28098 ZIP Code — Lowell, NC

Gaston County, North Carolina

ZIP code 28098 is located in Lowell, North Carolina, within Gaston County. It covers approximately 3.64 square miles and serves a population of 3,573 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 704/980.

About ZIP code 28098

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 2000s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $152,900. Owner-occupancy is high at 76%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $58,281. Poverty affects 22% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 17% of households reflects economic stress in the area.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 24 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 (26%) compared to national benchmarks.

Overall, ZIP code 28098 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, economic challenges above the national average, high homeownership, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

3,573

population

3.64

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

28098 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 28098

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 28098. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Lowell	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

28101 Mc Adenville (1.5 mi) 28056 Gastonia (2.4 mi) 28032 Cramerton (2.8 mi) 28054 Gastonia (2.9 mi) 28012 Belmont (4.8 mi) 28120 Mount Holly (5.9 mi) 28034 Dallas (7.3 mi) 28214 Charlotte (8.1 mi) 28164 Stanley (8.5 mi) 28052 Gastonia (8.6 mi) 28006 Alexis (9.3 mi) 28278 Charlotte (10.8 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	3,573
Population density	982 / sq mi
State FIPS	37
County FIPS	071

Geography
Land area	3.64 sq mi
Water area	0.08 sq mi
Latitude	35.2711
Longitude	-81.0991
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	53.8%	46.6%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	29.1%	30.5%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	15.2%	19.2%	19.1%
Over $200k	1.9%	3.7%	6.0%

Demographics & statistics

3,573

Population

982

People per sq mi

38.7

Median age

$58,281

Median household income

$34,059

Per capita income

$152,900

Median home value

$1,139

Median monthly rent

75.9%

Home ownership

22.2%

Poverty rate

3.4%

Unemployment

1,135

Housing units

15.6%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

101

Under 5

104

5–9

166

10–14

136

15–19

156

20–24

128

245

25–34

202

284

35–44

233

223

45–54

183

150

55–59

124

161

60–64

133

209

65–74

172

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	763	21.4%
18 and over	2,810	78.6%
65 and over	540	15.1%
Median age	38.7 years

Race & ethnicity

White 69%

Black or African American 16.1%

Two or more races 7.5%

Hispanic or Latino 4.7%

Asian 2.1%

Other race 0.6%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	2,589	69%
Black or African American	603	16.1%
Two or more races	281	7.5%
Hispanic or Latino	178	4.7%
Asian	77	2.1%
Other race	21	0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native	2	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	53.8%	46.6%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	29.1%	30.5%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	15.2%	19.2%	19.1%
Over $200k	1.9%	3.7%	6.0%

Under $10k 3.3%

$10k–$15k 4.4%

$15k–$25k 9.6%

$25k–$35k 17.9%

$35k–$50k 11.4%

$50k–$75k 13.7%

$75k–$100k 13.9%

$100k–$150k 15.8%

$150k–$200k 4.1%

$200k+ 5.8%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	3.3%
$10k–$15k	4.4%
$15k–$25k	9.6%
$25k–$35k	17.9%
$35k–$50k	11.4%
$50k–$75k	13.7%
$75k–$100k	13.9%
$100k–$150k	15.8%
$150k–$200k	4.1%
$200k+	5.8%
Median income	$58,281

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 4.9%

$50k–$100k 8.7%

$100k–$150k 35.8%

$150k–$200k 12.9%

$200k–$300k 27.6%

$300k–$500k 8.8%

$500k–$1M 0.8%

$1M+ 0.4%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$152,900
Median rent / month	$1,139
Owner occupied	75.9%
Renter occupied	24.1%
Vacant	3.1%
Single-family detached	91.6%
Large apartment buildings	0.9%
Mobile homes	3.0%
Median rooms	5.8
Avg household size (owned)	2.58

