28168 ZIP Code, Vale, NC
28168 is a ZIP code in Vale, North Carolina — mostly in Lincoln County (59% of its land), with smaller parts in Catawba County. It covers 87 square miles of land. The closest ZIP codes are 28602, 28612 and 28042. 10,484 people live here in 4,324 households. With about 120 people per square mile it is lightly settled, and most homes are owner-occupied (83%). Median household income is $61,220, below the North Carolina median of $72,388; the median age is 47.0, older than most ZIP codes.
Quick facts
- Mailing city: Vale, NC
- County: Lincoln County
- Land area: 87 sq mi
- Population: 10,484
- Median household income: $61,220
- Carrier routes: 7 (4,515 homes)
Key figures
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Residents | 10,484 |
| Households | 4,324 |
| Median household income | $61,220 |
| Income per person | $29,709 |
| Median age | 47 |
| Homeowners | 82.9% |
| Median home value | $205,000 |
| Median rent | $821 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 14.3% |
| Average commute (minutes) | 33.5 |
| Households with kids under 18 | 29.3% |
| Moved in the past year | 5.8% |
| Below the poverty line | 14.2% |
| Broadband internet | 86.0% |
| Speak a non-English language at home | 4.7% |
Household income
| % of households | Value |
|---|---|
| <$10K | 3.5% |
| $10–15K | 4.1% |
| $15–25K | 12.8% |
| $25–35K | 4.6% |
| $35–50K | 14.2% |
| $50–75K | 25.3% |
| $75–100K | 12.7% |
| $100–150K | 15.8% |
| $150–200K | 3.3% |
| $200K+ | 3.8% |
Age
| % of all residents | Value |
|---|---|
| <10 | 6.8% |
| 10–19 | 13.1% |
| 20–24 | 4.7% |
| 25–34 | 9.5% |
| 35–44 | 10.3% |
| 45–54 | 19.8% |
| 55–64 | 14.4% |
| 65–74 | 13.1% |
| 75+ | 8.2% |
Tenure
| % of housing units | Value |
|---|---|
| Owned, with mortgage | 38.1% |
| Owned outright | 38.6% |
| Rented | 15.6% |
| Vacant | 7.8% |
Type of building
| % of housing units | Value |
|---|---|
| Detached house | 71.2% |
| Townhome | 0.3% |
| 2–4 units | 0.0% |
| 5–19 units | 0.0% |
| 20+ units | 0.2% |
| Mobile / other | 28.2% |
Businesses in 28168
119 business establishments with 621 employees (ZIP Codes Business Patterns 2023).
- Construction: 25
- Other Services (except Public Administration): 17
- Retail Trade: 16
- Manufacturing: 9
- Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services: 9
- Accommodation and Food Services: 9
- Transportation and Warehousing: 8
- Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services: 8
EDDM carrier routes
28168 has 7 USPS carrier routes with 4,515 residential and 99 business mailboxes. Open the EDDM route map.
Carrier routes in 28168
28168 has 7 USPS carrier routes (7 rural (R)) with 4,515 residential and 99 business mailboxes. Routes range from 606 homes (R003) to 666 homes (R004); the median route has 660 homes. The Census counted 4,324 households in 28168 (2020–2024 average); USPS counts current mailboxes, including new and vacant homes.
| Homes per route | Routes |
|---|---|
| 1–249 | 0 |
| 250–499 | 0 |
| 500–749 | 7 |
| 750–999 | 0 |
| 1,000–1,499 | 0 |
| 1,500+ | 0 |
Best routes in 28168 for…
Most businesses
For B2B offers: office supplies, cleaning, IT, catering and commercial services.
- Route R002 — USPS business mailboxes 24, 660 homes
- Route R004 — USPS business mailboxes 21, 666 homes
- Route R003 — USPS business mailboxes 17, 606 homes
- Route R005 — USPS business mailboxes 11, 614 homes
- Route R001 — USPS business mailboxes 9, 664 homes
Select these 5 routes on the route map
Every carrier route in 28168
| Route | Type | Homes | Businesses | Est. median income | Est. owners | Est. families with kids | Est. moved in past year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R001 | Rural | 664 | 9 | $85,574 | — | — | — |
| R002 | Rural | 660 | 24 | $57,426 | — | — | — |
| R003 | Rural | 606 | 17 | $83,263 | — | — | — |
| R004 | Rural | 666 | 21 | $43,677 | — | — | — |
| R005 | Rural | 614 | 11 | $83,263 | — | — | — |
| R006 | Rural | 661 | 9 | $85,574 | — | — | — |
| R007 | Rural | 644 | 8 | $57,426 | — | — | — |
Income, owners, families and movers are estimates for each route (how we estimate them); mailbox counts are current USPS figures. Open 28168 on the EDDM route map.
