ZIP 28601

28601 is one of 9 ZIP codes that lie mostly in Catawba County, NC — 64% of its own area is in the county.

Shaded by typical home value, it ranks 5 of the 9 with a value.

12 school locations in 28601: 4 elementary, 5 middle, 3 high.

In alphabetical order: Clyde Campbell Elementary, Harry M Arndt Middle, Hickory Career Arts Magnet High School, Hickory High, and more on the ZIP page. Locations only — no ratings are shown here.

In January 2000 the typical home in 28601 was worth $122,651.

Values peaked at $306,190 in August 2026. The latest reading is the peak.

As of August 2026: $306,190, +1.9% over twelve months.

Start with the typical home: $306,190. Put 20% down and borrow $244,952 at 7.40%, the 30-year fixed average as of October 8, 2026.

That is $1,696 a month in principal and interest.

The median household here earns $67,839 a year, $5,653 a month. So the payment takes 30.0% of income — rated “stretched” (Lotvox ZIP bands: under 28% affordable · 28–36% stretched · 36%+ severe).

The line holds today's rate fixed and moves only the price: at that rate, the same share was 12.0% in 2000.

Take the typical home's price each month, borrow 80% at that month's actual 30-year average rate: in January 2000 (8.21%) the payment was $734.

In December 2020, with rates at 2.68%, it was $675.

By August 2026, at 6.67%, it was $1,575 — +133% since December 2020, while the home's value moved +47%.

Reported values rose +150% since January 2000.

General prices (CPI-U) rose +97% over the same span.

Divide one by the other: in August 2026 dollars, the 2000 home was worth $242,064. So the real change is +26%, not +150%.

28601: +150% since January 2000.

Catawba County: +167% since January 2000.

North Carolina: +156% since January 2000 — 28601 ran behind it by 7 points.

Owning the typical home costs about $2,002 a month once taxes and insurance (estimated at 1.2% of price a year) are added. Renting runs about $1,462 a month.

Price divided by a year's rent: 17.5. Lotvox reads under 15 as favoring buying and 20 or more as favoring renting.

Picture the Listings Flow Ladder as a basin: new listings pour in from the faucet, the homes for sale are the water, and closed sales run out the drain. Coming in — new listings: about 91 a month (Redfin, 3-month rolling data through August 2026).

On the shelf — homes for sale at the end of the period: 297.

Going out — closed sales: about 66 a month. The drain is drawn 6% narrower: the share of homes for sale that sell each month is 94% of its 2015–2019 level.

The ladder: homes for sale ÷ monthly sales = 4.5 months of supply — inside the 4–6 month balanced range. In the basin, that is the water level against the shaded balanced band.

The net reading: about 25 more homes came on than sold each month, so inventory is growing. The basin is filling.

Homes sold: about 66 a month in August 2026 (Redfin).

The 2015–2019 level for the same month was 21 — so sales ran at 314% of it, and below it in 0 of the last 24 months.

Across Catawba County, builders pulled permits for 1,944 new homes in 2025.

Of those, 70% were in 1-unit buildings (the Census Bureau's category for detached and attached single homes).

This ZIP sits in Catawba County. IRS tax returns for 2022-2023: among the ten counties sending the most households, 2,624 moved in. Among the ten receiving the most, 2,260 moved out.

Net across those counties: +364 households. Beside it, homes for sale in this ZIP: 297 in June 2026.

Most arrivals came from Lincoln, NC (509 households); most departures went to Burke, NC (403).