This data is based on ZIP codes 28428, 28449, which covers Kure Beach and Carolina Beach.
The U.S. Census reports business data by ZIP code, not city boundaries. All numbers reflect the combined ZIP codes 28428, 28449 area shared across these towns.
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Kure Beach ZIP Area Economy · 2023
Wages -38% vs. avg. New Hanover Co. town
Kure Beach's ZIP area supports 2,952 jobs across 397 businesses, with workers earning an average of $35K per year, 38% below the New Hanover County average. The economy is well-diversified (0.87 index), led by food & accommodation and construction. 90.7% of businesses have fewer than 20 employees, and each business employs an average of 7.4 people. Jobs grew 5% from the prior year while business count declined 1.7%.
Where Businesses Clusteri
Larger blocks have more businesses.
Local Specialization vs. New Hanover Avg.i
Industries sorted by relative concentration in this ZIP area.
Business Size Distributioni
397 businesses by employee count. 90.7% are small businesses (under 20 employees).
Micro (<5)
Small (5-9)
Small (10-19)
Medium (20-49)
Medium (50-99)
Economic Densityi
1.20
jobs per resident
7.4
employees per business
County avg: 13.6-45%
$41K
payroll per resident
$257K
payroll per business
Kure Beach ZIP Area vs. Avg. New Hanover Co. Towni
All Industries in ZIP Areai
| Sector | Kure Beach ZIP | Avg. New Hanover Co. | Spec. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food & Accommodation | 96 | 280 | 2.4x |
| Construction | 52 | 276 | 1.3x |
| Professional Services | 46 | 354 | 0.9x |
| Retail Trade | 45 | 382 | 0.8x |
| Real Estate | 45 | 228 | 1.4x |
| Other Services | 32 | 234 | 0.9x |
| Healthcare | 18 | 310 | 0.4x |
| Admin Services | 17 | 151 | 0.8x |
| Finance & Insurance | 13 | 169 | 0.5x |
| Wholesale Trade | 10 | 103 | 0.7x |
| Arts & Entertainment | 7 | 56 | 0.9x |
| Manufacturing | 6 | 56 | 0.7x |
| Education | 4 | 34 | 0.8x |