Tarboro is a town in Edgecombe County, North Carolina, home to about 10,770 people across 12 square miles. Its ZIP code is 27886.
Homes sold for a median of $136 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a balanced market.
Mostly Tarboro; also Princeville and Speed
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Tarboro. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
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| Nearest major airport | Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU)70 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Pitt-Greenville Airport (PGV)20 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Raleigh, NC62 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Philadelphia, PA313 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Tarboro; 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.
Tarboro had 10,721 residents in the 2020 census, down 4% since 2000.
It’s the 92nd largest of 771 towns in North Carolina by population.
Edgecombe County grew from 26,591 residents in 1900 to 48,900 in 2020.
Edgecombe County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 89°F in summer, and winter lows average 30°F. About 47.6 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 5 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Tarboro 1 S, NC weather station (about a mile away).
12,243 jobs at 702 businesses in Edgecombe County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
140 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Tarboro.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 26 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 20 |
| Dentists | 5 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 37 |
| Mental health providers | 25 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 21 |
| Optometrists | 4 |
| Chiropractors | 2 |
| Pharmacies | 12 |
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 (7 nearby)
Grocery stores (1 nearby)
Libraries (1 nearby)
Counts are within about 2.5 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.
Established in 1760.
Notable people born here
Source: Wikidata (wikidata.org), the free knowledge base; people are listed by place of birth.
Public schools here are run by North East Carolina Preparatory School, Edgecombe County Public Schools. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North East Carolina PrepTarboro | Pre-K–12 | 1,107 | Charter | 2.2 mi |
| Princeville ElementaryTarboro | Pre-K–5 | 205 | Public | 1.2 mi |
| Stocks ElementaryTarboro | Pre-K–5 | 389 | Public | 1.0 mi |
| Martin Millennium AcademyTarboro | K–8 | 548 | Public | 0.7 mi |
| W A Pattillo MiddleTarboro | 6–8 | 289 | Public | 1.1 mi |
| Edgecombe Early College HighTarboro | 9–13 | 171 | Public | 2.1 mi |
| NE Carolina Prep School Remote AcademyTarboro | 9–12 | — | Charter | 2.2 mi |
| North Edgecombe HighTarboro | 9–12 | 358 | Public | 6.7 mi |
| Tarboro HighTarboro | 9–12 | 496 | Public | 0.9 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 Princeville, Speed and Leggett.
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.