28023 ZIP Code — China Grove, NC

Rowan County, North Carolina

ZIP code 28023 is located in China Grove, North Carolina, within Rowan County. It covers approximately 46.54 square miles and serves a population of 15,703 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 704/980.

About ZIP code 28023

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1960s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $181,600. Owner-occupancy is high at 79%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $57,670. 44% 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 27 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 16% 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 28023 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

15,703

population

46.54

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

28023 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 28023

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 28023. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
China Grove	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

28088 Landis (2.3 mi) 28088 Landis (2.3 mi) 28083 Kannapolis (5.8 mi) 28083 Kannapolis (5.8 mi) 28081 Kannapolis (6.9 mi) 28081 Kannapolis (6.9 mi) 28147 Salisbury (8.5 mi) 28147 Salisbury (8.5 mi) 28125 Mount Ulla (8.7 mi) 28125 Mount Ulla (8.7 mi) 28138 Rockwell (8.8 mi) 28138 Rockwell (8.8 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	15,703
Population density	337 / sq mi
State FIPS	37
County FIPS	159

Geography
Land area	46.54 sq mi
Water area	0.13 sq mi
Latitude	35.5756
Longitude	-80.5962
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	48.7%	47.4%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	31.5%	32.8%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	17.7%	16.2%	19.1%
Over $200k	2.1%	3.6%	6.0%

Demographics & statistics

15,703

Population

337

People per sq mi

41.4

Median age

$57,670

Median household income

$31,413

Per capita income

$181,600

Median home value

$912

Median monthly rent

78.9%

Home ownership

13.7%

Poverty rate

6.1%

Unemployment

5,391

Housing units

16.4%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

476

Under 5

488

384

5–9

393

454

10–14

464

345

15–19

354

449

20–24

460

1,204

25–34

1,233

870

35–44

891

951

45–54

974

651

55–59

667

666

60–64

682

723

65–74

740

484

75–84

496

101

85+

103

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	2,990	19.0%
18 and over	12,713	81.0%
65 and over	2,647	16.9%
Median age	41.4 years

Race & ethnicity

White 69.9%

Hispanic or Latino 10.7%

Two or more races 8.7%

Black or African American 5%

Other race 4.2%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%

Asian 0.6%

Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	12,297	69.9%
Hispanic or Latino	1,887	10.7%
Two or more races	1,536	8.7%
Black or African American	887	5%
Other race	747	4.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native	123	0.7%
Asian	100	0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	13	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	48.7%	47.4%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	31.5%	32.8%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	17.7%	16.2%	19.1%
Over $200k	2.1%	3.6%	6.0%

Under $10k 3.7%

$10k–$15k 6.0%

$15k–$25k 8.4%

$25k–$35k 11.7%

$35k–$50k 14.8%

$50k–$75k 19.6%

$75k–$100k 14.4%

$100k–$150k 11.1%

$150k–$200k 6.4%

$200k+ 3.8%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	3.7%
$10k–$15k	6.0%
$15k–$25k	8.4%
$25k–$35k	11.7%
$35k–$50k	14.8%
$50k–$75k	19.6%
$75k–$100k	14.4%
$100k–$150k	11.1%
$150k–$200k	6.4%
$200k+	3.8%
Median income	$57,670

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 8.9%

$50k–$100k 17.0%

$100k–$150k 12.8%

$150k–$200k 14.8%

$200k–$300k 23.9%

$300k–$500k 14.8%

$500k–$1M 6.3%

$1M+ 1.5%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$181,600
Median rent / month	$912
Owner occupied	78.9%
Renter occupied	21.1%
Vacant	7.7%
Single-family detached	74.2%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	20.2%
Median rooms	5.3
Avg household size (owned)	2.61

