28645 ZIP Code — Lenoir, NC

Caldwell County, North Carolina

ZIP code 28645 is located in Lenoir, North Carolina, within Caldwell County. It covers approximately 329.10 square miles and serves a population of 46,424 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 828.

About ZIP code 28645

The housing stock consists of a higher-than-average concentration of mobile homes. Most homes were built in the 1980s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $145,300. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 73%.

Median household income is $49,136. 46% 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 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 (23%) compared to national benchmarks.

Overall, ZIP code 28645 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

46,424

population

329.10

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

28645 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 28645

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 28645. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Lenoir	Acceptable
Lenoir	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

28633 Lenoir (2.9 mi) 28633 Lenoir (2.9 mi) 28638 Hudson (8.5 mi) 28638 Hudson (8.5 mi) 28630 Granite Falls (9.4 mi) 28630 Granite Falls (9.4 mi) 28624 Ferguson (12.8 mi) 28624 Ferguson (12.8 mi) 28611 Collettsville (12.9 mi) 28611 Collettsville (12.9 mi) 28606 Boomer (13.9 mi) 28606 Boomer (13.9 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	46,424
Population density	141 / sq mi
State FIPS	37
County FIPS	027

Geography
Land area	329.10 sq mi
Water area	0.43 sq mi
Latitude	35.9558
Longitude	-81.5310
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	59.1%	54.6%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	27.1%	29.7%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	12.4%	14.1%	19.1%
Over $200k	1.4%	1.6%	6.0%

Demographics & statistics

46,424

Population

141

People per sq mi

45.5

Median age

$49,136

Median household income

$26,977

Per capita income

$145,300

Median home value

$698

Median monthly rent

72.9%

Home ownership

13.1%

Poverty rate

6.0%

Unemployment

16,349

Housing units

16.2%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

1,100

Under 5

1,156

1,173

5–9

1,233

1,237

10–14

1,300

1,478

15–19

1,552

1,220

20–24

1,282

2,481

25–34

2,606

2,454

35–44

2,578

3,369

45–54

3,539

1,520

55–59

1,596

1,800

60–64

1,891

2,811

65–74

2,952

1,480

75–84

1,555

517

85+

544

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	8,909	19.2%
18 and over	37,515	80.8%
65 and over	9,859	21.2%
Median age	45.5 years

Race & ethnicity

White 79.6%

Black or African American 6.1%

Hispanic or Latino 5.8%

Other race 4.1%

Two or more races 3.6%

Asian 0.6%

Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	39,240	79.6%
Black or African American	2,985	6.1%
Hispanic or Latino	2,847	5.8%
Other race	2,030	4.1%
Two or more races	1,785	3.6%
Asian	298	0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	50	0.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native	36	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	59.1%	54.6%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	27.1%	29.7%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	12.4%	14.1%	19.1%
Over $200k	1.4%	1.6%	6.0%

Under $10k 4.5%

$10k–$15k 5.3%

$15k–$25k 12.8%

$25k–$35k 13.4%

$35k–$50k 14.5%

$50k–$75k 19.6%

$75k–$100k 11.0%

$100k–$150k 12.2%

$150k–$200k 4.9%

$200k+ 1.9%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	4.5%
$10k–$15k	5.3%
$15k–$25k	12.8%
$25k–$35k	13.4%
$35k–$50k	14.5%
$50k–$75k	19.6%
$75k–$100k	11.0%
$100k–$150k	12.2%
$150k–$200k	4.9%
$200k+	1.9%
Median income	$49,136

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 9.9%

$50k–$100k 24.7%

$100k–$150k 17.1%

$150k–$200k 17.7%

$200k–$300k 18.8%

$300k–$500k 9.1%

$500k–$1M 2.2%

$1M+ 0.5%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$145,300
Median rent / month	$698
Owner occupied	72.9%
Renter occupied	27.1%
Vacant	12.8%
Single-family detached	69.5%
Large apartment buildings	2.9%
Mobile homes	17.2%
Median rooms	5.3
Avg household size (owned)	2.48

