The Hickory–Lenoir–Morganton, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of four counties, Catawba, Burke, Caldwell, Alexander. It is located in the Catawba Valley region of western North Carolina. Local residents often refer to the area as The Unifour, although this name is largely unknown outside of the region.
Hickory Metro | |
|---|---|
| Hickory–Lenoir–Morganton, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area | |
 Union Square in Downtown Hickory | |
 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  North Carolina |
| Principal cities | - Hickory - Lenoir - Morganton |
| Area | |
| • Metropolitan Statistical 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) |
| • Urban | 116.174 sq mi (300.89 km2) |
| Elevation | 686−5,920 ft (93−780 m) |
| Population (2012 census estimate) | |
| • Density | 220/sq mi (80/km2) |
| • Urban | 120,656 |
| • Metro | 365,949 |
| GDP | |
| • Metro | $18.281 billion (2022) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| Area code(s) | 828, 704 |
The U.S. Census Bureau includes the Unifour in the larger Charlotte-Concord, NC Combined Statistical Area.
The 2000 census gives the MSA's population as 341,851, with a July 1, 2009, estimate placing the population at 365,364.[2]
Area
editCounties
editAnchor city
edit- Hickory Catawba/Burke/Caldwell 43,490
Principal cities
editSuburban 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
editMass transit
editGreenway Public Transportation offers bus service to the cities of Conover, Hickory, Morganton, and Newton.
Roads
editThe 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
editThe region's primary general aviation airport is Hickory Regional Airport. The closest commercial airports are Charlotte-Douglas International Airport and Asheville Regional Airport.
Rail
editWith 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.[3]
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
editAs of the census[4] 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
editReferences
edit- ^ "Total Gross Domestic Product for Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC (MSA)". Federal Reserve Economic Data. Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
- ^ "Table 1. Annual Estimates of the Population of Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2009 (CBSA-EST2009-01)". 2009 Population Estimates. United States Census Bureau, Population Division. 2010-03-23. Archived from the original (CSV) on June 15, 2010. Retrieved 2010-03-29.
- ^ 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.