Rockwell is a town in Rowan County, North Carolina, home to about 2,782 people across 1.7 square miles. Its ZIP code is 28138.
Homes sold for a median of $183 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a seller’s market.
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Rockwell. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Rockwell’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)37 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Concord-Padgett Regional Airport (USA)20 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Charlotte, NC33 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Philadelphia, PA422 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Rockwell; 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.
Rockwell had 2,302 residents in the 2020 census, up 17% since 2000.
It’s the 271st largest of 771 towns in North Carolina by population.
Rowan County grew from 31,066 residents in 1900 to 146,875 in 2020.
Rowan 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 29°F. About 43.7 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 2 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Salisbury, NC weather station (10 miles away).
49,366 jobs at 2,908 businesses in Rowan County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
28 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Rockwell.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 2 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 1 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 8 |
| Mental health providers | 16 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 1 |
| Pharmacies | 5 |
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.
Grocery stores (2 nearby)
Pharmacies (2 nearby)
Libraries (1 nearby)
Counts are within about 1 mile 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.
Public schools here are run by Rowan-Salisbury Schools. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rockwell ElementaryRockwell | Pre-K–5 | 502 | Public | 0.6 mi |
| Shive ElementaryRockwell | Pre-K–5 | 413 | Public | 0.8 mi |
| School | Grades | Students | Affiliation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rockwell Christian SchoolRockwell | K–12 | 308 | Christian (no specific denomination) | 0.9 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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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.