Hickory–Lenoir–Morganton metropolitan area

{{Infobox settlement | name = Hickory Metro (The Unifour) | official_name = Hickory–Lenoir–Morganton, NC<br>Metropolitan Statistical Area | settlement_type = [[Metropolitan Statistical Area]] | image_skyline = US-NC-Hickory Union Square.JPG | image_alt = | imagesize = 300px | image_caption = Union Square in Downtown Hickory | image_map = {{maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|frame-align=center|frame-width=290|frame-height=240|zoom=8|frame-coord={{coord|35.8500|-81.4200}} | type1=shape|id1=Q497830|title1=Anson County, NC|stroke-color1=#D3B683|stroke-width1=0.5|fill1=#D3B683|fill-opacity1=0.4 | type2=shape|id2=Q176307|title2=Cabarrus County, NC|stroke-color2=#D3B683|stroke-width2=0.5|fill2=#D3B683|fill-opacity2=0.4 | type3=shape|id3=Q511849|title3=Gaston County, NC|stroke-color3=#D3B683|stroke-width3=0.5|fill3=#D3B683|fill-opacity3=0.4 | type4=shape|id4=Q502875|title4=Iredell County, NC|stroke-color4=#D3B683|stroke-width4=0.5|fill4=#D3B683|fill-opacity4=0.4 | 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NC|stroke-color12=#156000|stroke-width12=0.5|fill12=#156000|fill-opacity12=0.4 | type13=shape|id13=Q504366|title13=Burke County, NC|stroke-color13=#156000|stroke-width13=0.5|fill13=#156000|fill-opacity13=0.4 | type14=shape|id14=Q497908|title14=Caldwell County, NC|stroke-color14=#156000|stroke-width14=0.5|fill14=#156000|fill-opacity14=0.4 | type15=shape|id15=Q502483|title15=Catawba County, NC|stroke-color15=#156000|stroke-width15=0.5|fill15=#156000|fill-opacity15=0.4 | type16=shape|id16=Q511691|title16=Cleveland County, NC|stroke-color16=#D3B683|stroke-width16=0.5|fill16=#D3B683|fill-opacity16=0.4 | type17=shape|id17=Q507798|title17=Stanly County, NC|stroke-color17=#D3B683|stroke-width17=0.5|fill17=#D3B683|fill-opacity17=0.4 | type18=shape|id18=Q507811|title18=McDowell County|stroke-color18=#D3B683|stroke-width18=0.5|fill18=#D3B683|fill-opacity18=0.4 | type19=shape|id19=Q2028564|title19=City of Hickory|stroke-color19=#0003FF|stroke-width19=0.5|fill19=#0003FF|fill-opacity19=0.4 | type20=shape|id20=Q2028342|title20=City of Lenoir|stroke-color20=#BD000A|stroke-width20=0.5|fill20=#BD000A|fill-opacity20=0.4 | type21=shape|id21=Q1021031|title21=City of Morganton|stroke-color21=#800080|stroke-width21=0.5|fill21=#800080|fill-opacity21=0.4 }} | map_alt = Map of Hickory–Lenoir–Morganton Metropolitan Area | map_caption = Interactive Map of the Hickory–Lenoir–Morganton, NC [[Metropolitan Statistical Area|MSA]], also known as '''The Unifour'''. {{Col-begin}} {{Col-break}} {{leftlegend|#0003FF|[[Hickory, North Carolina|City of Hickory]]}} {{leftlegend|#BD000A|[[Lenoir, North Carolina|City of Lenoir]]}} {{leftlegend|#800080|[[Morganton, North Carolina|City of Morganton]]}} {{leftlegend|#209300|Hickory–Lenoir–Morganton, NC MSA}} {{leftlegend|#D3B683|Other Counties in the Charlotte–Concord, NC–SC [[Combined Statistical Area|CSA]]}} {{Col-end}} | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = [[File:Flag of the United States.svg|23px]] [[United States]] | subdivision_type1 = State | subdivision_name1 = [[File:Flag of North Carolina.svg|23px]] [[North Carolina]] | subdivision_type2 = | subdivision_name2 = | subdivision_type3 = Principal cities | subdivision_name3=  - [[Hickory, North Carolina|Hickory]]<br /> - [[Lenoir, North Carolina|Lenoir]]<br /> - [[Morganton, North Carolina|Morganton]]| | subdivision_type4 = | subdivision_name4 = | area_magnitude = | unit_pref = US | area_footnotes = | area_total_km2 = | area_land_km2 = | area_water_km2 = | area_total_sq_mi = 1666 | area_land_sq_mi = 1637.72 | area_water_sq_mi = 34.28 | area_water_percent = | area_urban_km2 = | area_urban_sq_mi = 116.174 | area_blank1_title = | area_blank1_ mi2 = | area_blank2_title = | area_blank2_sq_mi = | population_as_of = 2012 [[Population Estimates Program|census estimate]] | population_footnotes = | population_note = | population_total = | population_density_km2 = | population_density_sq_mi = 220 | population_metro = 365,949 | population_density_metro_km2 = | population_density_metro_sq_mi = | population_urban = 120,656 | population_density_urban_km2 = | population_density_urban_sq_mi = | population_blank1_title = [[Metropolitan Statistical Area|MSA]] | population_blank1 = | population_blank2_title = | population_blank2 = | population_density_blank1_km2 = | population_density_blank1_sq_mi = | demographics_type2 = GDP | demographics2_footnotes = <ref>{{Cite web|title=Total Gross Domestic Product for Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC (MSA) |url=https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/NGMP25860|work=[[Federal Reserve Economic Data]] |publisher=[[Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis]]}}</ref> |demographics2_title1 = Metro |demographics2_info1 = $18.281 billion (2022) | timezone = [[Eastern Time Zone (North America)|EST]] | utc_offset = -5 | timezone_DST = [[Eastern Time Zone (North America)|EDT]] | utc_offset_DST = -4 | elevation_footnotes = | elevation_m = 93-780 | elevation_ft = 686-5920 | postal_code_type = | postal_code = | area_codes = 828, 704 | website =  }}

