28097 ZIP Code — Locust, NC

Stanly County, North Carolina

ZIP code 28097 is located in Locust, North Carolina, within Stanly County. It covers approximately 30.09 square miles and serves a population of 7,162 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 704/980.

About ZIP code 28097

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Much of the housing stock is relatively new, reflecting recent development activity. Median home value is $261,500. Owner-occupancy is high at 82%, well above the national average.

The gap between median ($56,000) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. 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 30 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 18% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (21%) compared to national benchmarks.

Overall, ZIP code 28097 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

7,162

population

30.09

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

28097 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 28097

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 28097. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Locust	Acceptable
Locust	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

28163 Stanfield (5.9 mi) 28129 Oakboro (6.3 mi) 28124 Mount Pleasant (6.7 mi) 28107 Midland (7.6 mi) 28025 Concord (9 mi) 28025 Concord (9 mi) 28001 Albemarle (11.3 mi) 28075 Harrisburg (13.8 mi) 28128 Norwood (14.6 mi) 28071 Gold Hill (15.6 mi) 28127 New London (15.8 mi) 28227 Charlotte (15.8 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	7,162
Population density	238 / sq mi
State FIPS	37
County FIPS	167

Geography
Land area	30.09 sq mi
Water area	0.00 sq mi
Latitude	35.2944
Longitude	-80.4023
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	45.6%	45.7%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	27.9%	33.8%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	24.7%	17.1%	19.1%
Over $200k	1.8%	3.4%	6.0%

Demographics & statistics

7,162

Population

238

People per sq mi

41.8

Median age

$56,000

Median household income

$32,574

Per capita income

$261,500

Median home value

$815

Median monthly rent

82.1%

Home ownership

11.3%

Poverty rate

1.9%

Unemployment

2,510

Housing units

18.3%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

234

Under 5

259

137

5–9

151

233

10–14

258

221

15–19

245

198

20–24

220

412

25–34

456

377

35–44

418

361

45–54

400

276

55–59

306

368

60–64

408

329

65–74

364

213

75–84

236

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	1,638	22.9%
18 and over	5,524	77.1%
65 and over	1,224	17.1%
Median age	41.8 years

Race & ethnicity

White 94.7%

Two or more races 2.5%

Hispanic or Latino 1.6%

Black or African American 1.2%

Group	Count	%
White	6,895	94.7%
Two or more races	181	2.5%
Hispanic or Latino	116	1.6%
Black or African American	86	1.2%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	45.6%	45.7%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	27.9%	33.8%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	24.7%	17.1%	19.1%
Over $200k	1.8%	3.4%	6.0%

Under $10k 5.7%

$10k–$15k 1.7%

$15k–$25k 12.7%

$25k–$35k 8.7%

$35k–$50k 14.8%

$50k–$75k 12.7%

$75k–$100k 11.9%

$100k–$150k 19.6%

$150k–$200k 4.2%

$200k+ 8.0%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	5.7%
$10k–$15k	1.7%
$15k–$25k	12.7%
$25k–$35k	8.7%
$35k–$50k	14.8%
$50k–$75k	12.7%
$75k–$100k	11.9%
$100k–$150k	19.6%
$150k–$200k	4.2%
$200k+	8.0%
Median income	$56,000

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 4.6%

$50k–$100k 4.5%

$100k–$150k 8.8%

$150k–$200k 13.9%

$200k–$300k 32.6%

$300k–$500k 29.6%

$500k–$1M 4.3%

$1M+ 1.7%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$261,500
Median rent / month	$815
Owner occupied	82.1%
Renter occupied	17.9%
Vacant	7.4%
Single-family detached	81.9%
Large apartment buildings	1.6%
Mobile homes	13.0%
Median rooms	5.6
Avg household size (owned)	2.65

