Morganton is a city in Burke County, North Carolina, home to about 17,646 people across 19 square miles. Its ZIP code is 28655.
Homes sold for a median of $188 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a balanced market.
Mostly Morganton; also Salem and Glen Alpine
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Morganton. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Morganton’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT)56 miles away |
|---|---|
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Charlotte, NC61 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Philadelphia, PA464 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Morganton; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Morganton had 17,474 residents in the 2020 census, up 1% since 2000.
It’s the 62nd largest of 771 towns in North Carolina by population.
Burke County grew from 17,699 residents in 1900 to 87,570 in 2020.
Burke County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 88°F in summer, and winter lows average 28°F. About 51.7 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 5 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Morganton, NC weather station (2 miles away).
24,509 jobs at 1,540 businesses in Burke County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
727 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Morganton.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 77 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 109 |
| Dentists | 40 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 121 |
| Mental health providers | 304 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 61 |
| Optometrists | 8 |
| Chiropractors | 7 |
| Pharmacies | 34 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Parks (16 nearby)
Grocery stores (8 nearby)
Pharmacies (5 nearby)
Libraries (1 nearby)
Museums (3 nearby)
Theaters and performance venues (1 nearby)
Counts are within about 3 miles of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Established in 1777.
Colleges and universities
Notable people born here
Source: Wikidata (wikidata.org), the free knowledge base; people are listed by place of birth.
Public schools here are run by Burke County Schools, NC School for the Deaf, The New Dimensions School. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drexel ElementaryMorganton | Pre-K–5 | 477 | Public | 5.5 mi |
| Forest Hill ElementaryMorganton | Pre-K–5 | 305 | Public | 0.2 mi |
| Glen Alpine ElementaryMorganton | Pre-K–5 | 295 | Public | 4.3 mi |
| Hillcrest ElementaryMorganton | Pre-K–5 | 254 | Public | 2.1 mi |
| Mountain View ElementaryMorganton | Pre-K–5 | 762 | Public | 1.3 mi |
| Mull ElementaryMorganton | Pre-K–5 | 291 | Public | 3.2 mi |
| NC School for the DeafMorganton | Pre-K–12 | 64 | Special Education | 0.8 mi |
| North LibertyMorganton | Pre-K–12 | 72 | Special Education | 2.6 mi |
| Oak Hill ElementaryMorganton | Pre-K–5 | 310 | Public | 4.1 mi |
| Salem ElementaryMorganton | Pre-K–5 | 476 | Public | 2.8 mi |
| W A Young ElementaryMorganton | Pre-K–5 | 327 | Public | 3.6 mi |
| New DimensionsMorganton | K–8 | 569 | Charter | 2.8 mi |
| Liberty MiddleMorganton | 6–8 | 453 | Public | 2.7 mi |
| Table Rock MiddleMorganton | 6–8 | 427 | Public | 3.9 mi |
| Walter R Johnson MiddleMorganton | 6–8 | 441 | Public | 3.2 mi |
| Freedom HighMorganton | 9–12 | 1,299 | Public | 1.1 mi |
| Patton High SchoolMorganton | 9–12 | 756 | Public | 2.9 mi |
| Burke Middle CollegeMorganton | 11–12 | 130 | Public | 1.2 mi |
| School | Grades | Students | Affiliation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morganton Day SchoolMorganton | Pre-K–8 | 78 | Nonsectarian | 1.0 mi |
| Silver Creek Adventist SchoolMorganton | K–8 | 44 | Seventh-day Adventist | 5.3 mi |
| The Learning CenterMorganton | K–11 | 40 | Baptist | 6.6 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools; Private School Universe Survey (2023-2024) for private schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Shares ZIP codes with Salem, Glen Alpine and Drexel.
Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.