Town guide

Salisbury, North Carolina

Salisbury is a city in Rowan County, North Carolina, home to about 35,825 people across 22 square miles. Its ZIP codes are 28144 and 28147, and parts of 28146 are in Salisbury too.

Homes sold for a median of $167 per square foot across 2 ZIP codes in the three months ending August 2026, and 0 of 2 were seller’s markets.

Population35,8251,642 per sq mi
Median home value$242,500Census, as estimated by owners
Price per sq ft$167Sold homes, 3 months to August 2026
Sold over asking16%Median of 2 ZIP codes

ZIP codes in Salisbury

3 ZIP codes, 1 shared with neighboring towns

Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Salisbury. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology

The Salisbury guide is on the way

We’re writing up Salisbury’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.

  • History
  • What it’s like to live there
  • Getting around
  • Things to do

Are you a local agent who knows Salisbury well? Agents who advertise here will be able to write the guide. Advertise on OfferBacked

Around Salisbury

Distances

Nearest major airportCharlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT)39 miles away
Closer regional airportConcord-Padgett Regional Airport (USA)22 miles away
Nearest city of 250,000+Winston-Salem, NC34 miles away
Nearest city of 1 million+Philadelphia, PA419 miles away

Straight-line distances from the center of Salisbury; driving is longer.

Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Who represents Salisbury

Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.

Population over time

Salisbury had 35,540 residents in the 2020 census, up 34% since 2000.

It’s the 29th largest of 771 towns in North Carolina by population.

Rowan County grew from 31,066 residents in 1900 to 146,875 in 2020.

Salisbury population by census2000: 26,462, 2010: 33,662, 2020: 35,54026,462200033,662201035,5402020

Rowan County, 1900–2020

Rowan County population, 1900 to 20201900: 31,066, 1910: 37,521, 1920: 44,062, 1930: 56,665, 1940: 69,206, 1950: 75,410, 1960: 82,817, 1970: 90,035, 1980: 99,186, 1990: 110,605, 2000: 130,340, 2010: 138,428, 2020: 146,87531K’00’1044K’20’3069K’40’5083K’60’7099K’80’90130K’00’10147K’20

Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).

Weather by month

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.

Average high and low temperature and precipitation by month near SalisburyJan: high 50°F, low 29°F, 3.5 in; Feb: high 54°F, low 32°F, 3 in; Mar: high 62°F, low 38°F, 4.1 in; Apr: high 72°F, low 48°F, 3.7 in; May: high 78°F, low 56°F, 3.4 in; Jun: high 85°F, low 65°F, 4.3 in; Jul: high 88°F, low 69°F, 4.6 in; Aug: high 86°F, low 67°F, 3.7 in; Sep: high 81°F, low 61°F, 3.8 in; Oct: high 72°F, low 48°F, 3 in; Nov: high 61°F, low 37°F, 3.1 in; Dec: high 53°F, low 32°F, 3.5 in50°29°Jan3.554°32°Feb3.062°38°Mar4.172°48°Apr3.778°56°May3.485°65°Jun4.388°69°Jul4.686°67°Aug3.781°61°Sep3.872°48°Oct3.061°37°Nov3.153°32°Dec3.5Rain and melted snow, inches

Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Salisbury, NC weather station (2 miles away).

Jobs in Rowan County

49,366 jobs at 2,908 businesses in Rowan County. The biggest industries by employees:

Largest industries in Rowan CountyManufacturing: 10,496 jobs; Health care and social assistance: 8,881 jobs; Retail trade: 5,116 jobs; Hotels and restaurants: 4,678 jobs; Transportation and warehousing: 4,059 jobs; Construction: 2,990 jobs; Company headquarters: 2,415 jobs; Administrative and support: 2,391 jobsManufacturing 21% Health care and social assistance 18% Retail trade 10% Hotels and restaurants 10% Transportation and warehousing 8% Construction 6% Company headquarters 5% Administrative and support 5%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).

Health care

1,037 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Salisbury’s ZIP codes.