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.4%
2010–2019	1.1%
2000–2009	26.0%
1990–1999	5.1%
1980–1989	4.5%
1970–1979	6.4%
1960–1969	10.6%
1950–1959	16.0%
1940–1949	18.2%
1939 or earlier	11.7%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.6%
1 bedroom	2.6%
2 bedrooms	24.2%
3 bedrooms	51.0%
4 bedrooms	15.5%
5+ bedrooms	6.1%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	2.9%
1 vehicle	37.2%
2 vehicles	36.4%
3 or more	23.5%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	61.7%
Electricity	37.2%
Propane / LP gas	0.8%
Fuel oil	0.3%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	508	35.4%
Cohabiting couple	122	8.5%
Male householder, no spouse	408	28.4%
Female householder, no spouse	397	27.7%
Households with children under 18	393	27.4%
Households with seniors (65+)	425	29.6%
Average household size	2.49

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	33.9%	25.6%
Married	37.8%	44.1%
Separated	2.5%	4.3%
Widowed	3.7%	10.3%
Divorced	22.1%	15.6%

Education

Less than 9th grade 4.5%

Some HS, no diploma 10.8%

HS graduate 28.1%

Some college, no degree 27.5%

Associate's degree 13.6%

Bachelor's degree 11.3%

Graduate / professional 4.3%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	84.7%
Bachelor's or higher	15.6%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	18	2.3%
Kindergarten	13	1.7%
Elementary school	416	53.1%
High school	146	18.6%
College / grad school	191	24.4%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 21.9%

Professional & management 15.9%

Manufacturing 12.6%

Retail trade 9.3%

Construction 7.9%

Transportation & utilities 7.5%

Other services 7.5%

Arts, food & hospitality 4.8%

Finance & real estate 3.9%

Wholesale trade 3.1%

Information 2.9%

Public administration 2.3%

Agriculture & mining 0.4%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	34.9%
Service	12.7%
Sales & office	23.5%
Natural resources & construction	12.4%
Production & transportation	16.5%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	84.1%
Government	10.3%
Self-employed	5.5%
Unpaid family workers	0.2%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	75.4%
Carpool	15.4%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.5%
Work from home	8.8%
Other means	0.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	23.7

Poverty

All people 22.2%

Under 18 years 33.2%

18 and over 19.4%

Married-couple families 6.1%

Female-led households 32.2%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	26.0%
Retirement income	32.2%
Supplemental Security	5.9%
Cash public assistance	2.9%
Food stamps / SNAP	17.1%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	33.6%
High blood pressure	37.5%
High cholesterol	34.3%
Diabetes	11.2%
Heart disease	7.3%
Stroke	3.8%
Asthma	9.8%
Arthritis	27.0%
Kidney disease	3.3%
Pulmonary disease	9.2%
Cancer	6.2%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	25.6%
Binge drinking	16.0%
No physical activity	27.8%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	33.3%
Depression	25.8%
Fair or poor health	17.9%
Poor mental health	16.7%
Poor physical health	13.0%
No health insurance	22.0%
Visited doctor (checkup)	76.5%
Visited dentist	53.7%
Cholesterol screening	86.9%
Teeth loss	20.6%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	222	7.9%

Disability	%
Any disability	15.1%
Under 18	5.6%
18–64 years	10.9%
65 and over	46.3%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	60.3%
Public insurance	37.9%
No insurance	12.3%
Uninsured under 19	2.6%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	3,389	94.9%
Spanish	226	6.7%
Other Indo-European	189	5.6%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	19	0.6%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	3,263	91.3%
Born in same state	3,243	90.8%
Born in different state	2,297	64.3%
Foreign born	20	0.6%
Naturalized citizen	310	8.7%
Not a US citizen	142	45.8%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	581	16.3%
French	473	13.2%
Italian	213	6%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	60	1.7%
Polish	19	0.5%
German	5	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	40.2%
Internet access	97.8%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 28098

What city is ZIP code 28098 in?

ZIP code 28098 is primarily assigned to Lowell, North Carolina.

What county is ZIP code 28098 in?

ZIP code 28098 falls within Gaston County, North Carolina.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 28098?

22% of residents in ZIP code 28098 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 28098?

The median home value in ZIP code 28098 is $152,900.

What is the population of ZIP code 28098?

ZIP code 28098 has an estimated population of 3,573 residents, with a density of 981 people per square mile.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 28098?

The median household income in ZIP code 28098 is $58,281, below the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 28098 in?

ZIP code 28098 observes the EST timezone.