The Unifour
The Hickory–Lenoir–Morganton Metropolitan Statistical Area or "The Unifour", as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of four counties 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 | |
---|---|
MSA | |
Hickory–Lenoir–Morganton Metropolitan Statistical Area | |
Country | United States |
State | North Carolina |
Principal cities |
- Hickory - Lenoir - Morganton |
Area | |
• MSA | 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) |
Elevation | 305-2,560 ft (93-780 m) |
Population (2012 Census estimate) | |
• Density | 220/sq mi (80/km2) |
• Urban | 120,656 |
• Metro | 365,949 |
Time zone | EST |
• Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC) |
Area code(s) | 704,828 |
As of the 2000 census, the MSA had a population of 341,851 (though a July 1, 2009 estimate placed the population at 365,364).[1]
Area
Counties
Anchor city
- Hickory Catawba/Burke/Caldwell 40,361
Principal cities
Suburban cities over 5,000 in population
(Including county and 2010 census bureau population)
Suburban towns and cities under 5,000 in population
(Including county and 2010 census bureau population)
- Blowing Rock Caldwell & Watauga 1,192
- Brookford Catawba 382
- Catawba Catawba 603
- Cedar Rock Caldwell 300
- Claremont Catawba 1,352
- Connelly Springs Burke 1,669
- Drexel Burke 1,858
- Gamewell Caldwell 4,051
- Glen Alpine Burke 1,517
- Granite Falls Caldwell 4,722
- Hildebran Burke 2,023
- Hudson Caldwell 3,776
- Long View Catawba & Burke 4,480
- Maiden Catawba & Lincoln 3,327
- Sawmills Caldwell 5,240
- Rhodhiss Burke & Caldwell 1,070
- Rutherford College Burke 1,341
- Taylorsville Alexander 2,098
- Valdese Burke 4,490
Unincorporated communities
(2010 Census figures)
- Bethlehem Alexander 4,214
- Collettsville Caldwell
- Hiddenite Alexander 536
- Icard Burke 2,664
- Lake Norman of Catawba Catawba 4,744
- Mountain View Catawba 3,768
- Petersburg Burke
- Salem Burke 2,218
- Stony Point Alexander 1,317
- St.Stephens Catawba 9,439
- Sherrills Ford Catawba 941
- Terrell Catawba 860
Transportation
Mass transit
Roads
The Hickory region is served by the major interstate highway I-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 Marion), and US 321 (through Catawba, and Caldwell Counties).
Primary state routes include NC 10, NC 16, NC 10, NC 150, NC 18, NC 127, and NC 90.
Air
The county's primary commercial aviation airport is Hickory 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.[2]
Higher education
- Catawba Valley Community College
- Lenoir–Rhyne University
- Appalachian Center at Hickory
- Gardner–Webb University
- Western Piedmont Community College
- Montreat College
- NC Center for Engineering Technologies
- Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute
Demographics
As of the census[3] 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
- North Carolina census statistical areas
- List of cities, towns, and villages in North Carolina
- List of unincorporated communities in North Carolina
References
- ↑ "Table 1. Annual Estimates of the Population of Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2009 (CBSA-EST2009-01)" (CSV). 2009 Population Estimates. United States Census Bureau, Population Division. 2010-03-23. Retrieved 2010-03-29.
- ↑ Infrastructure, Caldwell County Economic Development Commission (retrieved 16 June 2014)
- ↑ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.