28021 ZIP Code — Cherryville, NC

Gaston County, North Carolina

ZIP code 28021 is located in Cherryville, North Carolina, within Gaston County. It covers approximately 58.83 square miles and serves a population of 13,702 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 704/980.

About ZIP code 28021

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 $178,800. Owner-occupancy is high at 76%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $53,377. 38% 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 30 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 23% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

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

Overall, ZIP code 28021 reflects a community defined by high homeownership and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

13,702

population

58.83

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

28021 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 28021

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 28021. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Cherryville	Acceptable
Cherryville	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

28033 Crouse (3.5 mi) 28016 Bessemer City (7.7 mi) 28092 Lincolnton (9.9 mi) 28086 Kings Mountain (9.9 mi) 28150 Shelby (10.1 mi) 28168 Vale (10.4 mi) 28090 Lawndale (11.4 mi) 28034 Dallas (12.3 mi) 28073 Grover (14.1 mi) 28052 Gastonia (14.5 mi) 28152 Shelby (15.6 mi) 28020 Casar (16.3 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	13,702
Population density	233 / sq mi
State FIPS	37
County FIPS	071

Geography
Land area	58.83 sq mi
Water area	1.05 sq mi
Latitude	35.3991
Longitude	-81.3938
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	704/980

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	51.8%	46.6%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	28.9%	30.5%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	18.0%	19.2%	19.1%
Over $200k	1.3%	3.7%	6.0%

Demographics & statistics

13,702

Population

233

People per sq mi

40.2

Median age

$53,377

Median household income

$28,961

Per capita income

$178,800

Median home value

$838

Median monthly rent

75.7%

Home ownership

12.8%

Poverty rate

5.9%

Unemployment

4,904

Housing units

22.5%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

389

Under 5

401

264

5–9

271

451

10–14

464

462

15–19

475

481

20–24

494

857

25–34

882

830

35–44

854

820

45–54

843

454

55–59

468

422

60–64

435

766

65–74

789

432

75–84

444

125

85+

129

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	2,857	20.9%
18 and over	10,845	79.1%
65 and over	2,685	19.6%
Median age	40.2 years

Race & ethnicity

White 89.4%

Black or African American 4.6%

Two or more races 3.2%

Hispanic or Latino 1.8%

Other race 0.5%

Asian 0.3%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%

Group	Count	%
White	12,473	89.4%
Black or African American	642	4.6%
Two or more races	440	3.2%
Hispanic or Latino	254	1.8%
Other race	72	0.5%
Asian	47	0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native	26	0.2%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	51.8%	46.6%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	28.9%	30.5%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	18.0%	19.2%	19.1%
Over $200k	1.3%	3.7%	6.0%

Under $10k 5.3%

$10k–$15k 6.2%

$15k–$25k 11.6%

$25k–$35k 8.8%

$35k–$50k 13.4%

$50k–$75k 16.5%

$75k–$100k 13.8%

$100k–$150k 18.0%

$150k–$200k 3.9%

$200k+ 2.5%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	5.3%
$10k–$15k	6.2%
$15k–$25k	11.6%
$25k–$35k	8.8%
$35k–$50k	13.4%
$50k–$75k	16.5%
$75k–$100k	13.8%
$100k–$150k	18.0%
$150k–$200k	3.9%
$200k+	2.5%
Median income	$53,377

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 14.6%

$50k–$100k 9.6%

$100k–$150k 16.6%

$150k–$200k 17.1%

$200k–$300k 26.6%

$300k–$500k 12.4%

$500k–$1M 2.6%

$1M+ 0.4%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$178,800
Median rent / month	$838
Owner occupied	75.7%
Renter occupied	24.3%
Vacant	11.7%
Single-family detached	75.0%
Large apartment buildings	0.1%
Mobile homes	18.1%
Median rooms	5.6
Avg household size (owned)	2.51

