The Hickory–Lenoir–Morganton, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, is an area consisting of four counties in North Carolina; Catawba, Burke, Caldwell, and Alexander. It is located in the Catawba Valley region of Western North Carolina. Locally, the metropolitan area is sometimes referred to as the Unifour.
The OMB includes the Unifour in the larger Charlotte–Concord, NC-SC Combined Statistical Area.
The 2020 census gives the MSA's population as 365,276, with a July 1, 2025, estimate placing the population at 376,890.
Area
Counties CountySeat2025 estimate2020 CensusChangeAreaDensityCatawbaNewtonBurkeMorgantonCaldwellLenoirAlexanderTaylorsvilleTotal
Anchor city Hickory Catawba/Burke/Caldwell 43,490
Principal cities Lenoir Caldwell 18,352 Morganton Burke 17,474
Suburban towns and cities over 5,000 in population (Including county and 2020 U.S. census population) Conover Catawba 8,421 Long View Catawba & Burke 5,088 Newton Catawba 13,148 Sawmills Caldwell 5,020
Suburban towns and cities under 5,000 in population (Including county and 2020 U.S. census population) Blowing Rock Caldwell & Watauga 1,376 Brookford Catawba 442 Catawba Catawba 702 Cedar Rock Caldwell 301 Claremont Catawba 1,692 Connelly Springs Burke 1,529 Drexel Burke 1,760 Gamewell Caldwell 3,702 Glen Alpine Burke 1,529 Granite Falls Caldwell 4,965 Hildebran Burke 1,679 Hudson Caldwell 3,780 Maiden Catawba & Lincoln 3,736 Rhodhiss Burke & Caldwell 997 Rutherford College Burke 1,226 Taylorsville Alexander 2,320 Valdese Burke 4,689
Unincorporated communities (Including county and 2020 U.S. census population) Bethlehem Alexander 4,491 Collettsville Caldwell Hiddenite Alexander 507 Icard Burke 2,452 Lake Norman of Catawba Catawba 11,395 Mountain View Catawba 3,590 Northlakes Caldwell 1,543 Petersburg Burke Salem Burke 2,356 Stony Point Alexander 1,146 St. Stephens Catawba 8,852 Sherrills Ford Catawba Terrell Catawba
Transportation
Mass transit Greenway Public Transportation offers bus service to the cities of Conover, Hickory, Morganton, and Newton.
Roads The Hickory region is served by Interstate 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 US 321 (through Catawba and Caldwell Counties).
Primary state routes include NC 10, NC 16, NC 18, NC 90, NC 127, and NC 150.
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.Infrastructure , Caldwell County Economic Development Commission (retrieved 16 June 2014)
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 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