28609 ZIP Code — Catawba, NC

Catawba County, North Carolina

ZIP code 28609 is located in Catawba, North Carolina, within Catawba County. It covers approximately 45.67 square miles and serves a population of 5,504 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 828.

About ZIP code 28609

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 2000s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $213,200. Owner-occupancy is high at 86%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $73,359. 39% 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 31 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 16% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Overall, ZIP code 28609 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

5,504

population

45.67

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

28609 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 28609

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 28609. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Catawba	Acceptable
Catawba	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

28673 Sherrills Ford (6.4 mi) 28610 Claremont (6.5 mi) 28677 Statesville (7.7 mi) 28682 Terrell (8.7 mi) 28166 Troutman (9.4 mi) 28650 Maiden (10.4 mi) 28613 Conover (10.6 mi) 28678 Stony Point (10.6 mi) 28117 Mooresville (11.3 mi) 28658 Newton (11.8 mi) 28037 Denver (12.4 mi) 28625 Statesville (16.2 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	5,504
Population density	121 / sq mi
State FIPS	37
County FIPS	035

Geography
Land area	45.67 sq mi
Water area	2.01 sq mi
Latitude	35.6871
Longitude	-81.0392
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	828

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	42.5%	45.7%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	36.2%	33.1%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	17.0%	17.0%	19.1%
Over $200k	4.2%	4.2%	6.0%

Demographics & statistics

5,504

Population

121

People per sq mi

47.0

Median age

$73,359

Median household income

$35,354

Per capita income

$213,200

Median home value

$1,046

Median monthly rent

85.7%

Home ownership

12.0%

Poverty rate

2.4%

Unemployment

2,513

Housing units

16.0%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

109

Under 5

104

225

5–9

215

125

10–14

118

132

15–19

126

119

20–24

114

312

25–34

297

353

35–44

336

288

45–54

275

211

55–59

200

306

60–64

291

404

65–74

384

206

75–84

196

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	1,074	19.5%
18 and over	4,430	80.5%
65 and over	1,248	22.7%
Median age	47.0 years

Race & ethnicity

White 93.2%

Black or African American 4.8%

Two or more races 1.3%

Hispanic or Latino 0.4%

Other race 0.3%

Group	Count	%
White	5,149	93.2%
Black or African American	267	4.8%
Two or more races	70	1.3%
Hispanic or Latino	20	0.4%
Other race	17	0.3%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	42.5%	45.7%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	36.2%	33.1%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	17.0%	17.0%	19.1%
Over $200k	4.2%	4.2%	6.0%

Under $10k 6.1%

$10k–$15k 7.1%

$15k–$25k 8.0%

$25k–$35k 7.0%

$35k–$50k 9.1%

$50k–$75k 13.2%

$75k–$100k 23.0%

$100k–$150k 16.6%

$150k–$200k 4.5%

$200k+ 5.4%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	6.1%
$10k–$15k	7.1%
$15k–$25k	8.0%
$25k–$35k	7.0%
$35k–$50k	9.1%
$50k–$75k	13.2%
$75k–$100k	23.0%
$100k–$150k	16.6%
$150k–$200k	4.5%
$200k+	5.4%
Median income	$73,359

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 5.4%

$50k–$100k 14.2%

$100k–$150k 15.6%

$150k–$200k 10.9%

$200k–$300k 27.8%

$300k–$500k 16.1%

$500k–$1M 10.0%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$213,200
Median rent / month	$1,046
Owner occupied	85.7%
Renter occupied	14.3%
Vacant	17.1%
Single-family detached	79.1%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	19.2%
Median rooms	5.4
Avg household size (owned)	2.36

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.8%
2010–2019	3.4%
2000–2009	26.6%
1990–1999	14.9%
1980–1989	14.0%
1970–1979	11.5%
1960–1969	9.7%
1950–1959	9.4%
1940–1949	2.9%
1939 or earlier	6.7%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.0%
1 bedroom	2.8%
2 bedrooms	26.0%
3 bedrooms	57.5%
4 bedrooms	11.6%
5+ bedrooms	2.2%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	6.6%
1 vehicle	10.7%
2 vehicles	43.3%
3 or more	39.4%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	0.6%
Electricity	84.4%
Propane / LP gas	6.6%
Fuel oil	4.7%
Wood	2.8%
No fuel used	1.0%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	1,299	55.0%
Cohabiting couple	90	3.8%
Male householder, no spouse	494	20.9%
Female householder, no spouse	480	20.3%
Households with children under 18	572	24.2%
Households with seniors (65+)	855	36.2%
Average household size	2.33

