28168 ZIP Code — Vale, NC

Lincoln County, North Carolina

ZIP code 28168 is located in Vale, North Carolina, within Lincoln County. It covers approximately 87.04 square miles and serves a population of 10,632 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 704.

About ZIP code 28168

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1990s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $163,000. Owner-occupancy is high at 84%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $62,077. 41% 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 35 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 15% 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 28168 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

10,632

population

87.04

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

28168 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 28168

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 28168. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Vale	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

28602 Hickory (8.9 mi) 28033 Crouse (10 mi) 28092 Lincolnton (10 mi) 28021 Cherryville (10.4 mi) 28090 Lawndale (10.5 mi) 28658 Newton (11.3 mi) 28637 Hildebran (11.8 mi) 28612 Connelly Springs (11.9 mi) 28020 Casar (12.9 mi) 28650 Maiden (14 mi) 28150 Shelby (15.7 mi) 28690 Valdese (16 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	10,632
Population density	122 / sq mi
State FIPS	37
County FIPS	109

Geography
Land area	87.04 sq mi
Water area	0.35 sq mi
Latitude	35.5494
Longitude	-81.4072
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	704

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	46.1%	43.3%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	37.6%	31.9%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	14.9%	17.8%	19.1%
Over $200k	1.3%	7.0%	6.0%

Demographics & statistics

10,632

Population

122

People per sq mi

46.5

Median age

$62,077

Median household income

$28,235

Per capita income

$163,000

Median home value

$835

Median monthly rent

84.2%

Home ownership

13.1%

Poverty rate

4.2%

Unemployment

4,076

Housing units

14.9%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

178

Under 5

189

392

5–9

418

290

10–14

310

347

15–19

371

211

20–24

225

490

25–34

523

511

35–44

546

804

45–54

859

324

55–59

346

461

60–64

493

681

65–74

726

360

75–84

384

85+

100

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	2,257	21.2%
18 and over	8,375	78.8%
65 and over	2,344	22.0%
Median age	46.5 years

Race & ethnicity

White 84.9%

Two or more races 5.1%

Hispanic or Latino 4.8%

Black or African American 3.8%

Other race 1.3%

Asian 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	9,479	84.9%
Two or more races	569	5.1%
Hispanic or Latino	538	4.8%
Black or African American	430	3.8%
Other race	140	1.3%
Asian	14	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	46.1%	43.3%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	37.6%	31.9%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	14.9%	17.8%	19.1%
Over $200k	1.3%	7.0%	6.0%

Under $10k 2.7%

$10k–$15k 6.0%

$15k–$25k 9.3%

$25k–$35k 9.8%

$35k–$50k 15.0%

$50k–$75k 20.1%

$75k–$100k 14.3%

$100k–$150k 15.4%

$150k–$200k 5.6%

$200k+ 1.9%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	2.7%
$10k–$15k	6.0%
$15k–$25k	9.3%
$25k–$35k	9.8%
$35k–$50k	15.0%
$50k–$75k	20.1%
$75k–$100k	14.3%
$100k–$150k	15.4%
$150k–$200k	5.6%
$200k+	1.9%
Median income	$62,077

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 8.4%

$50k–$100k 21.6%

$100k–$150k 17.2%

$150k–$200k 15.6%

$200k–$300k 21.2%

$300k–$500k 13.2%

$500k–$1M 1.6%

$1M+ 1.0%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$163,000
Median rent / month	$835
Owner occupied	84.2%
Renter occupied	15.8%
Vacant	11.0%
Single-family detached	70.6%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	29.4%
Median rooms	5.6
Avg household size (owned)	2.52

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	3.5%
2000–2009	16.4%
1990–1999	23.1%
1980–1989	20.5%
1970–1979	11.7%
1960–1969	10.4%
1950–1959	6.4%
1940–1949	1.7%
1939 or earlier	6.4%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.7%
1 bedroom	2.4%
2 bedrooms	22.5%
3 bedrooms	61.8%
4 bedrooms	10.0%
5+ bedrooms	2.6%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	6.1%
1 vehicle	17.7%
2 vehicles	39.0%
3 or more	37.2%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	3.6%
Electricity	81.4%
Propane / LP gas	6.0%
Fuel oil	3.3%
Wood	4.0%
No fuel used	1.7%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	2,328	55.1%
Cohabiting couple	232	5.5%
Male householder, no spouse	772	18.3%
Female householder, no spouse	891	21.1%
Households with children under 18	1,381	32.7%
Households with seniors (65+)	1,557	36.9%
Average household size	2.52

