Murray-Minges's Mercantile, near a historic gristmill, 1980
Catawba’s story
149 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1980.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1877Catawba is settled
CatawbaNC
Home to 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Murray's Mill Historic District · Photo: G Keith Hall · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
736
2025 Census estimate · +5.4% since 2020
Typical home
$320K
+3% in a year
Household income
$47K
median
Median age
35.8
years
Jobs based here
314
Balanced
Is Catawba a good place to live?
21% of residents live below the poverty line in Catawba, above both North Carolina’s towns (13%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). Among 291 North Carolina towns, just 9 have a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than Catawba. 15% of the land in Catawba is conserved, against 3.4% in North Carolina’s towns and 4.3% across U.S. towns. Its National Register listings include Powell-Trollinger Lime Kilns and Perkins House. Catawba has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Catawba stand out
Where Catawba beats most towns.
Small town
736 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Catawba: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Catawba, and how to reach them.
PowerEnergyUnited Elec Member11.6¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterTown of Catawba water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers96% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Catawba’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn North Carolina you can register online until 25 days before Election Day, in person with same-day registration during the early voting period, or by mail (postmarked 25 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereCatawba County Board of ElectionsCatawba County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, May 2019
ZIP code2860928609 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Catawba.
Natural hazards
Catawba faces a very low natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
In Catawba, the FEMA risk score is 15 of 100. Expected losses in Catawba break down as 51% from inland flooding and 17% from tornadoes. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Catawba after 3 declared disasters, most recently in 2024.
15risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesHurricanes
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Schools
The schools Catawba’s kids attend
Its public schools are run by the Catawba County Schools. Public school enrollment in the town: 457 students across 2 schools.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catawba Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 450 | C+ |
| Catawba Rosenwald Education CenterLargest public high schoolGrades K–12 | Grades K–12 | 7 | – |
NCES · EDFacts
Climate
Mild winters and hot summers in Catawba
The range runs from 29° on a January night to 88° on a July afternoon, with about 5 inches of snow a winter.
5″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter31–52°
Spring46–70°
Summer66–86°
Fall48–71°
Nov 8
typical first frost
Mar 24
typical last frost
+1.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Outdoors
Conserved land covers 15.3% of Catawba
In 1 park or preserve, walkers have 0.5 miles of trail. For Catawba, the trail density is 0.1 miles per square mile. This North Carolina town has one park or preserve, 6 acres in all.
15.3%conserved
15.3%
conserved · 458 of 2,990 acres
0.5 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. David A. Hunsucker Memorial Park | 0.4 mi | 6 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Work & commute
Most of Catawba’s workers commute out: the town has 0.8 jobs for each of them
Most people who work leave Catawba to do it: just 1% work in town. In Catawba, the average commute is 30 minutes. Jobs in Catawba grew by 95 from 2013 to 2023, reaching 314. The median commute is under 15 miles.
1%work in town
| Catawba | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 30 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 1% | 6.8% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Catawba1%
Hickory11%
Newton7%
Charlotte6%
Conover6%
15 mi
median commute distance
314
jobs based in Catawba
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Health
How healthy Catawba is
38% of Catawba adults have obesity. The town tracks North Carolina closely on all 32 CDC measures.
| Catawba | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 34% | 36% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 33% | 33% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 36% | 35% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 38% | 35% |
32 measures vs. North Carolina
0 better32 too close to call0 worse
Catawba Valley Medical Center
11 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Housing
A home in Catawba is worth about $320K, on Zillow’s estimate
Home values are up 3% over the year to September 2026. 71% of households live in a home they own in Catawba. The typical rent in the town is $1,118 a month.
$320KZillow home value
| Catawba | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 71% | 67% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,118 a month | $1,085 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Catawba$320K
North Carolina$332K
+3%
value change, 1 year
4
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Nearby attractions
All 44 attractions →Bank of America Stadium and 18 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Catawba. Close and well known come first.
Big draw36 mi Stadium & arenaBank of America Stadium
17 mi LakeLake Norman35 mi MuseumSullenberger Aviation Museum70K visitors a year
38 mi Stadium & arenaBojangles Coliseum33 mi TheatreTruliant Amphitheater38 mi TheatreOvens AuditoriumSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Bank of America Stadium: HangingCurve, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Lake Norman: Prince Grobhelm, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Bojangles Coliseum: James Willamor, CC BY-SA 3.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Catawba
19pages on Catawba
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
3 within 15 miles of the center of Catawba
Mitchell Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Statesville11.1 mi$2,641 in-state tuitionCatawba Valley Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Hickory12.3 mi$2,427 in-state tuitionLenoir-Rhyne UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Hickory14.7 mi$31,900 tuition
About 2 of every 100 Catawba residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across North Carolina.
Famous people from Catawba
6 notable people were born in Catawba.
K
Kris HarveyAmerican baseball player · born 1984
About Catawba
Town in North Carolina, United States
Catawba is a town in Catawba County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2020 census, Catawba had a population of 702. It is part of the Hickory–Lenoir–Morganton Metropolitan Statistical Area. As with the county, the name recalls the Catawba people, the indigenous people who once inhabited the area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 4.0 sq mi
- Elevation
- 886 ft
- ZIP code
- 28609
- Area code
- 828
Questions about Catawba
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Catawba, NC a good place to live?
Catawba has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real. Home to 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
What is Catawba, NC known for?
6 notable people were born here, including Bobby Isaac and Hunter Harvey.