28138 ZIP Code — Rockwell, NC

Rowan County, North Carolina

ZIP code 28138 is located in Rockwell, North Carolina, within Rowan County. It covers approximately 44.95 square miles and serves a population of 10,013 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 704/980.

About ZIP code 28138

The housing stock consists of a higher-than-average concentration of mobile homes. Most homes were built in the 1990s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $176,000. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 70%.

Median household income is $62,807. 39% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 25 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 20% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (21%) compared to national benchmarks.

Overall, ZIP code 28138 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

10,013

population

44.95

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

28138 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 28138

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 28138. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Rockwell	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

28083 Kannapolis (7 mi) 28071 Gold Hill (7.6 mi) 28146 Salisbury (7.9 mi) 28146 Salisbury (7.9 mi) 28023 China Grove (8.8 mi) 28023 China Grove (8.8 mi) 28088 Landis (9.1 mi) 28124 Mount Pleasant (9.3 mi) 28025 Concord (10.6 mi) 28025 Concord (10.6 mi) 28137 Richfield (10.9 mi) 28159 Spencer (12 mi)

Demographics updated 06/2026

Population
Total population	10,013
Population density	223 / sq mi
State FIPS	37
County FIPS	159

Geography
Land area	44.95 sq mi
Water area	0.06 sq mi
Latitude	35.5205
Longitude	-80.4557
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	704/980

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 06/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	50.5%	47.4%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	28.8%	32.8%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	18.9%	16.2%	19.1%
Over $200k	1.8%	3.6%	6.0%

Demographics & statistics

10,013

Population

223

People per sq mi

41.9

Median age

$62,807

Median household income

$32,005

Per capita income

$176,000

Median home value

$948

Median monthly rent

69.9%

Home ownership

10.3%

Poverty rate

5.6%

Unemployment

3,092

Housing units

19.6%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

271

Under 5

289

206

5–9

219

229

10–14

244

294

15–19

313

429

20–24

458

532

25–34

567

616

35–44

657

736

45–54

785

324

55–59

346

370

60–64

394

466

65–74

497

300

75–84

320

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	1,755	17.5%
18 and over	8,258	82.5%
65 and over	1,734	17.3%
Median age	41.9 years

Race & ethnicity

White 95.2%

Two or more races 2.1%

Hispanic or Latino 1.3%

Other race 0.8%

Black or African American 0.5%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	9,652	95.2%
Two or more races	210	2.1%
Hispanic or Latino	129	1.3%
Other race	86	0.8%
Black or African American	55	0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native	6	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	50.5%	47.4%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	28.8%	32.8%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	18.9%	16.2%	19.1%
Over $200k	1.8%	3.6%	6.0%

Under $10k 2.7%

$10k–$15k 8.4%

$15k–$25k 8.3%

$25k–$35k 9.8%

$35k–$50k 7.1%

$50k–$75k 23.3%

$75k–$100k 11.8%

$100k–$150k 16.7%

$150k–$200k 8.1%

$200k+ 3.8%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	2.7%
$10k–$15k	8.4%
$15k–$25k	8.3%
$25k–$35k	9.8%
$35k–$50k	7.1%
$50k–$75k	23.3%
$75k–$100k	11.8%
$100k–$150k	16.7%
$150k–$200k	8.1%
$200k+	3.8%
Median income	$62,807

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 4.4%

$50k–$100k 13.8%

$100k–$150k 20.3%

$150k–$200k 18.3%

$200k–$300k 17.3%

$300k–$500k 13.4%

$500k–$1M 10.4%

$1M+ 1.9%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$176,000
Median rent / month	$948
Owner occupied	69.9%
Renter occupied	30.1%
Vacant	7.0%
Single-family detached	64.2%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	23.6%
Median rooms	5.7
Avg household size (owned)	2.64

