28638 ZIP Code — Hudson, NC

Caldwell County, North Carolina

ZIP code 28638 is located in Hudson, North Carolina, within Caldwell County. It covers approximately 19.97 square miles and serves a population of 11,630 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 828.

About ZIP code 28638

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1980s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $154,600. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 73%.

Median household income is $49,489. Poverty affects 18% of residents, above the national average. 36% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is production, transportation, and material moving, with manufacturing as the leading industry. The average commute of 23 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 17% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (23%) compared to national benchmarks.

Overall, ZIP code 28638 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, economic challenges above the national average, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

11,630

population

19.97

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

28638 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 28638

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 28638. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Hudson	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

28630 Granite Falls (1.6 mi) 28633 Lenoir (6.1 mi) 28645 Lenoir (8.5 mi) 28645 Lenoir (8.5 mi) 28637 Hildebran (8.9 mi) 28601 Hickory (8.9 mi) 28690 Valdese (9.5 mi) 28602 Hickory (12.5 mi) 28612 Connelly Springs (12.5 mi) 28655 Morganton (14.9 mi) 28613 Conover (16.2 mi) 28681 Taylorsville (16.4 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	11,630
Population density	582 / sq mi
State FIPS	37
County FIPS	027

Geography
Land area	19.97 sq mi
Water area	0.00 sq mi
Latitude	35.8413
Longitude	-81.4774
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	49.1%	54.6%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	32.6%	29.7%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	17.2%	14.1%	19.1%
Over $200k	1.1%	1.6%	6.0%

Demographics & statistics

11,630

Population

582

People per sq mi

39.0

Median age

$49,489

Median household income

$25,165

Per capita income

$154,600

Median home value

$692

Median monthly rent

73.1%

Home ownership

17.9%

Poverty rate

3.6%

Unemployment

3,799

Housing units

16.6%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

331

Under 5

331

356

5–9

355

298

10–14

297

397

15–19

395

437

20–24

435

772

25–34

770

699

35–44

696

754

45–54

751

420

55–59

419

413

60–64

412

568

65–74

566

294

75–84

294

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	2,480	21.3%
18 and over	9,150	78.7%
65 and over	1,892	16.3%
Median age	39.0 years

Race & ethnicity

White 91.8%

Two or more races 3.8%

Hispanic or Latino 2.4%

Black or African American 1%

Other race 0.8%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	10,942	91.8%
Two or more races	458	3.8%
Hispanic or Latino	288	2.4%
Black or African American	125	1%
Other race	98	0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native	7	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	49.1%	54.6%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	32.6%	29.7%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	17.2%	14.1%	19.1%
Over $200k	1.1%	1.6%	6.0%

Under $10k 5.0%

$10k–$15k 9.4%

$15k–$25k 15.5%

$25k–$35k 9.4%

$35k–$50k 11.3%

$50k–$75k 17.7%

$75k–$100k 11.1%

$100k–$150k 16.9%

$150k–$200k 2.3%

$200k+ 1.5%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	5.0%
$10k–$15k	9.4%
$15k–$25k	15.5%
$25k–$35k	9.4%
$35k–$50k	11.3%
$50k–$75k	17.7%
$75k–$100k	11.1%
$100k–$150k	16.9%
$150k–$200k	2.3%
$200k+	1.5%
Median income	$49,489

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 4.9%

$50k–$100k 9.9%

$100k–$150k 32.6%

$150k–$200k 25.2%

$200k–$300k 20.0%

$300k–$500k 6.0%

$500k–$1M 0.8%

$1M+ 0.8%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$154,600
Median rent / month	$692
Owner occupied	73.1%
Renter occupied	26.9%
Vacant	9.8%
Single-family detached	74.2%
Large apartment buildings	0.2%
Mobile homes	14.4%
Median rooms	5.2
Avg household size (owned)	2.57

