Lenoir, NC · standard

ZIP Code 28645

Caldwell County, North Carolina — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.

Reviewed by PlainZIP Editorial Team, ZIP Code Data Editors · June 14, 2026

47,703
56/sq mi: $51,650
Median income: $175,500
Median home value: 17.7%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Lenoir pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

16th pct
household income, US ZIPs: 37th pct
home value, US ZIPs: 56
people per sq mi: 71%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 28645 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 28645 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 854.9 square miles in Lenoir, Caldwell County, North Carolina. The area is home to 47,703 residents, producing a population density of 56 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 28645 against North Carolina and the nation.

On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 28645 sits at $51,650 (25% below the North Carolina average), while per-capita income is $28,994. The poverty rate stands at 14.3% and the unemployment rate at 4.4%. On housing, the median home value is $175,500 (32% below the state average) with median rent at $733 per month, and 70.9% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 28645 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.

Education and household profile round out the picture: 17.7% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 46.4, and the average commute is 28 minutes. We also surface 2 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 4 additional ZIPs sharing Caldwell County, so you can benchmark 28645 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 28645

Retail trade

144
Other services (except public administration)

114
Health care and social assistance

95
Accommodation and food services

94
Construction

70

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 28645, Lenoir, NC · 2023 Accessed 2026-06-14 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

47,703

Population

854.9

Area (sq mi)

People / sq mi

New York

Time Zone

standard

ZIP Type

Neighborhood Scorecard

Get an A-F grade across income, safety, housing, rent, education, commute, and childcare for this ZIP code.

View Scorecard →

Who lives in ZIP 28645?

46.4

Median Age

48.9%

Male

51.1%

Female

4.0%

Foreign-Born

White 82.5%

African American 5.7%

Asian 0.7%

American Indian or Alaska Native 0.2%

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.1%

Two or More Ethnicities 6.1%

Hispanic or Latino 8.4%

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?

$51,650

Median Household Income

-25% vs state

$28,994

Per Capita Income

14.3%

Poverty Rate

4.4%

Unemployment Rate

27.5 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 28645 ranks nationally

Household income vs. every US ZIP code

Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked

$51,650 16th percentile higher than 16% 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?

High School Graduate or Higher 52.4%

Bachelor's Degree or Higher 17.7%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What does housing look like?

21,674

Total Housing Units

19,175

Occupied Units

2,499

Vacant Units

2.36

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 70.9%

Renter 29.1%

$175,500

Median Home Value

-32% vs state

$733

Median Rent

1977

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

+5.2%

YoY Change (2024)

222

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+122%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 28645 have increased 5.2% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +122% cumulative appreciation.

Year	Annual Change	HPI Index
2020	+6.2%	141
2021	+11.3%	157
2022	+20.8%	189
2023	+11.7%	211
2024	+5.2%	222

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 848 business establishments in ZIP 28645, employing approximately 13,912 people with a combined annual payroll of $684,006,000.

848

Businesses

13,912

Employees

$684.0M

Annual Payroll

Industry Sectors

Industry	Establishments	% of Total
Retail trade	144	17.0%
Other services (except public administration)	114	13.4%
Health care and social assistance	95	11.2%
Accommodation and food services	94	11.1%
Construction	70	8.3%
Manufacturing	55	6.5%
Professional, scientific, and technical services	52	6.1%
Finance and insurance	49	5.8%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services	43	5.1%
Real estate and rental and leasing	33	3.9%
Wholesale trade	30	3.5%
Transportation and warehousing	25	3.0%
Information	18	2.1%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation	11	1.3%
Management of companies and enterprises	6	0.7%
Educational services	4	0.5%

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 28645 vs 28638 →

28645

47,703
28638

12,302
28624

1,639

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 28645 ranks the most populous — useful context the national average alone can't give.

28638

$67,135
28624

$51,836
28645

$51,650

What this shows By household income, ZIP 28645 ranks #3 of 3 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

ZIP Code	City	Population	Distance
28638	Hudson, NC	12,302	9.9 mi
28624	Ferguson, NC	1,639	12.1 mi

More ZIP Codes in Caldwell County

Caldwell County Lenoir, NC North Carolina

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 28645 in? ▼

ZIP code 28645 (Lenoir) is located in Caldwell County, North Carolina. Caldwell County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/caldwell-nc.

What is the population of ZIP code 28645? ▼

ZIP code 28645 in Lenoir, NC has a population of 47,703 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in ZIP 28645? ▼

The median household income in ZIP 28645 is $51,650, which is 32% below the national average of $76,288.

What is the average home value in ZIP 28645? ▼

The median home value in ZIP 28645 is $175,500, which is 37% below the national average of $278,155.

What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 28645? ▼

The largest racial group in ZIP 28645 is White at 82.5%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 8.4% of the population.

How many businesses are in ZIP code 28645? ▼

ZIP code 28645 has 848 business establishments employing approximately 13,912 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.

What are the main industries in ZIP code 28645? ▼

The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 28645 are: Retail trade (144), Other services (except public administration) (114), Health care and social assistance (95). There are 16 industry sectors represented in total.

How have home values changed in ZIP code 28645? ▼

According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 28645 increased by 5.2% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 122%. This is a developmental index based on repeat sales and appraisal data from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

What is the education level in ZIP code 28645? ▼

In ZIP code 28645, 52.4% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 17.7% 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 28645? ▼

The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 28645 is 27.5 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend more time traveling to work than typical.

What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 28645? ▼

In ZIP code 28645, approximately 70.9% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 29.1% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 28645? ▼

The poverty rate in ZIP code 28645 is 14.3% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.