28168 ZIP Code Profile, Map, Data & Demographics

ZIP Code Type: STANDARD
County: Lincoln County
Centroid: Latitude 35.495, Longitude -81.415
Time Zone: Eastern Time Zone (UTC -5 hours)
Observes DST: Yes

ZIP Code 28168 has segments in 4 Counties (Burke, Catawba, Cleveland, Lincoln).

Businesses Addresses: 134
PO Box Addresses: 75
Residential Addresses: 4,358

Multi-Family Addresses: 0
Single Family Addresses: 4,358

The ZIP Code maps and database are updated 4 times per year.
Database updated: June 1, 2025, Maps updated: May 1, 2024.

Vale, NC 28168 Data & Demographics (As of July 1, 2025)

POPULATION
Total Population	10,304 (100%)
Population in Households	10,303 (100.0%)
Population in Families	8,264 (80.2%)
Population in Group Quarters¹	1 ( 0.0%)
Population Density	117
Diversity Index²	30


INCOME
Median Household Income	$66,623
Average Household Income	$82,354
% of Income for Mortgage⁴	24%
Per Capita Income	$33,233
Wealth Index⁵	65
Socioeconomic Status Index⁶	Moderate (45.8)

HOUSING
Total HU (Housing Units)	4,571 (100%)
Owner Occupied HU	3,374 (73.8%)
Renter Occupied HU	784 (17.2%)
Vacant Housing Units	413 ( 9.0%)
Median Home Value	$256,948
Average Home Value	$307,163
Housing Affordability Index³	98

HOUSEHOLDS
Total Households	4,158
Average Household Size	2.48
Family Households	2,939
Average Family Size	3.00

NOTES

Group Quarters - a place where people live or stay in a group living arrangement. Includes college residents halls, nursing facilities, military barracks, and correctional facilities.
The Diversity Index is a scale of 0 to 100 that represents the likelihood that two persons, chosen at random from the same area, belong to different races or ethnic groups. If an area's entire population belongs to one race AND one ethnic group, then the area has zero diversity. An area's diversity index increases to 100 when the population is evenly divided into two or more race/ethnic groups.
The Housing Affordability Index base is 100 and represents a balance point where a resident with a median household income can normally qualify to purchase a median price home. Values above 100 indicate increased affordability, while values below 100 indicate decreased affordability.
The % of Income for Mortgage quantifies the percentage of median household income dedicated to mortgage payments on a home priced at the median value (assuming a 30-year mortgage and a 20% down payment).
The Wealth Index is based on a number of indicators of affluence including average household income and average net worth, but it also includes the value of material possessions and resources. It represents the wealth of the area relative to the national level. Values above or below 100 represent above-average wealth or below-average wealth compared to the national level.
The Socioeconomic Index ranges from zero (lowest relative status) to 100 (highest relative status). This measure quantifies disparities in social position of an area's inhabitants and is built from a broad range of demographic, housing, and socioeconomic inputs. More information on this measure can be found in Esri's SEI tutorial.

Vale, NC 28168 - Peer Comparisons by Rank and Percentile

The table below compares 28168 to the other 766 ZIP Codes in North Carolina by rank and percentile using July 1, 2025 data. The location Ranked # 1 has the highest value. A location that ranks higher than 75% of its peers would be in the 75th percentile of the peer group.

GROWTH RATE / YEAR	2020-2025	2025-2030
Population	0.23%	1.35%
Households	0.88%	1.75%
Families		1.55%
Median Household Income		3.46%
Per Capita Income		3.05%
Owner Occupied HU		2.04%

Variable Description	Rank	Percentile
Total Population	# 307	60th
Population Density	# 400	48th
Median Household Income	# 354	54th
Housing Affordability Index	# 479	63rd
Per Capita Income	# 450	41st
Diversity Index	# 644	16th

28168 ZIP Code Profile, Map, Data & Demographics

ZIP Code 28168: Basic Data & USPS Preferred City Name

Vale, NC 28168 Data & Demographics (As of July 1, 2025)

POPULATION

INCOME

HOUSING

HOUSEHOLDS

GROWTH RATE / YEAR

Vale, NC 28168 - Peer Comparisons by Rank and Percentile

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