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.1%
2010–2019	2.7%
2000–2009	8.8%
1990–1999	18.7%
1980–1989	21.2%
1970–1979	20.1%
1960–1969	15.3%
1950–1959	8.0%
1940–1949	3.7%
1939 or earlier	1.4%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.0%
1 bedroom	6.2%
2 bedrooms	25.1%
3 bedrooms	59.1%
4 bedrooms	7.3%
5+ bedrooms	2.4%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	4.6%
1 vehicle	27.5%
2 vehicles	37.6%
3 or more	30.3%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	11.6%
Electricity	76.9%
Propane / LP gas	2.9%
Fuel oil	4.7%
Wood	2.6%
Solar	0.1%
No fuel used	0.3%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	2,080	46.0%
Cohabiting couple	195	4.3%
Male householder, no spouse	686	15.2%
Female householder, no spouse	1,564	34.6%
Households with children under 18	1,637	36.2%
Households with seniors (65+)	1,429	31.6%
Average household size	2.57

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	36.1%	23.7%
Married	49.8%	45.9%
Separated	1.7%	2.4%
Widowed	3.0%	13.2%
Divorced	9.4%	14.8%

Education

Less than 9th grade 4.3%

Some HS, no diploma 13.1%

HS graduate 31.4%

Some college, no degree 25.0%

Associate's degree 9.7%

Bachelor's degree 11.4%

Graduate / professional 5.2%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	82.6%
Bachelor's or higher	16.6%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	126	5.0%
Kindergarten	102	4.1%
Elementary school	1,037	41.5%
High school	604	24.2%
College / grad school	629	25.2%

Employment

Industry of employment

Manufacturing 22.0%

Education & healthcare 19.5%

Retail trade 14.5%

Arts, food & hospitality 10.3%

Construction 6.1%

Other services 6.0%

Professional & management 5.7%

Transportation & utilities 4.8%

Wholesale trade 3.7%

Public administration 3.7%

Finance & real estate 3.0%

Information 0.8%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	24.4%
Service	18.1%
Sales & office	21.1%
Natural resources & construction	6.8%
Production & transportation	29.5%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	79.9%
Government	15.3%
Self-employed	4.8%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	76.1%
Carpool	17.1%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.4%
Work from home	3.9%
Other means	2.5%
Avg commute (minutes)	23.2

Poverty

All people 17.9%

Under 18 years 23.5%

18 and over 16.4%

Married-couple families 11.9%

Female-led households 34.4%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	36.4%
Retirement income	22.6%
Supplemental Security	6.2%
Cash public assistance	0.1%
Food stamps / SNAP	14.5%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	34.8%
High blood pressure	36.3%
High cholesterol	36.5%
Diabetes	11.0%
Heart disease	7.5%
Stroke	3.6%
Asthma	9.7%
Arthritis	28.0%
Kidney disease	3.2%
Pulmonary disease	8.8%
Cancer	6.8%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	22.6%
Binge drinking	16.0%
No physical activity	23.9%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	33.0%
Depression	25.1%
Fair or poor health	16.0%
Poor mental health	15.6%
Poor physical health	12.3%
No health insurance	19.2%
Visited doctor (checkup)	76.7%
Visited dentist	58.9%
Cholesterol screening	88.5%
Teeth loss	16.8%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	489	5.3%

Disability	%
Any disability	19.4%
Under 18	11.9%
18–64 years	17.5%
65 and over	36.5%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	63.2%
Public insurance	36.6%
No insurance	11.3%
Uninsured under 19	0.3%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	10,968	94.3%
Spanish	165	1.5%
Other Indo-European	142	1.3%
Asian & Pacific Islander	23	0.2%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	11,286	97.0%
Born in same state	11,213	96.4%
Born in different state	9,029	77.6%
Foreign born	73	0.6%
Naturalized citizen	344	3.0%
Not a US citizen	132	38.4%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	2,178	18.7%
French	1,610	13.8%
Italian	1,295	11.1%

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	384	3.3%
English	205	1.8%
Irish	16	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	38.9%
Internet access	88.0%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 28638

What city is ZIP code 28638 in?

ZIP code 28638 is primarily assigned to Hudson, North Carolina.

What county is ZIP code 28638 in?

ZIP code 28638 falls within Caldwell County, North Carolina.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 28638?

18% of residents in ZIP code 28638 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

Does ZIP code 28638 have a large retiree population?

36% of households in ZIP code 28638 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 28638?

The median home value in ZIP code 28638 is $154,600.

What is the population of ZIP code 28638?

ZIP code 28638 has an estimated population of 11,630 residents, with a density of 582 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 28638 in?

ZIP code 28638 observes the EST timezone.