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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

Population, 2000 to 2020−1.8%
86k88k90k92k2000: 89,14820002010: 90,91220102020: 87,570202089,14887,570
Population of Burke County at each census
CensusPopulation
200089,148
201090,912
202087,570

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.

Household income in Burke County
Under $50k44.6%
$50k to $100k32.3%
$100k to $150k14.1%
$150k to $200k5.4%
$200k and over3.6%

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.

Housing tenure in Burke County
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.

Jobs by sector in Burke County2023
Manufacturing7,490
Health care and social assistance5,622
Retail trade3,243
Accommodation and food services3,172
Other services (except public administration)1,194
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services1,087
Construction708
Wholesale trade399

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.

Burke County compared with its state
Burke County compared with its state, American Community Survey 2019-2023
MeasureBurke CountyNorth Carolina
Population87,86310,584,340
Median household income$55,684$69,904
Median age44.939.1
Median home value$170,500$259,400
Bachelor’s degree or higher20.2%34.7%
Foreign-born residents5.6%8.7%
Owner-occupied homes74.8%66.4%
Mean commute to work23.5 minutes25.1 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
MorgantonCity17,82519.2 sq mi
ValdeseTown4,7137.86 sq mi
IcardCensus designated place2,2913.83 sq mi
SalemCensus designated place2,0354.29 sq mi
DrexelTown1,7771.38 sq mi
HildebranTown1,6802.83 sq mi
Connelly SpringsTown1,5454.99 sq mi
Glen AlpineTown1,5322.15 sq mi
Rutherford CollegeTown1,2282.31 sq mi
RhodhissTown9871.19 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

Jobs 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.

Events in the next 31 days

No upcoming event is listed in Burke County's towns yet. Members and businesses add events from any town page.

Latest postsRolled up from the towns

Nothing has been posted in Burke County’s towns yet. Join a town to start its feed.

Neighboring counties

Neighboring counties

Sources: Census county adjacency file 2024, retrieved November 14, 2026; Census Population Estimates, Vintage 2024: subcounty totals, state 37, retrieved November 14, 2026.