Hickory–Lenoir–Morganton metropolitan area
Hickory Metro (The Unifour) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Hickory–Lenoir–Morganton, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area | ||
 Union Square in Downtown Hickory | ||
 Interactive Map of the Hickory–Lenoir–Morganton, NC MSA, also known as The Unifour.
| ||
| Country |  United States | |
| State |  North Carolina | |
| Principal cities | - Hickory - Lenoir - Morganton | |
| Area | ||
| 1,666 sq mi (4,310 km2) | ||
| • Land | 1,637.72 sq mi (4,241.7 km2) | |
| • Water | 34.28 sq mi (88.8 km2) | |
| Elevation | 305–2,559 ft (93–780 m) | |
| Population (2025) | ||
| • Urban | 201,511 (189th) | |
| • MSA | 376,890 (151st) | |
| GDP | ||
| • Metro | $18.281 billion (2022) | |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) | |
| Area codes | 828, 704 | |
The Hickory–Lenoir–Morganton, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, is an area consisting of four counties in North Carolina; Catawba, Burke, Caldwell, and Alexander.[2] It is located in the Catawba Valley region of Western North Carolina. Locally, the metropolitan area is sometimes referred to as the Unifour.[3]
The OMB includes the Unifour in the larger Charlotte–Concord, NC-SC Combined Statistical Area.[2]
The 2020 census gives the MSA's population as 365,276, with a July 1, 2025, estimate placing the population at 376,890.[4]
Area
[edit]Counties
[edit]| County | Seat | 2025 estimate | 2020 Census | Change | Area | Density |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Catawba | Newton | 170,172 | 160,610 | +5.95% | 416.02 sq mi (1,077.5 km2) | 409/sq mi (158/km2) |
| Burke | Morganton | 88,655 | 87,570 | +1.24% | 514.24 sq mi (1,331.9 km2) | 172/sq mi (67/km2) |
| Caldwell | Lenoir | 81,105 | 80,652 | +0.56% | 474.61 sq mi (1,229.2 km2) | 171/sq mi (66/km2) |
| Alexander | Taylorsville | 36,958 | 36,444 | +1.41% | 263.64 sq mi (682.8 km2) | 140/sq mi (54/km2) |
| Total | 376,890 | 365,276 | +3.18% | 1,668.51 sq mi (4,321.4 km2) | 226/sq mi (87/km2) |
Anchor city
[edit]- Hickory Catawba/Burke/Caldwell 43,490
Principal cities
[edit]Suburban towns and cities over 5,000 in population
[edit](Including county and 2020 U.S. census population)
Suburban towns and cities under 5,000 in population
[edit](Including county and 2020 U.S. census population)
- Blowing Rock Caldwell & Watauga 1,376
- Brookford Catawba 442
- Catawba Catawba 702
- Cedar Rock Caldwell 301
- Claremont Catawba 1,692
- Connelly Springs Burke 1,529
- Drexel Burke 1,760
- Gamewell Caldwell 3,702
- Glen Alpine Burke 1,529
- Granite Falls Caldwell 4,965
- Hildebran Burke 1,679
- Hudson Caldwell 3,780
- Maiden Catawba & Lincoln 3,736
- Rhodhiss Burke & Caldwell 997
- Rutherford College Burke 1,226
- Taylorsville Alexander 2,320
- Valdese Burke 4,689
Unincorporated communities
[edit](Including county and 2020 U.S. census population)
- Bethlehem Alexander 4,491
- Collettsville Caldwell
- Hiddenite Alexander 507
- Icard Burke 2,452
- Lake Norman of Catawba Catawba 11,395
- Mountain View Catawba 3,590
- Northlakes Caldwell 1,543
- Petersburg Burke
- Salem Burke 2,356
- Stony Point Alexander 1,146
- St. Stephens Catawba 8,852
- Sherrills Ford Catawba
- Terrell Catawba
Transportation
[edit]Mass transit
[edit]Greenway Public Transportation offers bus service to the cities of Conover, Hickory, Morganton, and Newton.
Roads
[edit]The Hickory region is served by Interstate 40 which passes through the center of Catawba and Burke counties.
Other important US highways in the region include: US 70 (east to Morehead City, west to Asheville), and US 321 (through Catawba and Caldwell Counties).
Primary state routes include NC 10, NC 16, NC 18, NC 90, NC 127, and NC 150.
Air
[edit]The region's primary general aviation airport is Hickory Regional Airport. The closest commercial airports are Charlotte-Douglas International Airport and Asheville Regional Airport.
Rail
[edit]With approximately twenty freight trains a day, Catawba County is a freight railroad transportation center. This is largely due to the areas strong manufacturing based economy, and its placement along the Norfolk Southern Railway line. The Caldwell County Railroad also serves the county and interchanges with Norfolk Southern in Hickory. Conover has been designated a stop on the future Western NC Rail service.[5]
Higher education
[edit]- Appalachian Center at Hickory
- Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute
- Catawba Valley Community College
- Lenoir–Rhyne University
- NC Center for Engineering Technologies
- Western Piedmont Community College
Demographics
[edit]As of the census[6] of 2000, there were 341,851 people, 133,966 households, and 95,583 families residing within the MSA. The racial makeup of the MSA was 87.47% White, 6.91% African American, 0.25% Native American, 2.31% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 1.95% from other races, and 1.02% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.05% of the population.
The median income for a household in the MSA was $37,647, and the median income for a family was $44,236. Males had a median income of $29,273 versus $22,266 for females. The per capita income for the MSA was $18,404.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ↑ "Total Gross Domestic Product for Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC (MSA)". Federal Reserve Economic Data. Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
- 1 2 "OMB BULLETIN NO. 23-01" (PDF). Office of Management and Budget. July 21, 2023. Retrieved July 31, 2026.
- ↑ "Unifour Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan" (PDF). Unifour Hazard Mitigation Planning Committee. February 2014. Retrieved July 31, 2026.
- ↑ "Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Area Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020-2025". United States Census Bureau. May 26, 2026. Retrieved July 31, 2026.
- ↑ Infrastructure Archived 2014-08-26 at the Wayback Machine, Caldwell County Economic Development Commission (retrieved 16 June 2014)
- ↑ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
| Counties | | |
|---|---|---|
| Major city | ||
| Cities and towns 5k-20k | ||
| Cities and towns 0k-5k | ||
| Footnotes |
| |