The '''Hickory–Lenoir–Morganton, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area''', as defined by the [[United States Census Bureau]], is an area consisting of four counties, [[Catawba County, North Carolina|Catawba]], [[Burke County, North Carolina|Burke]], [[Caldwell County, North Carolina|Caldwell]], [[Alexander County, North Carolina|Alexander]]. It is located in the Catawba Valley region of [[Western North Carolina|western]] [[North Carolina]]. Local residents often refer to the area as '''The Unifour''', although this name is largely unknown outside of the region.

The U.S. Census Bureau includes the Unifour in the larger [[Charlotte metropolitan area|Charlotte-Concord, NC Combined Statistical Area]].

The [[United States Census, 2000|2000 census]] gives the MSA's population as 341,851, with a July 1, 2009, estimate placing the population at 365,364.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/popest/metro/tables/2009/CBSA-EST2009-01.csv |title=Table 1. Annual Estimates of the Population of Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2009 (CBSA-EST2009-01) |format=[[comma-separated values|CSV]] |work=2009 Population Estimates |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]], Population Division |date=2010-03-23 |access-date=2010-03-29 |url-status=dead |archive-url=http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20100615175258/http%3A//www%2Ecensus%2Egov/popest/metro/tables/2009/CBSA%2DEST2009%2D01%2Ecsv |archive-date=June 15, 2010 }}</ref>

==Area==

===Counties=== *[[Alexander County, North Carolina|Alexander]] (36,444) *[[Burke County, North Carolina|Burke]] (87,570) *[[Caldwell County, North Carolina|Caldwell]] (80,652) *[[Catawba County, North Carolina|Catawba]] (160,610)

===Anchor city=== *[[Hickory, North Carolina|Hickory]] ''Catawba/Burke/Caldwell'' 43,490

===Principal cities=== *[[Lenoir, North Carolina|Lenoir]] ''Caldwell'' 18,352 *[[Morganton, North Carolina|Morganton]] ''Burke'' 17,474

===Suburban towns and cities over 5,000 in population=== (Including county and 2020 U.S. census population) *[[Conover, North Carolina|Conover]] ''Catawba'' 8,421 *[[Long View, North Carolina|Long View]] ''Catawba & Burke'' 5,088 *[[Newton, North Carolina|Newton]] ''Catawba'' 13,148 *[[Sawmills, North Carolina|Sawmills]] ''Caldwell'' 5,020

