Best Elementary Schools in Zip Code 28443

Summary:

ZIP code 28443, which encompasses the Hampstead area of North Carolina, is home to three public elementary schools in the Pender County Schools district that serve roughly 1,727 students across pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. Combined, these schools form an unusually strong academic cluster, with every campus consistently ranking in the 80th percentile or higher among all North Carolina elementary schools despite the district itself sitting near the statewide middle.

Topsail Annandale Elementary School is the group's most consistently elite performer, earning a 5-star rating every year in the dataset and ranking as high as 68th out of 1,505 schools statewide. It serves grades PK through 4, posts exceptional math and reading scores in grades 3 and 4, and has the lowest economic disadvantage rate at just under 20% free/reduced-price lunch eligibility. North Topsail Elementary is the most remarkable story, however, as it achieves near-identical results despite 99% of its students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. North Topsail earned 5 stars in two of the three reported years, and its 3rd-grade math proficiency reached 90.4% in 2025–2026. South Topsail Elementary is the largest school and the lowest-ranked of the three, though it remains solidly in the top 20% statewide with a 4-star rating every year. Its 5th-grade performance is a notable strength, with math and science proficiency both hitting 85.1%.

Across every reported subject and grade level, all three schools outperformed both the Pender County district average and the North Carolina state average — a remarkable feat. All three also post chronic absenteeism rates below the state figure of 24.2%, with South Topsail the highest of the group at 20.2%. Families zoned to any of these schools have access to a high-quality elementary education, and the performance gap between the most and least economically disadvantaged schools here is virtually nonexistent, making this ZIP code a standout for academic excellence regardless of a child's background.