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	27.2%	25.6%
Married	58.9%	53.0%
Separated	0.8%	5.7%
Widowed	4.1%	7.0%
Divorced	9.0%	8.7%

Education

Less than 9th grade 3.7%

Some HS, no diploma 13.5%

HS graduate 36.4%

Some college, no degree 17.3%

Associate's degree 14.2%

Bachelor's degree 10.6%

Graduate / professional 4.2%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	82.8%
Bachelor's or higher	14.9%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	146	5.9%
Kindergarten	182	7.3%
Elementary school	1,048	42.3%
High school	627	25.3%
College / grad school	476	19.2%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 20.7%

Manufacturing 18.7%

Construction 10.4%

Transportation & utilities 10.4%

Retail trade 9.2%

Professional & management 8.0%

Arts, food & hospitality 7.7%

Finance & real estate 3.2%

Agriculture & mining 2.8%

Public administration 2.6%

Other services 2.3%

Wholesale trade 2.1%

Information 1.7%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	35.3%
Service	11.1%
Sales & office	15.2%
Natural resources & construction	12.7%
Production & transportation	25.7%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	80.4%
Government	13.9%
Self-employed	4.4%
Unpaid family workers	1.3%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	84.8%
Carpool	8.4%
Public transit	0.4%
Walk	0.0%
Work from home	5.1%
Other means	1.3%
Avg commute (minutes)	34.5

Poverty

All people 13.1%

Under 18 years 15.2%

18 and over 12.5%

Married-couple families 7.9%

Female-led households 18.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	41.2%
Retirement income	25.6%
Supplemental Security	7.9%
Cash public assistance	2.5%
Food stamps / SNAP	11.8%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	32.8%
High blood pressure	33.8%
High cholesterol	35.1%
Diabetes	10.3%
Heart disease	6.9%
Stroke	3.3%
Asthma	9.3%
Arthritis	26.6%
Kidney disease	3.0%
Pulmonary disease	7.9%
Cancer	6.6%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	21.4%
Binge drinking	16.9%
No physical activity	23.4%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	32.3%
Depression	23.9%
Fair or poor health	14.5%
Poor mental health	15.1%
Poor physical health	11.4%
No health insurance	17.8%
Visited doctor (checkup)	78.4%
Visited dentist	64.3%
Cholesterol screening	89.2%
Teeth loss	15.2%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	578	6.9%

Disability	%
Any disability	21.5%
Under 18	10.8%
18–64 years	16.8%
65 and over	43.9%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	60.8%
Public insurance	46.8%
No insurance	8.0%
Uninsured under 19	2.6%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	10,265	96.5%
Spanish	102	1.0%
Other Indo-European	102	1.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	10,147	95.4%
Born in same state	10,110	95.1%
Born in different state	7,716	72.6%
Foreign born	37	0.3%
Naturalized citizen	485	4.6%
Not a US citizen	208	42.9%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	1,726	16.2%
French	907	8.5%
Italian	753	7.1%

Ancestry	Count	%
Irish	83	0.8%
English	68	0.6%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	39.7%
Internet access	90.5%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 28168

What city is ZIP code 28168 in?

ZIP code 28168 is primarily assigned to Vale, North Carolina.

What county is ZIP code 28168 in?

ZIP code 28168 falls within Lincoln County, North Carolina.

Is ZIP code 28168 mostly owner-occupied?

84% of occupied units in ZIP code 28168 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 28168?

15% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — below the national average of ~33%, consistent with a trades-oriented local economy.

Does ZIP code 28168 have a large retiree population?

41% of households in ZIP code 28168 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 28168?

The median home value in ZIP code 28168 is $163,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 28168 in?

ZIP code 28168 observes the EST timezone.