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	3.5%
2000–2009	11.4%
1990–1999	19.9%
1980–1989	14.5%
1970–1979	10.9%
1960–1969	13.7%
1950–1959	13.2%
1940–1949	4.1%
1939 or earlier	8.6%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.0%
1 bedroom	3.6%
2 bedrooms	28.3%
3 bedrooms	55.3%
4 bedrooms	11.2%
5+ bedrooms	1.6%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	6.0%
1 vehicle	25.0%
2 vehicles	36.4%
3 or more	32.7%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	26.2%
Electricity	63.2%
Propane / LP gas	5.8%
Fuel oil	2.6%
Wood	1.2%
No fuel used	1.0%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	2,712	49.1%
Cohabiting couple	402	7.3%
Male householder, no spouse	950	17.2%
Female householder, no spouse	1,454	26.4%
Households with children under 18	1,787	32.4%
Households with seniors (65+)	1,905	34.5%
Average household size	2.45

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	33.7%	22.3%
Married	51.0%	51.6%
Separated	2.9%	3.2%
Widowed	3.1%	11.1%
Divorced	9.3%	11.7%

Education

Less than 9th grade 4.0%

Some HS, no diploma 8.1%

HS graduate 34.5%

Some college, no degree 20.7%

Associate's degree 10.1%

Bachelor's degree 16.8%

Graduate / professional 5.7%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	87.9%
Bachelor's or higher	22.5%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	84	3.1%
Kindergarten	233	8.5%
Elementary school	1,125	41.0%
High school	823	30.0%
College / grad school	480	17.5%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 21.6%

Manufacturing 15.5%

Retail trade 13.8%

Other services 8.6%

Professional & management 8.5%

Construction 8.4%

Transportation & utilities 7.5%

Public administration 5.2%

Arts, food & hospitality 4.3%

Finance & real estate 3.6%

Wholesale trade 1.4%

Agriculture & mining 1.0%

Information 0.5%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	35.7%
Service	15.1%
Sales & office	20.5%
Natural resources & construction	14.6%
Production & transportation	14.2%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	76.4%
Government	16.5%
Self-employed	6.6%
Unpaid family workers	0.5%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	84.2%
Carpool	9.8%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	1.0%
Work from home	4.2%
Other means	0.8%
Avg commute (minutes)	29.9

Poverty

All people 12.8%

Under 18 years 17.4%

18 and over 11.6%

Married-couple families 1.4%

Female-led households 32.8%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	37.9%
Retirement income	23.3%
Supplemental Security	5.3%
Cash public assistance	1.9%
Food stamps / SNAP	16.4%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	33.2%
High blood pressure	38.2%
High cholesterol	36.7%
Diabetes	11.5%
Heart disease	7.7%
Stroke	3.8%
Asthma	9.3%
Arthritis	28.4%
Kidney disease	3.4%
Pulmonary disease	8.7%
Cancer	7.2%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	21.8%
Binge drinking	15.6%
No physical activity	25.3%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	32.1%
Depression	24.1%
Fair or poor health	16.0%
Poor mental health	15.0%
Poor physical health	12.2%
No health insurance	18.4%
Visited doctor (checkup)	78.4%
Visited dentist	60.5%
Cholesterol screening	89.5%
Teeth loss	17.2%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	580	5.3%

Disability	%
Any disability	15.1%
Under 18	5.7%
18–64 years	12.2%
65 and over	35.1%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	65.0%
Public insurance	36.3%
No insurance	10.3%
Uninsured under 19	2.1%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	12,912	94.2%
Spanish	180	1.4%
Other Indo-European	139	1.1%
Asian & Pacific Islander	6	0.0%
Other languages	35	0.3%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	13,501	98.5%
Born in same state	13,477	98.4%
Born in different state	11,191	81.7%
Foreign born	24	0.2%
Naturalized citizen	201	1.5%
Not a US citizen	88	43.8%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	2,570	18.8%
French	1,345	9.8%
Italian	1,222	8.9%
English	61	0.4%

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	33	0.2%
Norwegian	27	0.2%
German	7	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	40.3%
Internet access	88.1%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 28021

What city is ZIP code 28021 in?

ZIP code 28021 is primarily assigned to Cherryville, North Carolina.

What county is ZIP code 28021 in?

ZIP code 28021 falls within Gaston County, North Carolina.

Does ZIP code 28021 have a large retiree population?

38% of households in ZIP code 28021 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 28021?

The median home value in ZIP code 28021 is $178,800.

What is the population of ZIP code 28021?

ZIP code 28021 has an estimated population of 13,702 residents, with a density of 233 people per square mile.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 28021?

The median household income in ZIP code 28021 is $53,377, below the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 28021 in?

ZIP code 28021 observes the EST timezone.