How route demographics are estimated
Mailbox counts come from USPS; demographics are estimates
The number of homes and businesses on each carrier route is the current USPS EDDM count. The Census Bureau does not publish figures for carrier routes, so income, homeownership, ages, families, movers and housing age on a route are EDDM2GO estimates built from Census block groups (neighborhood areas of roughly 600 to 3,000 people).
How a route gets its figures: the block-group length-share method
We trace each route's streets every 25 meters and record which block group each stretch falls in. The route's homes are spread along its streets in proportion to length, so a route with 60% of its street length in one block group is assumed to have 60% of its homes there. Each block group then contributes its Census counts in proportion to the share of its housing units that sit on the route (capped at the whole block group). Medians are recalculated from the combined income, home-value and age brackets, the way the Census Bureau computes them, not averaged.
Margins of error
Census survey figures carry a margin of error at 90% confidence; we carry it through the calculation and show it as ±. Our margins treat the route-to-block-group split as exact, so the real uncertainty is larger. Routes with fewer than 100 estimated households, large margins, or streets we could not place are flagged.
Different years
USPS mailbox counts are current. Census figures are 5-year averages for 2020–2024, so a new subdivision may have more homes on the route today than the Census counted. Use the route figures to compare routes with each other, not as an exact head count.
Why some routes show identical figures
Two routes that run through the same block group get the same percentages and medians, because the Census publishes one set of figures for the whole block group. Their mailbox counts still differ, and those are exact.
Route and mailbox counts: USPS EDDM route data. Route demographics: EDDM2GO estimates from U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year block-group data (2020–2024) and 2024 cartographic block-group boundaries. This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Nearby ZIP codes
- 28602 — Hickory city, NC (8.7 mi)
- 28612 — Connelly Springs town, NC (9.3 mi)
- 28042 — Fallston town, NC (10.1 mi)
- 28090 — Belwood town, NC (10.1 mi)
- 28021 — Cherryville city, NC (10.5 mi)
- 28033 — Crouse CDP, NC (10.7 mi)
- 28092 — Lincolnton city, NC (10.8 mi)
- 28637 — Hildebran town, NC (11.4 mi)
Areas that include 28168
- Vale, NC ZIP codes — 1 ZIP code
- Catawba County ZIP codes — 11 ZIP codes
- Lincoln County ZIP codes — 9 ZIP codes
- North Carolina ZIP code data
Where it ranks
Mail every home in 28168
Route counts on this page price as Full Service 6.5 × 9 postcards: we print, bundle by carrier route and hand the mailing to USPS. Prefer to take it to the Post Office yourself? Print only costs less and you pay postage at drop-off.
EDDM guides
ZIP code statistics describe the Census ZIP Code Tabulation Area (ZCTA) 28168, which approximates the USPS ZIP code area. Census figures: American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024.
Frequently asked questions
- What city is 28168 in?
- 28168 is a Vale, NC mailing address. None of its land lies inside a Census-defined city or community.
- What county is 28168 in?
- 28168 is mostly in Lincoln County (59% of its land), with smaller parts in Catawba County.
- What is the population of 28168?
- About 10,484 people (±1,104), according to the Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-year estimates for 2020–2024. The 2020 Census counted 10,120.
- What is the median household income in 28168?
- $61,220 (±$7,987), compared with $72,388 for North Carolina as a whole. Half the households in the ZIP code earn more and half earn less.
- How many carrier routes and mailboxes are in 28168?
- 7 USPS carrier routes with 4,515 residential and 99 business mailboxes (4,613 in all), from the route data stored by EDDM2GO. An EDDM mailing can target any combination of these routes.
- What ZIP codes are near 28168?
- The closest, measured center to center: 28602 (8.7 mi, Hickory), 28612 (9.3 mi, Connelly Springs), 28042 (10.1 mi, Fallston), 28090 (10.1 mi, Belwood), 28021 (10.5 mi, Cherryville) and 28033 (10.7 mi, Crouse).
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.