Lowell, NC · standard
ZIP Code 28098
Gaston County, North Carolina — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 3,579
- 406/sq mi
- $53,000
- Median income
- $201,500
- Median home value
- 23.2%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
Lowell pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with below-median home values, in a low-density, homeowner-dominated area.
- 18th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- 44th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 406
- people per sq mi
- 76%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 28098 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 28098 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 8.8 square miles in Lowell, Gaston County, North Carolina. The area is home to 3,579 residents, producing a population density of 406 people per square mile, and falls within the New York time zone. These USPS and Census boundary values drive every downstream statistic on this page, including the benchmarks that compare 28098 against North Carolina and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 28098 sits at $53,000 (23% below the North Carolina average), while per-capita income is $39,270. The poverty rate stands at 17.4% and the unemployment rate at 1.9%. On housing, the median home value is $201,500 (22% below the state average) with median rent at $1,603 per month, and 75.6% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 28098 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 23.2% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 40.3, and the average commute is 22 minutes. We also surface 10 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Gaston County, so you can benchmark 28098 against its immediate geography rather than a national average alone. Every figure is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, HUD Fair Market Rents, and FHFA Home Price Index data, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with HUD →
Top industries in ZIP 28098
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 28098.
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
19 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
14 establishments
- Construction
Construction
13 establishments
- Wholesale trade 6
Wholesale trade
6 establishments
- Accommodation and food services 5
Accommodation and food services
5 establishments
What this shows Establishment counts come from the Census ZIP Code Business Patterns program, which counts physical business locations rather than employees or revenue.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + HUD FMR + FHFA HPI ACS demographics, ZBP business establishments, HUD Fair Market Rents, FHFA HPI for ZIP 28098, Lowell, NC · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; HUD FMR + FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.
Quick Facts
3,579
Population
8.8
Area (sq mi)
406
People / sq mi
New York
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 28098?
40.3
Median Age
49.8%
Male
50.2%
Female
6.7%
Foreign-Born
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How much do residents earn?
$53,000
Median Household Income
-23% vs state
$39,270
Per Capita Income
17.4%
Poverty Rate
1.9%
Unemployment Rate
21.9 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 28098 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$53,000 18th percentile higher than 18% of 30,318 US ZIPs
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US ZIPs. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau — ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2019–2023
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What is the education profile here?
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What does housing look like?
1,887
Total Housing Units
1,768
Occupied Units
119
Vacant Units
2.18
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$201,500
Median Home Value
-22% vs state
$1,603
Median Rent
1971
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 76 business establishments in ZIP 28098, employing approximately 854 people with a combined annual payroll of $43,233,000.
76
Businesses
854
Employees
$43.2M
Annual Payroll
6
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Other services (except public administration) | 19 | 25.0% |
| Retail trade | 14 | 18.4% |
| Construction | 13 | 17.1% |
| Wholesale trade | 6 | 7.9% |
| Accommodation and food services | 5 | 6.6% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 4 | 5.3% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.
Nearby ZIP Codes
Want a side-by-side? Compare 28098 vs 28101 →
ZIP 28098 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 28054
Gastonia (28054)
36,270 residents
- 28214
Charlotte (28214)
34,721 residents
- 28056
Gastonia (28056)
31,418 residents
- 28012
Belmont (28012)
20,048 residents
- 28120
Mount Holly (28120)
19,807 residents
- 28034
Dallas (28034)
16,642 residents
- 28164 14,085
Stanley (28164)
14,085 residents
- 28098 3,579
Lowell (28098)
3,579 residents
- 28032 3,105
Cramerton (28032)
3,105 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 28098 ranks #8 by population — useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 28098 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 28101
Mc Adenville (28101)
$111,042 median income
- 28056
Gastonia (28056)
$90,427 median income
- 28214
Charlotte (28214)
$86,447 median income
- 28012
Belmont (28012)
$83,391 median income
- 28164
Stanley (28164)
$79,728 median income
- 28120
Mount Holly (28120)
$78,231 median income
- 28034
Dallas (28034)
$62,083 median income
- 28054
Gastonia (28054)
$61,035 median income
- 28032
Cramerton (28032)
$60,924 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 28098 ranks #null of 9 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
| ZIP Code | City | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28101 | Mc Adenville, NC | 698 | 1.4 mi |
| 28032 | Cramerton, NC | 3,105 | 2.7 mi |
| 28054 | Gastonia, NC | 36,270 | 3.0 mi |
| 28056 | Gastonia, NC | 31,418 | 4.0 mi |
| 28012 | Belmont, NC | 20,048 | 5.3 mi |
| 28120 | Mount Holly, NC | 19,807 | 5.8 mi |
| 28214 | Charlotte, NC | 34,721 | 7.3 mi |
| 28006 | Alexis, NC | 1,130 | 9.4 mi |
| 28034 | Dallas, NC | 16,642 | 7.3 mi |
| 28164 | Stanley, NC | 14,085 | 9.0 mi |
More ZIP Codes in Gaston County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 28098 in? ▼
What is the population of ZIP code 28098? ▼
What is the median household income in ZIP 28098? ▼
What is the average home value in ZIP 28098? ▼
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 28098? ▼
How many businesses are in ZIP code 28098? ▼
What are the main industries in ZIP code 28098? ▼
What is the education level in ZIP code 28098? ▼
What is the average commute time in ZIP 28098? ▼
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 28098? ▼
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 28098? ▼
ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for Lowell, NC
Verify and explore additional data for this area using these official government sources.
Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.