Burke County, North Carolina
Burke County, North Carolina · ZIP 28601, 28602, 28612
- Census data · ACS 2019-2023
- 88,545 (2024 estimate)Population
- 35,873Households
- $55,684Median household income
- $170,500Median home value
- 10Towns with a page
- 14ZIP codes
Burke County in numbersOfficial sources, refreshed yearly
| Census | Population |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 89,148 |
| 2010 | 90,912 |
| 2020 | 87,570 |
As counted at each census, within the boundaries the area had then; the current estimate is in the glance card.
Sources: Census 2000 Summary File 1: total population, county level, state 37, retrieved November 14, 2026; Census 2010 Summary File 1: total population, county level, state 37, retrieved November 14, 2026; Census 2020 Redistricting Data (P.L. 94-171): total population, county level, state 37, retrieved November 14, 2026.
Median household income $55,684 · Share of households by income, American Community Survey 5-year 2019-2023, table S1901.
Source: American Community Survey 5-year subject table S1901 (household income) 2019–2023, county level, state 37, retrieved November 14, 2026.
- Owner occupied
- 26,823 units
- Renter occupied
- 9,050 units
- Vacancy rate
- 10.4%
Occupied housing units by tenure and the share of all units vacant, American Community Survey 5-year 2019-2023, table DP04.
Source: American Community Survey 5-year data profile 2019–2023, county level, state 37, retrieved November 14, 2026.
24,509 employees in 1,540 establishments with payroll in 2023, all sectors; employers themselves are not named in the source. County Business Patterns counts are published with noise.
Source: County Business Patterns 2023: employment by sector, county level, state 37, retrieved November 14, 2026.
| Measure | Burke County | North Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 87,863 | 10,584,340 |
| Median household income | $55,684 | $69,904 |
| Median age | 44.9 | 39.1 |
| Median home value | $170,500 | $259,400 |
| Bachelor’s degree or higher | 20.2% | 34.7% |
| Foreign-born residents | 5.6% | 8.7% |
| Owner-occupied homes | 74.8% | 66.4% |
| Mean commute to work | 23.5 minutes | 25.1 minutes |
Source: American Community Survey 5-year data profile 2019–2023, county level, state 37, retrieved November 14, 2026.
Townships, towns and villages in Burke County10 with a page · sort by any column
| Type | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Morganton | City | 17,825 | 19.2 sq mi |
| Valdese | Town | 4,713 | 7.86 sq mi |
| Icard | Census designated place | 2,291 | 3.83 sq mi |
| Salem | Census designated place | 2,035 | 4.29 sq mi |
| Drexel | Town | 1,777 | 1.38 sq mi |
| Hildebran | Town | 1,680 | 2.83 sq mi |
| Connelly Springs | Town | 1,545 | 4.99 sq mi |
| Glen Alpine | Town | 1,532 | 2.15 sq mi |
| Rutherford College | Town | 1,228 | 2.31 sq mi |
| Rhodhiss | Town | 987 | 1.19 sq mi |
Populations: Census Population Estimates, Vintage 2024: subcounty totals, state 37 (2024). Land areas: Census Gazetteer 2025: counties. A dash means the figure is not in the cited file.
County officialsFrom public records
No county official is published yet. Names appear once a researcher drafts them from the county’s own site and a second person approves; office contacts only, never personal details.
Across Burke County
No job is posted in Burke County’s towns yet. Employers post from their business dashboard; public job banks are added once their terms are recorded.
No upcoming event is listed in Burke County's towns yet. Members and businesses add events from any town page.
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Neighboring counties
Neighboring counties
- Avery CountyPopulation 17,811 (2024 estimate)
- Caldwell CountyPopulation 80,739 (2024 estimate)
- Catawba CountyPopulation 167,054 (2024 estimate)
- Cleveland CountyPopulation 102,194 (2024 estimate)
- Lincoln CountyPopulation 97,611 (2024 estimate)
- McDowell CountyPopulation 45,269 (2024 estimate)
- Rutherford CountyPopulation 65,587 (2024 estimate)
Sources: Census county adjacency file 2024, retrieved November 14, 2026; Census Population Estimates, Vintage 2024: subcounty totals, state 37, retrieved November 14, 2026.