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	1.9%
2010–2019	24.4%
2000–2009	15.0%
1990–1999	16.2%
1980–1989	14.2%
1970–1979	5.9%
1960–1969	5.4%
1950–1959	11.1%
1940–1949	3.6%
1939 or earlier	2.4%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.4%
1 bedroom	1.0%
2 bedrooms	23.9%
3 bedrooms	57.3%
4 bedrooms	13.7%
5+ bedrooms	3.6%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	7.9%
1 vehicle	23.4%
2 vehicles	32.6%
3 or more	36.1%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	3.9%
Electricity	86.0%
Propane / LP gas	2.4%
Fuel oil	6.5%
Wood	0.7%
No fuel used	0.5%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	1,494	53.7%
Cohabiting couple	292	10.5%
Male householder, no spouse	354	12.7%
Female householder, no spouse	644	23.1%
Households with children under 18	745	26.8%
Households with seniors (65+)	921	33.1%
Average household size	2.57

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	29.1%	28.0%
Married	56.6%	49.8%
Separated	1.3%	3.3%
Widowed	3.9%	13.2%
Divorced	9.1%	5.8%

Education

Less than 9th grade 3.8%

Some HS, no diploma 10.7%

HS graduate 36.5%

Some college, no degree 19.9%

Associate's degree 10.8%

Bachelor's degree 10.1%

Graduate / professional 8.1%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	85.5%
Bachelor's or higher	18.3%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	76	4.5%
Kindergarten	92	5.5%
Elementary school	554	32.9%
High school	583	34.6%
College / grad school	378	22.5%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 25.2%

Construction 15.2%

Retail trade 14.3%

Manufacturing 10.6%

Other services 8.3%

Professional & management 7.4%

Finance & real estate 5.5%

Transportation & utilities 3.3%

Public administration 3.3%

Arts, food & hospitality 3.0%

Wholesale trade 2.2%

Agriculture & mining 1.2%

Information 0.6%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	38.4%
Service	12.9%
Sales & office	21.5%
Natural resources & construction	15.6%
Production & transportation	11.6%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	80.3%
Government	12.2%
Self-employed	7.4%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	83.4%
Carpool	11.4%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.3%
Work from home	4.8%
Other means	0.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	29.5

Poverty

All people 11.3%

Under 18 years 11.4%

18 and over 11.3%

Married-couple families 3.8%

Female-led households 33.3%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	44.3%
Retirement income	22.2%
Supplemental Security	5.5%
Cash public assistance	2.8%
Food stamps / SNAP	8.1%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	38.1%
High blood pressure	33.3%
High cholesterol	35.8%
Diabetes	10.3%
Heart disease	7.0%
Stroke	3.2%
Asthma	9.1%
Arthritis	26.5%
Kidney disease	3.0%
Pulmonary disease	7.7%
Cancer	6.8%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	20.5%
Binge drinking	16.3%
No physical activity	23.6%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	31.9%
Depression	24.4%
Fair or poor health	14.3%
Poor mental health	14.8%
Poor physical health	11.1%
No health insurance	17.8%
Visited doctor (checkup)	77.1%
Visited dentist	65.2%
Cholesterol screening	89.3%
Teeth loss	14.9%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	227	4.1%

Disability	%
Any disability	17.6%
Under 18	2.4%
18–64 years	16.0%
65 and over	43.8%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	64.4%
Public insurance	38.4%
No insurance	10.2%
Uninsured under 19	6.8%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	6,669	93.1%
Spanish	0	0.0%
Other Indo-European	0	0.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	7,123	99.5%
Born in same state	6,978	97.4%
Born in different state	5,568	77.7%
Foreign born	145	2.0%
Naturalized citizen	39	0.5%
Not a US citizen	39	100.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	987	13.8%
Arab	655	9.1%
Italian	586	8.2%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	109	1.5%
Irish	33	0.5%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	38.9%
Internet access	93.4%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 28097

What city is ZIP code 28097 in?

ZIP code 28097 is primarily assigned to Locust, North Carolina.

What county is ZIP code 28097 in?

ZIP code 28097 falls within Stanly County, North Carolina.

Does ZIP code 28097 have a large retiree population?

44% of households in ZIP code 28097 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Is ZIP code 28097 mostly owner-occupied?

82% of occupied units in ZIP code 28097 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

What is the population of ZIP code 28097?

ZIP code 28097 has an estimated population of 7,162 residents, with a density of 238 people per square mile.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 28097?

The median household income in ZIP code 28097 is $56,000, below the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 28097 in?

ZIP code 28097 observes the EST timezone.