28602 ZIP Code — Hickory, NC

Catawba County, North Carolina

ZIP code 28602 is located in Hickory, North Carolina, within Catawba County. It covers approximately 70.66 square miles and serves a population of 29,298 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 828.

About ZIP code 28602

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1990s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $166,900. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 68%.

Median household income is $53,180. Poverty affects 18% of residents, above the national average. 34% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with manufacturing as the leading industry. The average commute of 21 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 18% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (22%) compared to national benchmarks.

Overall, ZIP code 28602 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, economic challenges above the national average, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

29,298

population

70.66

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

28602 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 28602

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 28602. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Hickory	Acceptable
Hickory	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

28637 Hildebran (3.7 mi) 28601 Hickory (7.7 mi) 28658 Newton (8.3 mi) 28168 Vale (8.9 mi) 28612 Connelly Springs (9.6 mi) 28613 Conover (10.5 mi) 28630 Granite Falls (11.6 mi) 28690 Valdese (11.7 mi) 28638 Hudson (12.5 mi) 28610 Claremont (14.4 mi) 28650 Maiden (14.5 mi) 28092 Lincolnton (15.5 mi)

Demographics updated 06/2026

Population
Total population	29,298
Population density	415 / sq mi
State FIPS	37
County FIPS	035

Geography
Land area	70.66 sq mi
Water area	0.47 sq mi
Latitude	35.6768
Longitude	-81.3853
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	828

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 06/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	53.7%	45.7%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	28.7%	33.1%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	15.2%	17.0%	19.1%
Over $200k	2.3%	4.2%	6.0%

Demographics & statistics

29,298

Population

415

People per sq mi

38.4

Median age

$53,180

Median household income

$29,197

Per capita income

$166,900

Median home value

$823

Median monthly rent

67.6%

Home ownership

18.0%

Poverty rate

4.9%

Unemployment

8,948

Housing units

17.5%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

827

Under 5

832

745

5–9

750

1,126

10–14

1,132

846

15–19

851

897

20–24

903

2,209

25–34

2,223

1,581

35–44

1,590

1,974

45–54

1,985

991

55–59

996

961

60–64

967

1,714

65–74

1,724

553

75–84

556

182

85+

183

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	6,675	22.8%
18 and over	22,623	77.2%
65 and over	4,912	16.8%
Median age	38.4 years

Race & ethnicity

White 66.1%

Black or African American 11.3%

Hispanic or Latino 7%

Asian 5.6%

Two or more races 5.4%

Other race 4%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%

Group	Count	%
White	20,814	66.1%
Black or African American	3,558	11.3%
Hispanic or Latino	2,213	7%
Asian	1,778	5.6%
Two or more races	1,708	5.4%
Other race	1,272	4%
American Indian / Alaska Native	168	0.5%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	53.7%	45.7%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	28.7%	33.1%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	15.2%	17.0%	19.1%
Over $200k	2.3%	4.2%	6.0%

Under $10k 6.0%

$10k–$15k 5.5%

$15k–$25k 10.6%

$25k–$35k 8.9%

$35k–$50k 15.0%

$50k–$75k 19.5%

$75k–$100k 10.5%

$100k–$150k 16.0%

$150k–$200k 4.8%

$200k+ 3.4%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	6.0%
$10k–$15k	5.5%
$15k–$25k	10.6%
$25k–$35k	8.9%
$35k–$50k	15.0%
$50k–$75k	19.5%
$75k–$100k	10.5%
$100k–$150k	16.0%
$150k–$200k	4.8%
$200k+	3.4%
Median income	$53,180

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 8.8%

$50k–$100k 13.3%

$100k–$150k 20.7%

$150k–$200k 19.6%

$200k–$300k 23.3%

$300k–$500k 12.6%

$500k–$1M 1.6%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$166,900
Median rent / month	$823
Owner occupied	67.6%
Renter occupied	32.4%
Vacant	8.5%
Single-family detached	70.5%
Large apartment buildings	2.8%
Mobile homes	12.0%
Median rooms	5.4
Avg household size (owned)	2.51