===Suburban towns and cities under 5,000 in population=== (Including county and 2020 U.S. census population) *[[Blowing Rock, North Carolina|Blowing Rock]] ''Caldwell & Watauga'' 1,376 *[[Brookford, North Carolina|Brookford]] ''Catawba'' 442 *[[Catawba, North Carolina|Catawba]] ''Catawba'' 702 *[[Cedar Rock, North Carolina|Cedar Rock]] ''Caldwell'' 301 *[[Claremont, North Carolina|Claremont]] ''Catawba'' 1,692 *[[Connelly Springs, North Carolina|Connelly Springs]] ''Burke'' 1,529 *[[Drexel, North Carolina|Drexel]] ''Burke'' 1,760 *[[Gamewell, North Carolina|Gamewell]] ''Caldwell'' 3,702 *[[Glen Alpine, North Carolina|Glen Alpine]] ''Burke'' 1,529 *[[Granite Falls, North Carolina|Granite Falls]] ''Caldwell'' 4,965 *[[Hildebran, North Carolina|Hildebran]] ''Burke'' 1,679 *[[Hudson, North Carolina|Hudson]] ''Caldwell'' 3,780 *[[Maiden, North Carolina|Maiden]] ''Catawba & Lincoln'' 3,736 *[[Rhodhiss, North Carolina|Rhodhiss]] ''Burke & Caldwell'' 997 *[[Rutherford College, North Carolina|Rutherford College]] ''Burke'' 1,226 *[[Taylorsville, North Carolina|Taylorsville]] ''Alexander'' 2,320 *[[Valdese, North Carolina|Valdese]] ''Burke'' 4,689

==Unincorporated communities== (Including county and 2020 U.S. census population) *[[Bethlehem, Alexander County, North Carolina|Bethlehem]] ''Alexander'' 4,491 *[[Collettsville, North Carolina|Collettsville]] ''Caldwell'' *[[Hiddenite, North Carolina|Hiddenite]] ''Alexander'' 507 *[[Icard, North Carolina|Icard]] ''Burke'' 2,452 *[[Lake Norman of Catawba, North Carolina|Lake Norman of Catawba]] ''Catawba'' 11,395 *[[Mountain View, North Carolina|Mountain View]] ''Catawba'' 3,590 *[[Northlakes, North Carolina|Northlakes]] ''Caldwell'' 1,543 *[[Petersburg, Burke County, North Carolina|Petersburg]] ''Burke'' *[[Salem, North Carolina|Salem]] ''Burke'' 2,356 *[[Stony Point, North Carolina|Stony Point]] ''Alexander'' 1,146 *[[St. Stephens, North Carolina|St.Stephens]] ''Catawba'' 8,852 *[[Sherrills Ford, North Carolina|Sherrills Ford]] ''Catawba'' *[[Terrell, North Carolina|Terrell]] ''Catawba''

==Transportation==

===Mass transit=== Greenway Public Transportation offers bus service to the cities of [[Conover, North Carolina|Conover]], [[Hickory, North Carolina|Hickory]], [[Morganton, North Carolina|Morganton]], and [[Newton, North Carolina|Newton]].

===Roads=== The Hickory region is served by [[Interstate 40]] which passes through the center of [[Catawba County, North Carolina|Catawba]] and [[Burke County, North Carolina|Burke]] counties.

Other important US highways in the region include: [[U.S. Route 70 in North Carolina|US 70]] (east to [[Morehead City, North Carolina|Morehead City]], west to [[Asheville, North Carolina|Asheville]]), and [[U.S. Route 321|US 321]] (through Catawba and [[Caldwell County, North Carolina|Caldwell]] Counties).

===Air=== The region's primary general aviation airport is [[Hickory Regional Airport]]. The closest commercial airports are [[Charlotte-Douglas International Airport]] and [[Asheville Regional Airport]].

===Rail=== With 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.<ref>[http://www.caldwelledc.org/business-advantages/infrastructure/ Infrastructure] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140826115548/http://www.caldwelledc.org/business-advantages/infrastructure/ |date=2014-08-26 }}, Caldwell County Economic Development Commission (retrieved 16 June 2014)</ref>

==Higher education== *[[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== As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=2008-01-31|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref> 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 (U.S. Census)|White]], 6.91% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.25% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 2.31% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.08% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 1.95% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 1.02% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|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== *[[North Carolina census statistical areas]] *[[List of cities, towns, and villages in North Carolina]] *[[List of unincorporated communities in North Carolina]]

==References== {{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Unifour}} [[Category:Hickory–Lenoir–Morganton metropolitan area| ]] [[Category:Geography of Alexander County, North Carolina]] [[Category:Geography of Burke County, North Carolina]] [[Category:Geography of Caldwell County, North Carolina]] [[Category:Geography of Catawba County, North Carolina]] [[Category:Metropolitan areas of North Carolina]]