Nearest hospitals

  • W.G. (Bill) Hefner Salisbury Va Medical Center (Salsbury)VA hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 4 of 5 · Salisbury1.8 miles
  • Novant Health Rowan Medical CenterGeneral hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 4 of 5 · Salisbury2.4 miles
  • Lexington Memorial Hospital INCGeneral hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 2 of 5 · Lexington15.7 miles

Providers with an office here

Primary care doctors81
Specialist doctors176
Dentists49
Nurse practitioners and physician assistants240
Mental health providers334
Physical and occupational therapists114
Optometrists33
Chiropractors10
Pharmacies21

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.

Places in and around Salisbury

Parks (25 nearby)

  • Rowan County Fair · 25 acres2.2 mi
  • Salisbury City Park · 22 acres2.5 mi
  • Town Creek Park · 20 acres1.8 mi
  • Elizabeth Holmes Hurley Mem. Park · 16 acres2.5 mi
  • Jaycee-Optimists Sports Complex · 10 acres1.1 mi
  • Forest Hills Park · 8 acres2.1 mi

Grocery stores (9 nearby)

  • Food Lion0.4 mi
  • Harris Teeter0.8 mi
  • ALDI0.9 mi
  • La Alcancia1.2 mi

Pharmacies (5 nearby)

  • Rite Aid0.5 mi
  • Walgreens0.6 mi
  • The Medicine Shoppe1.9 mi
  • Walgreens2.3 mi

Libraries (1 nearby)

  • Rowan Public Library1.7 mi

Museums (3 nearby)

  • Hall House Museum1.6 mi
  • Utzman-Chambers House1.7 mi
  • Rowan Museum1.9 mi

Theaters and performance venues (1 nearby)

  • Lee Street Theatre2.1 mi

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.

Colleges, teams and notable people

Established in 1763.

Colleges and universities

  • Catawba College

Notable people born here

  • Elizabeth Dole (1936) · American politician
  • Zion Williamson (2000) · American basketball player (born 2000)
  • Sidney Blackmer (1895) · American actor (1895-1973)
  • Lee Slater Overman (1854) · American politician (1854-1930)
  • Mike Evans (1949) · American actor (1949–2006)

Source: Wikidata (wikidata.org), the free knowledge base; people are listed by place of birth.

Schools in Salisbury

Public schools here are run by Rowan-Salisbury Schools. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.

Public schools (15)
SchoolGradesStudentsTypeDistance
Dole ElementarySalisburyPre-K–5388Public4.2 mi
Granite Quarry ElementarySalisburyPre-K–5586Public4.3 mi
Hurley ElementarySalisburyPre-K–5466Public4.5 mi
Isenberg ElementarySalisburyPre-K–5509Public3.1 mi
Knollwood ElementarySalisburyPre-K–5585Public5.1 mi
Koontz ElementarySalisburyPre-K–5554Public2.2 mi
Overton ElementarySalisburyK–5237Public2.7 mi
Summit Virtual AcademySalisburyK–12241Public2.3 mi
Erwin MiddleSalisbury6–8763Public6.0 mi
Henderson HighSalisbury6–1271Alternative Education2.8 mi
Southeast MiddleSalisbury6–8628Public3.4 mi
West Rowan MiddleSalisbury6–8707Public6.3 mi
East Rowan HighSalisbury9–12986Public6.1 mi
Rowan Co Early CollegeSalisbury9–12235Public1.6 mi
Salisbury HighSalisbury9–12930Public1.0 mi
Private schools (8)
SchoolGradesStudentsAffiliationDistance
North Hills Christian SchoolSalisburyPre-K–12485Christian (no specific denomination)3.4 mi
Sacred Heart Catholic SchoolSalisburyPre-K–8182Roman Catholic3.7 mi
Salisbury AcademySalisburyPre-K–11197Nonsectarian2.8 mi
St Johns KindergartenSalisburyPre-K–K12Evangelical Lutheran Church in America1.8 mi
Essie AcademySalisburyK–850Nonsectarian1.7 mi
Salisbury Adventist SchoolSalisburyK–819Seventh-day Adventist2.9 mi
Yadkin Path MontessoriSalisburyK–616Nonsectarian3.4 mi
Nehemiah Enrichment AcademySalisbury2–109Christian (no specific denomination)3.6 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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Towns near Salisbury

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Shares ZIP codes with Granite Quarry, Spencer, East Spencer and Faith.

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.