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	2.4%
2010–2019	3.8%
2000–2009	20.2%
1990–1999	27.9%
1980–1989	11.2%
1970–1979	12.5%
1960–1969	3.8%
1950–1959	4.6%
1940–1949	5.0%
1939 or earlier	8.5%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.3%
1 bedroom	1.5%
2 bedrooms	26.0%
3 bedrooms	59.0%
4 bedrooms	9.8%
5+ bedrooms	3.4%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	3.7%
1 vehicle	18.8%
2 vehicles	45.2%
3 or more	32.3%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	20.1%
Electricity	73.8%
Propane / LP gas	1.9%
Fuel oil	1.3%
Wood	2.3%
No fuel used	0.2%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	2,249	56.3%
Cohabiting couple	233	5.8%
Male householder, no spouse	609	15.2%
Female householder, no spouse	903	22.6%
Households with children under 18	1,038	26.0%
Households with seniors (65+)	1,290	32.3%
Average household size	2.47

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	24.6%	20.3%
Married	57.6%	53.0%
Separated	1.8%	4.2%
Widowed	2.8%	8.6%
Divorced	13.2%	13.8%

Education

Less than 9th grade 2.1%

Some HS, no diploma 6.7%

HS graduate 43.5%

Some college, no degree 17.9%

Associate's degree 10.2%

Bachelor's degree 16.5%

Graduate / professional 3.1%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	91.2%
Bachelor's or higher	19.6%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	176	8.4%
Kindergarten	86	4.1%
Elementary school	720	34.3%
High school	427	20.3%
College / grad school	692	32.9%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 17.7%

Manufacturing 17.0%

Arts, food & hospitality 11.6%

Retail trade 10.3%

Professional & management 9.2%

Construction 8.4%

Transportation & utilities 6.1%

Other services 6.1%

Public administration 5.1%

Finance & real estate 3.5%

Agriculture & mining 2.2%

Wholesale trade 1.8%

Information 1.1%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	30.8%
Service	16.8%
Sales & office	17.9%
Natural resources & construction	10.5%
Production & transportation	24.1%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	75.9%
Government	17.7%
Self-employed	6.4%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	73.4%
Carpool	14.5%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.5%
Work from home	9.0%
Other means	2.6%
Avg commute (minutes)	24.5

Poverty

All people 10.3%

Under 18 years 7.5%

18 and over 10.8%

Married-couple families 2.2%

Female-led households 12.1%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	39.0%
Retirement income	25.0%
Supplemental Security	3.0%
Cash public assistance	0.5%
Food stamps / SNAP	6.5%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	34.1%
High blood pressure	32.7%
High cholesterol	34.5%
Diabetes	10.1%
Heart disease	6.7%
Stroke	3.2%
Asthma	9.3%
Arthritis	26.4%
Kidney disease	2.9%
Pulmonary disease	7.7%
Cancer	6.6%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	21.4%
Binge drinking	17.3%
No physical activity	24.1%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	33.0%
Depression	25.0%
Fair or poor health	14.3%
Poor mental health	15.3%
Poor physical health	11.1%
No health insurance	17.4%
Visited doctor (checkup)	77.1%
Visited dentist	61.1%
Cholesterol screening	88.7%
Teeth loss	15.6%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	453	5.5%

Disability	%
Any disability	17.7%
Under 18	5.0%
18–64 years	16.6%
65 and over	34.3%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	67.7%
Public insurance	33.1%
No insurance	8.3%
Uninsured under 19	3.3%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	9,453	94.4%
Spanish	33	0.3%
Other Indo-European	27	0.3%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	6	0.1%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	9,925	99.1%
Born in same state	9,925	99.1%
Born in different state	7,868	78.6%
Foreign born	0	0.0%
Naturalized citizen	88	0.9%
Not a US citizen	68	77.3%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	1,437	14.4%
Arab	1,281	12.8%
Italian	988	9.9%
English	88	0.9%

Ancestry	Count	%
Dutch	37	0.4%
Polish	15	0.1%
German	6	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	39.9%
Internet access	93.1%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 28138

What city is ZIP code 28138 in?

ZIP code 28138 is primarily assigned to Rockwell, North Carolina.

What county is ZIP code 28138 in?

ZIP code 28138 falls within Rowan County, North Carolina.

Does ZIP code 28138 have a large retiree population?

39% of households in ZIP code 28138 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 28138?

The median home value in ZIP code 28138 is $176,000.

What is the population of ZIP code 28138?

ZIP code 28138 has an estimated population of 10,013 residents, with a density of 223 people per square mile.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 28138?

The median household income in ZIP code 28138 is $62,807, below the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 28138 in?

ZIP code 28138 observes the EST timezone.