Salisbury, NC · standard
ZIP Code 28146
Rowan County, North Carolina — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 27,614
- 107/sq mi
- $69,279
- Median income
- $247,700
- Median home value
- 26.9%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
Salisbury pairs a below-median household income with above-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 45th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 43%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 107
- people per sq mi
- 83%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 28146 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 28146 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 257.1 square miles in Salisbury, Rowan County, North Carolina. The area is home to 27,614 residents, producing a population density of 107 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 28146 against North Carolina and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 28146 sits at $69,279 (0% above the North Carolina average), while per-capita income is $37,585. The poverty rate stands at 11.4% and the unemployment rate at 5.2%. On housing, the median home value is $247,700 (5% below the state average) with median rent at $967 per month, and 83.1% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 28146 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 26.9% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 42.3, and the average commute is 28 minutes. We also surface 9 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Rowan County, so you can benchmark 28146 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 28146
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 28146.
- Retail trade
Retail trade
70 establishments
- Construction
Construction
67 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
57 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
35 establishments
- Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services
32 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 28146, 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
27,614
Population
257.1
Area (sq mi)
107
People / sq mi
New York
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 28146?
42.3
Median Age
48.7%
Male
51.3%
Female
2.8%
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?
$69,279
Median Household Income
+0% vs state
$37,585
Per Capita Income
11.4%
Poverty Rate
5.2%
Unemployment Rate
27.6 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 28146 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$69,279 45th percentile higher than 45% 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?
13,871
Total Housing Units
12,649
Occupied Units
1,222
Vacant Units
2.46
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$247,700
Median Home Value
-5% vs state
$967
Median Rent
1987
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
+2.7%
YoY Change (2024)
241
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+141%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 28146 have increased 2.7% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +141% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +7.3% | 154 |
| 2021 | +14.5% | 176 |
| 2022 | +22.1% | 215 |
| 2023 | +9.1% | 235 |
| 2024 | +2.7% | 241 |
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 437 business establishments in ZIP 28146, employing approximately 6,580 people with a combined annual payroll of $297,247,000.
437
Businesses
6,580
Employees
$297.2M
Annual Payroll
15
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 70 | 16.0% |
| Construction | 67 | 15.3% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 57 | 13.0% |
| Accommodation and food services | 35 | 8.0% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 32 | 7.3% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 30 | 6.9% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 28 | 6.4% |
| Manufacturing | 24 | 5.5% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 23 | 5.3% |
| Health care and social assistance | 23 | 5.3% |
| Wholesale trade | 16 | 3.7% |
| Finance and insurance | 15 | 3.4% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 6 | 1.4% |
| Utilities | 3 | 0.7% |
| Information | 3 | 0.7% |
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 28146 vs 28072 →
ZIP 28146 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
- 28138 10,495
Rockwell (28138)
10,495 residents
- 27299 5,190
Linwood (27299)
5,190 residents
- 28137 3,120
Richfield (28137)
3,120 residents
- 28159 3,108
Spencer (28159)
3,108 residents
- 28071 2,802
Gold Hill (28071)
2,802 residents
- 28072 1,357
Granite Quarry (28072)
1,357 residents
- 28109 387
Misenheimer (28109)
387 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 28146 ranks the most populous — useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 28146 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 28071
Gold Hill (28071)
$93,354 median income
- 28072
Granite Quarry (28072)
$93,125 median income
- 28146
Salisbury (28146)
$69,279 median income
- 28137
Richfield (28137)
$67,163 median income
- 28138
Rockwell (28138)
$66,896 median income
- 27299
Linwood (27299)
$65,621 median income
- 28159
Spencer (28159)
$63,036 median income
- 28144
Salisbury (28144)
$52,568 median income
- 28109 $31,208
Misenheimer (28109)
$31,208 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 28146 ranks #3 of 9 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
| ZIP Code | City | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28072 | Granite Quarry, NC | 1,357 | 3.0 mi |
| 28039 | East Spencer, NC | 116 | 4.8 mi |
| 28159 | Spencer, NC | 3,108 | 5.5 mi |
| 27299 | Linwood, NC | 5,190 | 9.1 mi |
| 28138 | Rockwell, NC | 10,495 | 7.4 mi |
| 28144 | Salisbury, NC | 24,734 | 7.1 mi |
| 28071 | Gold Hill, NC | 2,802 | 8.2 mi |
| 28109 | Misenheimer, NC | 387 | 10.7 mi |
| 28137 | Richfield, NC | 3,120 | 11.2 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 28146? ▼
What are the main industries in ZIP code 28146? ▼
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What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 28146? ▼
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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.