Wrightsville Beach is a town in New Hanover County, North Carolina, home to about 2,665 people across 1.4 square miles. Its ZIP code is 28480.
Homes sold for a median of $998 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a buyer’s market.
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Wrightsville Beach. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Wrightsville Beach’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)75 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Wilmington International Airport (ILM)7 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Raleigh, NC121 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Philadelphia, PA426 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Wrightsville Beach; 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.
Wrightsville Beach had 2,473 residents in the 2020 census, down 5% since 2000.
It’s the 287th 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 60.4 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 1 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Wilmington Intl Ap, NC weather station (7 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).
20 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Wrightsville Beach.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Specialist doctors | 2 |
|---|---|
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 1 |
| Mental health providers | 6 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 10 |
| Optometrists | 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.
Parks (2 nearby)
Grocery stores
Pharmacies
Libraries
Museums (1 nearby)
Theaters and performance venues (1 nearby)
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.
Established in 1853.
Source: Wikidata (wikidata.org), the free knowledge base; people are listed by place of birth.
Public schools here are run by New Hanover County Schools. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wrightsville Beach ElemWrightsville Beach | K–5 | 280 | Public | 0.6 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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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.