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	19.8%	19.5%
Married	58.2%	55.3%
Separated	1.7%	2.3%
Widowed	2.2%	12.9%
Divorced	18.1%	10.0%

Education

Less than 9th grade 6.5%

Some HS, no diploma 10.5%

HS graduate 33.9%

Some college, no degree 22.4%

Associate's degree 10.7%

Bachelor's degree 10.4%

Graduate / professional 5.6%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	83.0%
Bachelor's or higher	16.0%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	22	2.3%
Kindergarten	7	0.7%
Elementary school	643	66.6%
High school	191	19.8%
College / grad school	102	10.6%

Employment

Industry of employment

Manufacturing 24.6%

Education & healthcare 21.0%

Retail trade 16.1%

Transportation & utilities 9.6%

Other services 5.9%

Construction 5.6%

Professional & management 4.9%

Arts, food & hospitality 3.4%

Public administration 2.8%

Information 2.0%

Wholesale trade 1.5%

Finance & real estate 1.4%

Agriculture & mining 1.2%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	34.3%
Service	9.9%
Sales & office	18.4%
Natural resources & construction	12.7%
Production & transportation	24.7%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	83.7%
Government	12.2%
Self-employed	4.2%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	83.2%
Carpool	5.1%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	2.7%
Work from home	8.7%
Other means	0.3%
Avg commute (minutes)	31.0

Poverty

All people 12.0%

Under 18 years 7.1%

18 and over 13.1%

Married-couple families 6.9%

Female-led households 17.5%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	39.2%
Retirement income	22.0%
Supplemental Security	3.6%
Cash public assistance	1.7%
Food stamps / SNAP	8.2%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	29.8%
High blood pressure	34.7%
High cholesterol	35.9%
Diabetes	9.9%
Heart disease	6.5%
Stroke	3.0%
Asthma	9.0%
Arthritis	26.6%
Kidney disease	2.9%
Pulmonary disease	6.8%
Cancer	6.8%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	18.9%
Binge drinking	16.7%
No physical activity	20.4%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	33.3%
Depression	22.8%
Fair or poor health	12.8%
Poor mental health	13.7%
Poor physical health	10.2%
No health insurance	15.6%
Visited doctor (checkup)	78.3%
Visited dentist	67.3%
Cholesterol screening	90.8%
Teeth loss	12.9%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	378	8.5%

Disability	%
Any disability	17.9%
Under 18	9.7%
18–64 years	12.4%
65 and over	38.9%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	66.4%
Public insurance	35.0%
No insurance	10.7%
Uninsured under 19	11.6%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	5,291	96.1%
Spanish	68	1.3%
Other Indo-European	68	1.3%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	5,343	97.1%
Born in same state	5,251	95.4%
Born in different state	3,601	65.4%
Foreign born	92	1.7%
Naturalized citizen	161	2.9%
Not a US citizen	96	59.6%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	988	18%
Italian	605	11%
French	594	10.8%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	46	0.8%
German	7	0.1%
Irish	7	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	42.9%
Internet access	92.5%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 28609

What city is ZIP code 28609 in?

ZIP code 28609 is primarily assigned to Catawba, North Carolina.

What county is ZIP code 28609 in?

ZIP code 28609 falls within Catawba County, North Carolina.

Is ZIP code 28609 mostly owner-occupied?

86% of occupied units in ZIP code 28609 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

Does ZIP code 28609 have a large retiree population?

39% of households in ZIP code 28609 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the population of ZIP code 28609?

ZIP code 28609 has an estimated population of 5,504 residents, with a density of 121 people per square mile.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 28609?

The median home value in ZIP code 28609 is $213,200.

What timezone is ZIP code 28609 in?

ZIP code 28609 observes the EST timezone.