ZIP Code 28602

ZIP code 28602 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 180.5 square miles in Hickory, Catawba County, North Carolina. The area is home to 28,981 residents, producing a population density of 161 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 28602 against North Carolina and the nation.

On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 28602 sits at $62,048 (10% below the North Carolina average), while per-capita income is $32,255. The poverty rate stands at 16.8% and the unemployment rate at 3.3%. On housing, the median home value is $212,900 (18% below the state average) with median rent at $896 per month, and 62.9% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 28602 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.

Education and household profile round out the picture: 20.3% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 40.1, and the average commute is 21 minutes. We also surface 8 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Catawba County, so you can benchmark 28602 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 →