240 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a seller’s market.
Mostly Wilmington; part is in Silver Lake
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Silver Lake. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Silver Lake’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)67 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Wilmington International Airport (ILM)8 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Raleigh, NC123 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Philadelphia, PA432 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Silver Lake; 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.
Silver Lake had 6,500 residents in the 2020 census, up 12% since 2000.
It’s the 139th largest of 771 towns in North Carolina by population.
New Hanover County grew from 25,785 residents in 1900 to 225,702 in 2020.
New Hanover County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 90°F in summer, and winter lows average 36°F. About 65.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Wilmington 7 Se, NC weather station (2 miles away).
121,389 jobs at 8,710 businesses in New Hanover County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
706 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Silver Lake.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 33 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 57 |
| Dentists | 32 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 110 |
| Mental health providers | 386 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 70 |
| Optometrists | 7 |
| Chiropractors | 11 |
| Pharmacies | 16 |
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
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 New Hanover County Schools, Island Montessori Charter. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dr John Codington ElemWilmington | K–5 | 470 | Public | 0.7 mi |
| Edwin A Anderson ElementaryWilmington | K–5 | 514 | Public | 4.1 mi |
| Heyward C Bellamy ElemWilmington | K–5 | 533 | Public | 2.4 mi |
| Island Montessori Charter SchoolWilmington | K–8 | 220 | Charter | 3.5 mi |
| Mary C Williams ElementaryWilmington | K–5 | 355 | Public | 1.3 mi |
| Pine Valley ElementaryWilmington | K–5 | 465 | Public | 1.7 mi |
| Charles P Murray MiddleWilmington | 6–8 | 907 | Public | 3.9 mi |
| J. C. Roe CenterWilmington | 6–12 | 14 | Alternative Education | 2.5 mi |
| Eugene Ashley HighWilmington | 9–12 | 1,893 | Public | 3.9 mi |
| School | Grades | Students | Affiliation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cape Fear AcademyWilmington | Pre-K–12 | 709 | Nonsectarian | 1.5 mi |
| Innovative AcademyWilmington | K–8 | 10 | Nonsectarian | 1.9 mi |
| New Horizons Elementary SchoolWilmington | K–5 | 99 | Nonsectarian | 1.8 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 Wilmington and Sea Breeze.
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.