| ZIP Codes: | 7 ZIP Codes (4 Standard, 2 PO Box, 1 Unique) [See All] |
| Area Code: | 828 |
| Timezone: | Eastern (GMT -05:00) |
| Local Time: | 11:54:14 PM |
| Population: | 78,467 [See All] |
| FIPS: | 37027 |
| CBSA: | Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC |
| Land Area: | 482 sq mi |
| Water Area: | 2 sq mi |
| Coordinates: | 35.9080, -81.5167 |
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78,467 residents live across 7 ZIPs covering 482 sq mi, served by 6 distinct USPS-recognized cities.
Population moved from 80,737 to 78,467 from 2014 to 2024 — a -2.8% change. 1 ZIPs gained residents, 4 lost.
The county's wealthiest ZIP 28638 (Hudson, $67,135 median) and poorest ZIP 28645 (Lenoir, $51,650) are 8.2 miles apart — a 1.3× income gap across local geography.
Median home values vary 1.2× across this county — from $175,500 in 28645 (Lenoir) to $207,500 in 28638 (Hudson).
Density varies 106× across the county — from 6 people/sq mi in 28611 (Collettsville) to 619 in 28638 (Hudson).
Educational attainment ranges from 17.7% bachelor's+ in 28645 (Lenoir) to 18.6% in 28638 (Hudson) — the breadth of educational profiles across the area.
Within North Carolina, this is the #36 most populous of 100 counties and ranks #84 for median household income .
Hosts 1 single-entity Unique ZIP: 28633Broyhill Furniture .
Weighted by population, the typical household earns about $57,032 across the county — reflecting what a typical resident sees, not a simple ZIP average.
17.9% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher (10,189 of 57,075 reporting).
4 Standard delivery, 2 PO Box only, 1 single-entity Unique ZIPs serve this county.
| ZIP | City | Type | Population | Median Income | Area (sq mi) | 10-yr Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28645 | Lenoir | Standard | 45,997 | $51,650 | 326.4 | -1.0% |
| 28630 | Granite Falls | Standard | 19,382 | $63,835 | 63.2 | -6.5% |
| 28638 | Hudson | Standard | 12,363 | $67,135 | 20.0 | 6.0% |
| 28611 | Collettsville | Standard | 424 | — | 72.6 | -65.4% |
| 28667 | Rhodhiss | PO Box | 301 | $26,354 | 0.2 | -53.0% |
| 28633 | Lenoir | Unique | — | — | 0.0 | — |
| 28661 | Patterson | PO Box | — | — | 0.0 | — |