Salisbury, NC · standard
ZIP Code 28144
Rowan County, North Carolina — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 24,734
- 319/sq mi
- $52,568
- Median income
- $226,700
- Median home value
- 29.9%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
Salisbury pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with above-median home values, in a low-density, mixed-tenure area.
- 18th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 49%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 319
- people per sq mi
- 55%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 28144 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 28144 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 77.5 square miles in Salisbury, Rowan County, North Carolina. The area is home to 24,734 residents, producing a population density of 319 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 28144 against North Carolina and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 28144 sits at $52,568 (24% below the North Carolina average), while per-capita income is $32,424. The poverty rate stands at 26.6% and the unemployment rate at 6.9%. On housing, the median home value is $226,700 (13% below the state average) with median rent at $972 per month, and 54.7% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 28144 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 29.9% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 38.9, and the average commute is 21 minutes. We also surface 9 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Rowan County, so you can benchmark 28144 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 28144
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 28144.
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
141 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
116 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
89 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
83 establishments
- Professional, scientific, and technical services
Professional, scientific, and technical services
66 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 28144, Salisbury, 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
24,734
Population
77.5
Area (sq mi)
319
People / sq mi
New York
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 28144?
38.9
Median Age
48.8%
Male
51.2%
Female
5.7%
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?
$52,568
Median Household Income
-24% vs state
$32,424
Per Capita Income
26.6%
Poverty Rate
6.9%
Unemployment Rate
20.9 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 28144 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$52,568 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?
12,859
Total Housing Units
11,270
Occupied Units
1,589
Vacant Units
2.28
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$226,700
Median Home Value
-13% vs state
$972
Median Rent
1968
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How have home values changed over time?
FHFA House Price Index, annual appreciation data based on repeat sales and appraisals
+8.9%
YoY Change (2024)
237
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+137%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 28144 have increased 8.9% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +137% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +5.8% | 143 |
| 2021 | +14.1% | 163 |
| 2022 | +20.2% | 196 |
| 2023 | +10.9% | 218 |
| 2024 | +8.9% | 237 |
Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index, All-Transactions, Five-Digit ZIP Codes (Developmental Index). Index base = 100 in year 2000. Data through 2024. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 793 business establishments in ZIP 28144, employing approximately 16,426 people with a combined annual payroll of $999,986,000.
793
Businesses
16,426
Employees
$1000.0M
Annual Payroll
17
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 141 | 17.8% |
| Retail trade | 116 | 14.6% |
| Accommodation and food services | 89 | 11.2% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 83 | 10.5% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 66 | 8.3% |
| Construction | 53 | 6.7% |
| Finance and insurance | 52 | 6.6% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 40 | 5.0% |
| Wholesale trade | 38 | 4.8% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 30 | 3.8% |
| Manufacturing | 27 | 3.4% |
| Educational services | 15 | 1.9% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 13 | 1.6% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 10 | 1.3% |
| Information | 9 | 1.1% |
| Management of companies and enterprises | 8 | 1.0% |
| Utilities | 3 | 0.4% |
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 28144 vs 28159 →
ZIP 28144 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 28146
Salisbury (28146)
27,614 residents
- 28144
Salisbury (28144)
24,734 residents
- 28147
Salisbury (28147)
24,697 residents
- 28023
China Grove (28023)
14,175 residents
- 27299 5,190
Linwood (27299)
5,190 residents
- 28159 3,108
Spencer (28159)
3,108 residents
- 27054 2,567
Woodleaf (27054)
2,567 residents
- 28072 1,357
Granite Quarry (28072)
1,357 residents
- 27014 840
Cooleemee (27014)
840 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 28144 ranks #2 by population — useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 28144 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 28072
Granite Quarry (28072)
$93,125 median income
- 27054
Woodleaf (27054)
$92,560 median income
- 28146
Salisbury (28146)
$69,279 median income
- 27299
Linwood (27299)
$65,621 median income
- 28147
Salisbury (28147)
$65,060 median income
- 28159
Spencer (28159)
$63,036 median income
- 28023
China Grove (28023)
$62,257 median income
- 28144
Salisbury (28144)
$52,568 median income
- 27014
Cooleemee (27014)
$44,625 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 28144 ranks #8 of 9 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
| ZIP Code | City | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28159 | Spencer, NC | 3,108 | 2.0 mi |
| 28039 | East Spencer, NC | 116 | 2.4 mi |
| 28072 | Granite Quarry, NC | 1,357 | 6.5 mi |
| 27299 | Linwood, NC | 5,190 | 5.4 mi |
| 28147 | Salisbury, NC | 24,697 | 5.9 mi |
| 28146 | Salisbury, NC | 27,614 | 7.1 mi |
| 27014 | Cooleemee, NC | 840 | 8.9 mi |
| 27054 | Woodleaf, NC | 2,567 | 9.6 mi |
| 28023 | China Grove, NC | 14,175 | 12.2 mi |
More ZIP Codes in Rowan County
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Frequently Asked Questions
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How many businesses are in ZIP code 28144? ▼
What are the main industries in ZIP code 28144? ▼
How have home values changed in ZIP code 28144? ▼
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What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 28144? ▼
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 28144? ▼
ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for Salisbury, 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.