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.4%
2010–2019	4.2%
2000–2009	9.2%
1990–1999	15.0%
1980–1989	16.4%
1970–1979	15.8%
1960–1969	13.7%
1950–1959	13.0%
1940–1949	6.0%
1939 or earlier	6.4%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	1.6%
1 bedroom	6.7%
2 bedrooms	30.1%
3 bedrooms	48.5%
4 bedrooms	10.9%
5+ bedrooms	2.2%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	5.5%
1 vehicle	31.4%
2 vehicles	35.2%
3 or more	27.9%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	14.0%
Electricity	64.5%
Propane / LP gas	6.4%
Fuel oil	9.9%
Wood	3.7%
No fuel used	1.2%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	8,739	46.8%
Cohabiting couple	893	4.8%
Male householder, no spouse	3,748	20.1%
Female householder, no spouse	5,303	28.4%
Households with children under 18	4,848	25.9%
Households with seniors (65+)	7,273	38.9%
Average household size	2.44

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	30.6%	22.9%
Married	50.7%	45.1%
Separated	2.4%	3.2%
Widowed	3.9%	11.9%
Divorced	12.5%	16.9%

Education

Less than 9th grade 6.1%

Some HS, no diploma 12.7%

HS graduate 32.7%

Some college, no degree 22.9%

Associate's degree 9.4%

Bachelor's degree 12.1%

Graduate / professional 4.1%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	81.2%
Bachelor's or higher	16.2%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	482	5.4%
Kindergarten	520	5.8%
Elementary school	4,087	45.9%
High school	2,352	26.4%
College / grad school	1,463	16.4%

Employment

Industry of employment

Manufacturing 23.1%

Education & healthcare 19.6%

Retail trade 11.3%

Arts, food & hospitality 8.1%

Construction 7.9%

Professional & management 5.7%

Other services 5.5%

Transportation & utilities 5.0%

Finance & real estate 4.4%

Wholesale trade 4.0%

Public administration 3.5%

Information 1.3%

Agriculture & mining 0.6%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	27.3%
Service	16.9%
Sales & office	21.3%
Natural resources & construction	11.6%
Production & transportation	22.9%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	77.5%
Government	12.8%
Self-employed	8.3%
Unpaid family workers	1.4%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	83.5%
Carpool	7.9%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.9%
Work from home	5.9%
Other means	1.8%
Avg commute (minutes)	26.8

Poverty

All people 13.1%

Under 18 years 21.8%

18 and over 11.0%

Married-couple families 5.2%

Female-led households 21.8%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	45.7%
Retirement income	24.5%
Supplemental Security	6.5%
Cash public assistance	1.1%
Food stamps / SNAP	12.8%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	36.0%
High blood pressure	39.3%
High cholesterol	37.3%
Diabetes	12.5%
Heart disease	8.3%
Stroke	4.1%
Asthma	9.9%
Arthritis	29.8%
Kidney disease	3.6%
Pulmonary disease	9.6%
Cancer	7.2%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	23.3%
Binge drinking	14.8%
No physical activity	26.1%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	33.7%
Depression	24.5%
Fair or poor health	18.1%
Poor mental health	15.5%
Poor physical health	13.3%
No health insurance	20.3%
Visited doctor (checkup)	77.8%
Visited dentist	56.5%
Cholesterol screening	88.8%
Teeth loss	18.9%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	2,653	7.1%

Disability	%
Any disability	20.2%
Under 18	6.3%
18–64 years	18.0%
65 and over	39.1%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	53.6%
Public insurance	45.7%
No insurance	12.8%
Uninsured under 19	6.1%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	44,168	95.1%
Spanish	887	2.0%
Other Indo-European	764	1.7%
Asian & Pacific Islander	22	0.0%
Other languages	21	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	44,873	96.7%
Born in same state	44,791	96.5%
Born in different state	34,655	74.6%
Foreign born	82	0.2%
Naturalized citizen	1,551	3.3%
Not a US citizen	397	25.6%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	12,908	27.8%
French	5,148	11.1%
Italian	3,932	8.5%
English	820	1.8%

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	228	0.5%
German	89	0.2%
Irish	60	0.1%
Dutch	25	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	40.2%
Internet access	86.0%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 28645

What city is ZIP code 28645 in?

ZIP code 28645 is primarily assigned to Lenoir, North Carolina.

What county is ZIP code 28645 in?

ZIP code 28645 falls within Caldwell County, North Carolina.

Does ZIP code 28645 have a large retiree population?

46% of households in ZIP code 28645 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 28645?

The median home value in ZIP code 28645 is $145,300.

What is the population of ZIP code 28645?

ZIP code 28645 has an estimated population of 46,424 residents, with a density of 141 people per square mile.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 28645?

The median household income in ZIP code 28645 is $49,136, below the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 28645 in?

ZIP code 28645 observes the EST timezone.