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.7%
2010–2019	2.9%
2000–2009	13.1%
1990–1999	16.9%
1980–1989	12.9%
1970–1979	16.7%
1960–1969	12.0%
1950–1959	10.5%
1940–1949	5.8%
1939 or earlier	8.2%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.7%
1 bedroom	6.1%
2 bedrooms	32.6%
3 bedrooms	48.1%
4 bedrooms	10.6%
5+ bedrooms	1.9%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	4.4%
1 vehicle	31.3%
2 vehicles	38.1%
3 or more	26.3%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	15.3%
Electricity	73.6%
Propane / LP gas	2.7%
Fuel oil	5.1%
Wood	2.8%
Solar	0.1%
No fuel used	0.1%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	5,378	46.2%
Cohabiting couple	888	7.6%
Male householder, no spouse	2,226	19.1%
Female householder, no spouse	3,143	27.0%
Households with children under 18	3,665	31.5%
Households with seniors (65+)	3,696	31.8%
Average household size	2.48

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	33.7%	25.5%
Married	50.4%	44.6%
Separated	2.2%	3.5%
Widowed	3.5%	10.2%
Divorced	10.2%	16.2%

Education

Less than 9th grade 3.7%

Some HS, no diploma 10.2%

HS graduate 32.4%

Some college, no degree 23.5%

Associate's degree 12.8%

Bachelor's degree 12.5%

Graduate / professional 5.0%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	86.1%
Bachelor's or higher	17.5%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	299	4.8%
Kindergarten	217	3.5%
Elementary school	3,033	48.4%
High school	1,547	24.7%
College / grad school	1,171	18.7%

Employment

Industry of employment

Manufacturing 26.8%

Education & healthcare 18.1%

Retail trade 12.0%

Arts, food & hospitality 8.6%

Professional & management 8.3%

Other services 6.2%

Construction 5.4%

Transportation & utilities 5.1%

Public administration 3.1%

Wholesale trade 2.4%

Finance & real estate 2.1%

Information 1.3%

Agriculture & mining 0.5%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	30.6%
Service	16.7%
Sales & office	20.5%
Natural resources & construction	9.0%
Production & transportation	23.2%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	84.5%
Government	8.7%
Self-employed	6.6%
Unpaid family workers	0.2%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	79.3%
Carpool	11.3%
Public transit	0.3%
Walk	1.2%
Work from home	6.6%
Other means	1.3%
Avg commute (minutes)	21.1

Poverty

All people 18.0%

Under 18 years 30.9%

18 and over 14.2%

Married-couple families 6.3%

Female-led households 38.4%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	34.2%
Retirement income	20.1%
Supplemental Security	4.9%
Cash public assistance	2.6%
Food stamps / SNAP	14.4%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	32.8%
High blood pressure	36.3%
High cholesterol	34.4%
Diabetes	11.5%
Heart disease	7.0%
Stroke	3.7%
Asthma	9.8%
Arthritis	27.0%
Kidney disease	3.3%
Pulmonary disease	8.1%
Cancer	6.3%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	22.3%
Binge drinking	15.8%
No physical activity	25.1%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	35.7%
Depression	23.8%
Fair or poor health	16.7%
Poor mental health	15.3%
Poor physical health	12.0%
No health insurance	19.8%
Visited doctor (checkup)	78.3%
Visited dentist	59.7%
Cholesterol screening	88.7%
Teeth loss	18.2%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	1,406	6.2%

Disability	%
Any disability	14.4%
Under 18	4.9%
18–64 years	12.6%
65 and over	34.6%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	60.1%
Public insurance	37.9%
No insurance	13.7%
Uninsured under 19	5.5%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	27,639	94.3%
Spanish	878	3.2%
Other Indo-European	567	2.1%
Asian & Pacific Islander	49	0.2%
Other languages	262	0.9%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	27,256	93.0%
Born in same state	27,099	92.5%
Born in different state	20,059	68.5%
Foreign born	157	0.5%
Naturalized citizen	2,042	7.0%
Not a US citizen	764	37.4%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	4,123	14.1%
French	3,097	10.6%
Italian	2,447	8.4%
English	411	1.4%
Dutch	74	0.3%

Ancestry	Count	%
Irish	67	0.2%
Polish	44	0.2%
German	43	0.1%
Norwegian	11	0%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	39.7%
Internet access	92.3%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 28602

What city is ZIP code 28602 in?

ZIP code 28602 is primarily assigned to Hickory, North Carolina.

What county is ZIP code 28602 in?

ZIP code 28602 falls within Catawba County, North Carolina.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 28602?

18% of residents in ZIP code 28602 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 28602?

The median home value in ZIP code 28602 is $166,900.

What is the population of ZIP code 28602?

ZIP code 28602 has an estimated population of 29,298 residents, with a density of 415 people per square mile.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 28602?

The median household income in ZIP code 28602 is $53,180, below the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 28602 in?

ZIP code 28602 observes the EST timezone.