28601 ZIP Code, Hickory, NC

28601 is a ZIP code in Hickory, North Carolina — mostly in Catawba County (64% of its land), with smaller parts in Burke, Alexander and Caldwell counties. It covers 47 square miles of land. The closest ZIP codes are 28667, 28637 and 28630. 53,329 people live here in 21,727 households, more than in 9 of every 10 North Carolina ZIP codes. At about 1,133 people per square mile it has suburban density, and owners and renters are mixed (68% own). Median household income is $67,817, close to the North Carolina median of $72,388.

Quick facts

Key figures

MeasureValue
Residents53,329
Households21,727
Median household income$67,817
Income per person$40,441
Median age41.2
Homeowners68.4%
Median home value$261,600
Median rent$1,029
Bachelor's degree or higher36.1%
Average commute (minutes)22.4
Households with kids under 1828.4%
Moved in the past year10.6%
Below the poverty line12.4%
Broadband internet90.4%
Speak a non-English language at home13.3%

Household income

% of householdsValue
<$10K4.8%
$10–15K3.4%
$15–25K7.9%
$25–35K7.4%
$35–50K13.7%
$50–75K17.5%
$75–100K13.1%
$100–150K16.2%
$150–200K7.3%
$200K+8.8%

Age

% of all residentsValue
<1010.3%
10–1912.9%
20–247.7%
25–3412.5%
35–4411.5%
45–5412.2%
55–6413.2%
65–7411.0%
75+8.7%

Tenure

% of housing unitsValue
Owned, with mortgage39.8%
Owned outright23.0%
Rented28.4%
Vacant8.7%

Type of building

% of housing unitsValue
Detached house65.3%
Townhome4.5%
2–4 units7.8%
5–19 units11.7%
20+ units5.2%
Mobile / other5.5%

Businesses in 28601

1,368 business establishments with 24,272 employees (ZIP Codes Business Patterns 2023).

EDDM carrier routes

28601 has 46 USPS carrier routes with 24,899 residential and 1,538 business mailboxes. Open the EDDM route map.

Carrier routes in 28601

28601 has 46 USPS carrier routes (25 city (C), 21 rural (R)) with 24,899 residential and 1,538 business mailboxes. Routes range from 196 homes (C006) to 978 homes (C034); the median route has 529 homes. The Census counted 21,727 households in 28601 (2020–2024 average); USPS counts current mailboxes, including new and vacant homes.

Homes per routeRoutes
1–2491
250–49915
500–74927
750–9993
1,000–1,4990
1,500+0

Best routes in 28601 for…

Most businesses

For B2B offers: office supplies, cleaning, IT, catering and commercial services.

  1. Route C006 — USPS business mailboxes 236, 196 homes
  2. Route C042 — USPS business mailboxes 133, 400 homes
  3. Route C011 — USPS business mailboxes 132, 526 homes
  4. Route C027 — USPS business mailboxes 102, 484 homes
  5. Route R022 — USPS business mailboxes 93, 417 homes

Select these 5 routes on the route map

Every carrier route in 28601

RouteTypeHomesBusinessesEst. median incomeEst. ownersEst. families with kidsEst. moved in past year
C001City48210$81,017———
C002City38527$97,091———
C003City81755$58,810———
C004City2982$85,152———
C006City196236$55,988———
C009City67720$40,588———
C010City62982$56,046———
C011City526132$39,375———
C013City50833$85,040———
C014City2950$81,523———
C018City5391$46,792———
C019City46372$40,588———
C020City55847$43,571———
C023City58774$43,571———
C024City4461$85,921———
C025City50013$85,152———
C027City484102$81,017———
C030City6855$55,419———
C033City64817$85,152———
C034City97810$35,973———
C035City30059$55,163———
C040City5613$81,017———
C041City51955$39,375———
C042City400133$85,152———
C044City65618$46,792———
R002Rural4592$105,807———
R005Rural5372$99,502———
R006Rural6003$54,605———
R007Rural6409$100,392———
R009Rural7543$35,973———
R010Rural4421$171,058———
R011Rural66935$32,239———
R013Rural53124$75,588———
R014Rural5614$83,423———
R016Rural63422$55,419———
R017Rural68152$74,577———
R018Rural4883$84,777———
R020Rural51511$107,970———
R021Rural5761$52,518———
R022Rural41793$85,040———
R029Rural4666$100,392———
R031Rural50934$97,091———
R033Rural5996$61,562———
R034Rural66916$83,423———
R035Rural4911$61,836———
R036Rural5243$83,423———

Income, owners, families and movers are estimates for each route (how we estimate them); mailbox counts are current USPS figures. Open 28601 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

Areas that include 28601

Where it ranks

Mail every home in 28601

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) 28601, which approximates the USPS ZIP code area. Census figures: American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024.

Frequently asked questions

What city is 28601 in?
28601 is a Hickory, NC mailing address. By land area, 39% lies inside Hickory, 16% lies inside St. Stephens, 8% lies inside Bethlehem and 3% lies inside Northlakes; the rest is outside any Census-defined city or community.
What county is 28601 in?
28601 is mostly in Catawba County (64% of its land), with smaller parts in Burke, Alexander and Caldwell counties.
What is the population of 28601?
About 53,329 people (±1,962), according to the Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-year estimates for 2020–2024. The 2020 Census counted 53,973.
What is the median household income in 28601?
$67,817 (±$4,357), 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 28601?
46 USPS carrier routes with 24,899 residential and 1,538 business mailboxes (26,437 in all), from the route data stored by EDDM2GO. An EDDM mailing can target any combination of these routes.
What ZIP codes are near 28601?
The closest, measured center to center: 28667 (5.5 mi, Rhodhiss), 28637 (6.4 mi, Hildebran), 28630 (6.7 mi, Granite Falls), 28613 (7.1 mi, Conover), 28602 (7.5 mi, Hickory) and 28666 (8.9 mi, Icard).

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.