Residential delivery area · North Carolina
ZIP Code 28168: Vale, NC
ZIP code 28168 uses the postal name Vale, North Carolina and lies mostly in Lincoln County (59% of its land) with the rest in Catawba County (Census 2020 ZIP-county file). About 10,000 people live there (Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024). Median household income is $61,220 (Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024). Its land lies outside any incorporated or census-designated place.
- ACS2020-24
- Census2020
- FHFA2025
- ZBP2023
- IRS2022
- Town
- Vale · its only residential ZIP
- County
- Lincoln County (59%); Catawba County (40%)
- Metro area
- Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC
- House district
- NC-10 119th Congress
- State
- North Carolina
- Time zone
- Eastern
- Land area
- 87.0 sq mi · 120 people per sq mi
Where is ZIP code 28168?
28168 centers on 35.552°, -81.425° and covers 87.0 square miles of land plus 0.4 of water. It borders 6 ZIP codes: 28602, 28612, 28090, 28021, 28092, 28658.
The map draws ZIP code areas only. For the streets inside 28168, open its center on OpenStreetMap.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 ZCTA cartographic boundaries and the 2023 Gazetteer (2020 ZCTAs); ZIP-to-county shares, Census places and House districts (119th Congress) from the Census 2020 relationship files (shares of land); metro area from the OMB delineation (July 2023); town name and time zone from simplemaps US ZIP Codes (CC BY 4.0).
How does 28168 compare with the rest of Lincoln County?
| Measure | 28168 | In Lincoln County | In NC |
|---|---|---|---|
| People (ACS 2020-2024) | 10,484 | 6th of 10 | 303rd of 853 |
| Median household income | $61k | 6th of 8 | 336th of 528 |
| Median home value | $205k | 9th of 10 | 376th of 572 |
Its median household income is higher than in 31% of U.S. residential ZIP codes, and it is denser than 56% of all U.S. residential ZIP codes. ZIP codes at the ACS caps ($250,000 or more for household income, $2,000,000 or more for home value) share the top rank.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (B01003, B19013, B25077); ranks by PlainZIP over residential ZIP codes (ZCTAs).
How many people live in 28168?
The 2020 Census counted 10,120 people in 28168; the ACS, which samples households over 2020-2024, estimates 10,484. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population fell 1.1% (its boundary stayed at least 90% the same).
- People, ACS 2020-2024
- 10,484±1,104 (90% margin)
- 2020 Census count
- 10,120−1.1% since 2010 (10,230)
- Households
- 4,324
- Median age
- 47.0
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (B01003, B01002, B11001); 2020 Census (DHC P1); 2010 Census (SF1 P1).
Who lives in 28168?
Of the 10,484 people the ACS estimates in 28168, 17.5% are under 18 and 21.2% are 65 or older. The largest group by race and Hispanic origin is White (not Hispanic) (83.1%).
- Under 1817.5%
- 18 to 6461.3%
- 65 and older21.2%
- White, not Hispanic83.1%
- Black, not Hispanic6.4%
- Hispanic or Latino5.6%
- Other or two or more3.9%
- Asian, not Hispanic1.0%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (B01001 age by sex, B03002 Hispanic or Latino origin by race); shares of the estimated population, small ZIP codes carry wide margins.
What do households in 28168 earn?
Median household income is $61,220 (ACS 2020-2024), the 6th highest of the 8 ranked ZIP codes in Lincoln County. It is not measurably different from 2015-2019 ($64,467 in 2024 dollars): the change is within the surveys' margins of error.
- Median household income
- $61,220±$7,987
- Income per person
- $29,709
- Below the poverty line
- 14.2%
- Unemployed (of the labor force)
- 3.9%
- Adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree
- 14.3%
- Adjusted gross income per tax return, 2022
- $62,9274,510 returns; wages 75% of AGI (IRS)
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 and 2015-2019 5-year estimates (B19013, B19301, B17001, B23025, B15003; 2015-2019 dollars converted with the BLS CPI-U, 1.22699); IRS Statistics of Income, ZIP code data, tax year 2022 (adjusted gross income per return, filed under the address on the return).
What are homes worth in 28168?
FHFA's house price index for 28168, built from repeat sales and appraisals of the same homes, rose 108% from 2015 to 2025 and rose 68% from 2020 to 2025, and moved −9.5% in 2025.
- Median home value (owners' estimate)
- $205,000
- Median gross rent
- $821
- Homes owned by their occupants
- 82.9%
- Housing units
- 4,694
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (B25077, B25064, B25003, B25001); FHFA House Price Index, annual five-digit ZIP, updated 2026-03-31.
What businesses are in 28168?
119 business establishments had a location in this ZIP code in 2023, 18 more than in 2018; the most are in construction (ZIP Code Business Patterns).
- Construction25
- Other services (except public administration)17
- Retail trade16
- Manufacturing9
- Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services9
- Accommodation and food services9
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns 2023 and 2018 (establishments with paid employees, by the business's ZIP code).
Which ZIP codes are next to 28168?
| ZIP | Town | People | Household income | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28602 | Hickory | 31,113 | $62k | 8.7 mi |
| 28612 | Connelly Springs | 11,290 | $55k | 9.3 mi |
| 28090 | Lawndale | 7,268 | $58k | 10.1 mi |
| 28021 | Cherryville | 13,865 | $63k | 10.5 mi |
| 28092 | Lincolnton | 40,350 | $61k | 10.8 mi |
| 28658 | Newton | 26,336 | $72k | 12.2 mi |
| 28042 | Fallston | 299 | $21k | 10.1 mi (near) |
| 28033 | Crouse | 3,481 | $79k | 10.7 mi (near) |
| 28637 | Hildebran | 1,911 | $68k | 11.4 mi (near) |
Source: PlainZIP from the Census 2020 ZCTA boundaries (shared edges) and internal points; figures ACS 2020-2024.