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 High-density area
- $53,000
- Median income Below-median income area
- $201,500
- Median home value Near-median home value
- 23.2%
- Bachelor's or higher Near-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
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.
FHFA HPI release change
What changed in the latest House Price Index year
- FHFA House Price Index values in ZIP 28098 (Lowell, NC) rose +3.8% from 2023 to 2024.
ZIP code 28098 covers 8.8 square miles in Lowell, Gaston County, North Carolina (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 3,579 residents on file, a density of 406 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.
ZIP 28098 reports a modest median household income of $53,000 (23% below the average North Carolina ZIP), while per-capita income is $39,270. The poverty rate is 17.4%, with unemployment at 1.9%; those measures add context to the income figure. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $201,500 (22% below the average North Carolina ZIP), and median rent is $1,603; owner occupancy is 75.6%.
Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 23.2% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 40.3, and the average commute is 22 minutes. The page also surfaces 10 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Gaston County, so 28098 can be compared with both its immediate and county-level context.
Every figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (including median rent) and the FHFA House Price Index, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with Census →
Top industries in ZIP 28098
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Lowell, NC
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 + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, 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; 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 ZIP avg
$39,270
Per Capita Income
17.4%
Poverty Rate
1.9%
Unemployment Rate
21.9 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 28098 ranks among North Carolina ZIPs
Lowell, NC household income vs. every North Carolina ZIP code
Median household income among 749 reporting North Carolina ZIPs (this ZIP's population is too small for a reliable national-corpus placement)
$53,000 23rd percentile higher than 23% of 749 North Carolina ZIPs
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more North Carolina 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?
Housing stock: occupied vs vacant
1,887housing units
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 ZIP avg
$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 |
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 28098, both outside NC so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment (Nearby and same-county blocks stay local).
Similar population
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by resident population (3,579 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Gaston County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 28098 in?
ZIP code 28098 (Lowell) is located in Gaston County, North Carolina. Gaston County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/gaston-nc.
What is the population of ZIP code 28098?
ZIP code 28098 in Lowell, NC has a population of 3,579 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 28098?
The median household income in ZIP 28098 is $53,000, which is 31% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 28098?
The median home value in ZIP 28098 is $201,500, which is 28% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 28098?
The largest racial group in ZIP 28098 is White at 72.3%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 11.7% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 28098?
ZIP code 28098 has 76 business establishments employing approximately 854 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 28098?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 28098 are: Other services (except public administration) (19), Retail trade (14), Construction (13). There are 6 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 28098?
In ZIP code 28098, 48.4% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 23.2% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What is the average commute time in ZIP 28098?
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 28098 is 21.9 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend less time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 28098?
In ZIP code 28098, approximately 75.6% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 24.4% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 28098?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 28098 is 17.4% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.
Related
Take this with you
What to do with ZIP 28098's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 28098 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Lowell, NC ranks among every U.S. ZIP code on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
- Save this ZIP to your shortlist to track alongside others you're considering View your shortlist
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.