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	2.0%
2010–2019	4.3%
2000–2009	13.3%
1990–1999	18.0%
1980–1989	11.9%
1970–1979	12.1%
1960–1969	18.4%
1950–1959	6.3%
1940–1949	4.7%
1939 or earlier	9.1%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.7%
1 bedroom	1.9%
2 bedrooms	30.6%
3 bedrooms	52.7%
4 bedrooms	13.3%
5+ bedrooms	0.9%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	5.5%
1 vehicle	21.7%
2 vehicles	32.0%
3 or more	40.8%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	12.8%
Electricity	79.3%
Propane / LP gas	2.7%
Fuel oil	1.0%
Wood	3.2%
Solar	0.2%
No fuel used	0.7%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	3,215	52.0%
Cohabiting couple	490	7.9%
Male householder, no spouse	1,310	21.2%
Female householder, no spouse	1,168	18.9%
Households with children under 18	1,819	29.4%
Households with seniors (65+)	1,934	31.3%
Average household size	2.51

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	30.7%	26.6%
Married	51.7%	51.4%
Separated	2.4%	0.3%
Widowed	3.1%	8.3%
Divorced	12.1%	13.4%

Education

Less than 9th grade 5.2%

Some HS, no diploma 9.7%

HS graduate 32.7%

Some college, no degree 22.9%

Associate's degree 13.0%

Bachelor's degree 11.8%

Graduate / professional 4.6%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	85.1%
Bachelor's or higher	16.4%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	200	6.4%
Kindergarten	260	8.3%
Elementary school	1,231	39.2%
High school	643	20.5%
College / grad school	805	25.6%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 16.9%

Retail trade 14.0%

Manufacturing 12.7%

Construction 9.4%

Other services 9.0%

Professional & management 8.7%

Arts, food & hospitality 7.3%

Transportation & utilities 6.5%

Finance & real estate 4.0%

Wholesale trade 3.9%

Agriculture & mining 3.6%

Public administration 2.4%

Information 1.5%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	29.0%
Service	12.9%
Sales & office	19.8%
Natural resources & construction	17.8%
Production & transportation	20.4%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	82.2%
Government	11.3%
Self-employed	6.4%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	83.3%
Carpool	8.4%
Public transit	0.2%
Walk	1.3%
Work from home	6.6%
Other means	0.2%
Avg commute (minutes)	27.0

Poverty

All people 13.7%

Under 18 years 18.3%

18 and over 12.6%

Married-couple families 10.9%

Female-led households 22.7%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	44.0%
Retirement income	21.4%
Supplemental Security	10.1%
Cash public assistance	1.1%
Food stamps / SNAP	15.7%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	35.3%
High blood pressure	34.2%
High cholesterol	34.9%
Diabetes	11.0%
Heart disease	7.2%
Stroke	3.4%
Asthma	9.2%
Arthritis	27.3%
Kidney disease	3.1%
Pulmonary disease	8.0%
Cancer	6.6%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	21.5%
Binge drinking	16.6%
No physical activity	25.3%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	33.5%
Depression	24.4%
Fair or poor health	15.2%
Poor mental health	15.2%
Poor physical health	11.5%
No health insurance	18.3%
Visited doctor (checkup)	77.7%
Visited dentist	59.7%
Cholesterol screening	89.0%
Teeth loss	16.2%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	981	7.7%

Disability	%
Any disability	14.8%
Under 18	2.7%
18–64 years	13.1%
65 and over	34.9%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	60.2%
Public insurance	42.7%
No insurance	7.5%
Uninsured under 19	3.9%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	14,739	93.9%
Spanish	808	5.5%
Other Indo-European	795	5.4%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	13	0.1%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	14,593	92.9%
Born in same state	14,354	91.4%
Born in different state	10,170	64.8%
Foreign born	239	1.5%
Naturalized citizen	1,110	7.1%
Not a US citizen	368	33.2%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	2,004	12.8%
French	1,730	11%
Italian	896	5.7%

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	44	0.3%
English	42	0.3%
Dutch	10	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	39.4%
Internet access	93.8%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 28023

What city is ZIP code 28023 in?

ZIP code 28023 is primarily assigned to China Grove, North Carolina.

What county is ZIP code 28023 in?

ZIP code 28023 falls within Rowan County, North Carolina.

Does ZIP code 28023 have a large retiree population?

44% of households in ZIP code 28023 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 28023?

The median home value in ZIP code 28023 is $181,600.

What is the population of ZIP code 28023?

ZIP code 28023 has an estimated population of 15,703 residents, with a density of 337 people per square mile.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 28023?

The median household income in ZIP code 28023 is $57,670, below the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 28023 in?

ZIP code 28023 observes the EST timezone.