28144 ZIP Code — Salisbury, NC

Rowan County, North Carolina

ZIP code 28144 is located in Salisbury, North Carolina, within Rowan County. It covers approximately 30.07 square miles and serves a population of 27,049 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 704/980/336.

About ZIP code 28144

The housing stock consists of a mix of housing types. Most homes were built in the pre-1940, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $191,100. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 56%.

The gap between median ($50,938) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. Poverty affects 24% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 23% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 40% 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 22 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 28% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Overall, ZIP code 28144 reflects a community defined by economic challenges above the national average, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

27,049

population

30.07

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

28144 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 28144

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 28144. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Salisbury	Acceptable
Salisbury	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

28159 Spencer (1.6 mi) 28159 Spencer (1.6 mi) 27299 Linwood (4.6 mi) 27299 Linwood (4.6 mi) 28147 Salisbury (6.5 mi) 28147 Salisbury (6.5 mi) 28146 Salisbury (6.6 mi) 28146 Salisbury (6.6 mi) 28146 Salisbury (6.6 mi) 28146 Salisbury (6.6 mi) 27054 Woodleaf (10.4 mi) 27054 Woodleaf (10.4 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	27,049
Population density	900 / sq mi
State FIPS	37
County FIPS	159

Geography
Land area	30.07 sq mi
Water area	0.47 sq mi
Latitude	35.7129
Longitude	-80.4442
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	704/980/336

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	56.2%	47.4%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	24.1%	32.8%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	13.0%	16.2%	19.1%
Over $200k	6.7%	3.6%	6.0%

Demographics & statistics

27,049

Population

900

People per sq mi

39.6

Median age

$50,938

Median household income

$32,166

Per capita income

$191,100

Median home value

$915

Median monthly rent

55.6%

Home ownership

23.8%

Poverty rate

8.2%

Unemployment

7,637

Housing units

27.5%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

756

Under 5

728

897

5–9

864

793

10–14

764

1,117

15–19

1,076

1,041

20–24

1,003

1,674

25–34

1,613

1,498

35–44

1,443

1,576

45–54

1,518

896

55–59

864

944

60–64

910

1,435

65–74

1,382

818

75–84

788

332

85+

319

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	5,764	21.3%
18 and over	21,285	78.7%
65 and over	5,074	18.8%
Median age	39.6 years

Race & ethnicity

White 51.3%

Black or African American 35.4%

Two or more races 5.8%

Hispanic or Latino 4.5%

Other race 2.2%

Asian 0.5%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%

Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	14,534	51.3%
Black or African American	10,035	35.4%
Two or more races	1,654	5.8%
Hispanic or Latino	1,268	4.5%
Other race	621	2.2%
Asian	149	0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native	40	0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	16	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	56.2%	47.4%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	24.1%	32.8%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	13.0%	16.2%	19.1%
Over $200k	6.7%	3.6%	6.0%

Under $10k 7.6%

$10k–$15k 10.2%

$15k–$25k 10.7%

$25k–$35k 10.0%

$35k–$50k 10.6%

$50k–$75k 15.0%

$75k–$100k 11.9%

$100k–$150k 10.1%

$150k–$200k 4.5%

$200k+ 9.4%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	7.6%
$10k–$15k	10.2%
$15k–$25k	10.7%
$25k–$35k	10.0%
$35k–$50k	10.6%
$50k–$75k	15.0%
$75k–$100k	11.9%
$100k–$150k	10.1%
$150k–$200k	4.5%
$200k+	9.4%
Median income	$50,938

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 6.6%

$50k–$100k 13.7%

$100k–$150k 19.6%

$150k–$200k 11.8%

$200k–$300k 24.6%

$300k–$500k 15.2%

$500k–$1M 7.9%

$1M+ 0.5%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$191,100
Median rent / month	$915
Owner occupied	55.6%
Renter occupied	44.4%
Vacant	14.4%
Single-family detached	69.7%
Large apartment buildings	2.5%
Mobile homes	2.8%
Median rooms	5.6
Avg household size (owned)	2.30

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.3%
2010–2019	4.5%
2000–2009	10.8%
1990–1999	7.2%
1980–1989	7.8%
1970–1979	16.4%
1960–1969	12.4%
1950–1959	13.4%
1940–1949	7.7%
1939 or earlier	19.5%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	1.3%
1 bedroom	8.7%
2 bedrooms	34.1%
3 bedrooms	40.0%
4 bedrooms	12.9%
5+ bedrooms	2.9%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	10.9%
1 vehicle	37.6%
2 vehicles	32.3%
3 or more	19.1%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	41.0%
Electricity	54.4%
Propane / LP gas	1.8%
Fuel oil	1.5%
Wood	0.7%
No fuel used	0.5%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	3,926	37.2%
Cohabiting couple	767	7.3%
Male householder, no spouse	1,834	17.4%
Female householder, no spouse	4,015	38.1%
Households with children under 18	2,835	26.9%
Households with seniors (65+)	3,561	33.8%
Average household size	2.34

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	41.9%	33.8%
Married	42.7%	38.6%
Separated	1.4%	3.5%
Widowed	4.1%	9.7%
Divorced	10.0%	14.3%

Education

Less than 9th grade 3.3%

Some HS, no diploma 6.5%

HS graduate 30.7%

Some college, no degree 23.5%

Associate's degree 8.5%

Bachelor's degree 18.3%

Graduate / professional 9.2%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	90.2%
Bachelor's or higher	27.5%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	267	3.6%
Kindergarten	374	5.0%
Elementary school	2,760	37.1%
High school	1,294	17.4%
College / grad school	2,738	36.8%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 28.9%

Retail trade 13.4%

Manufacturing 13.0%

Professional & management 12.2%

Arts, food & hospitality 7.7%

Other services 5.1%

Construction 4.8%

Finance & real estate 3.9%

Information 3.8%

Transportation & utilities 2.6%

Wholesale trade 2.5%

Public administration 1.4%

Agriculture & mining 0.7%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	36.9%
Service	17.2%
Sales & office	18.1%
Natural resources & construction	9.3%
Production & transportation	18.5%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	82.1%
Government	12.8%
Self-employed	4.6%
Unpaid family workers	0.5%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	76.3%
Carpool	9.7%
Public transit	0.7%
Walk	2.7%
Work from home	7.3%
Other means	3.3%
Avg commute (minutes)	21.6

Poverty

All people 23.8%

Under 18 years 40.0%

18 and over 18.9%

Married-couple families 7.4%

Female-led households 38.9%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	39.9%
Retirement income	25.6%
Supplemental Security	10.0%
Cash public assistance	1.1%
Food stamps / SNAP	22.5%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	38.3%
High blood pressure	38.1%
High cholesterol	33.2%
Diabetes	13.1%
Heart disease	7.2%
Stroke	4.0%
Asthma	10.0%
Arthritis	27.0%
Kidney disease	3.5%
Pulmonary disease	7.3%
Cancer	6.4%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	19.2%
Binge drinking	14.2%
No physical activity	27.2%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	36.5%
Depression	21.8%
Fair or poor health	17.0%
Poor mental health	15.1%
Poor physical health	11.5%
No health insurance	19.6%
Visited doctor (checkup)	81.1%
Visited dentist	57.3%
Cholesterol screening	89.4%
Teeth loss	17.1%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	2,023	9.5%

Disability	%
Any disability	18.1%
Under 18	5.8%
18–64 years	16.2%
65 and over	40.5%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	59.7%
Public insurance	46.2%
No insurance	9.8%
Uninsured under 19	5.4%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	25,565	94.5%
Spanish	763	3.0%
Other Indo-European	545	2.1%
Asian & Pacific Islander	144	0.6%
Other languages	43	0.2%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	25,938	95.9%
Born in same state	25,674	94.9%
Born in different state	17,522	64.8%
Foreign born	264	1.0%
Naturalized citizen	1,111	4.1%
Not a US citizen	240	21.6%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	2,218	8.2%
French	1,838	6.8%
Italian	1,540	5.7%
English	58	0.2%

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	43	0.2%
Irish	18	0.1%
Dutch	14	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	39.0%
Internet access	89.9%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 28144

What city is ZIP code 28144 in?

ZIP code 28144 is primarily assigned to Salisbury, North Carolina.

What county is ZIP code 28144 in?

ZIP code 28144 falls within Rowan County, North Carolina.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 28144?

24% of residents in ZIP code 28144 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

Does ZIP code 28144 have a large retiree population?

40% of households in ZIP code 28144 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Does ZIP code 28144 have a large veteran population?

10% of civilians in ZIP code 28144 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 28144?

The median home value in ZIP code 28144 is $191,100.

What timezone is ZIP code 28144 in?

ZIP code 28144 observes the EST timezone.