Jobs, pay and daily life in Morganton, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Morganton is a city in North Carolina with 17,646 residents. The median household earns $51,355 a year and the median rent is $944 a month, which is 22.1% of the median household income. It is part of the Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC metropolitan area, where BLS counts 154,090 jobs.
How Morganton compares. Among the 100 largest places in North Carolina, Morganton is #62 by population, #12 for long commutes (#1 = fewest), #17 for rent (#1 = cheapest), #80 for household income (#1 = highest). Its county, Burke County, is #48 of 100 counties for average pay ($48,986).
Morganton has 17,646 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.2% of the population of North Carolina. It covers 19 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 918 people per square mile. The median age is 37.8, 3% younger than the state median (37.8 against 39.1).
The median gross rent is $944 a month (rent plus utilities), 23% below the state median ($944 against $1,228). Over a year that is 22.1% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $221,700, which is 4.3 times the median household income ($51,355). 54.7% of households own their home, 18% below the state average (54.7% against 66.6%).
The Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC metropolitan area has 154,090 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $45,220 a year, 11% below the national median ($45,220 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are production (27,410 jobs, median $45,450); transportation and material moving (17,290 jobs, median $41,290); office and administrative support (15,540 jobs, median $43,110). The area is most specialised in production (3.2 times) and transportation and material moving (1.3 times), where the share of workers is well above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are management ($103,700) and healthcare practitioners and technical ($78,990). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Burke County was 2.9%. 56.4% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Burke County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 75.6% drive alone, 0.0% use public transit, 0.4% walk, 8.1% work from home. 6.9% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 50% below the state average (6.9% against 13.9%).
26.1% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 27% below the state share (26.1% against 35.6%). 10.6% of residents were born outside the United States, 17% above the state share (10.6% against 9.1%). The poverty rate is 25.7%, 98% above the state rate (25.7% against 13.0%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 77°F (25.1°C), and the coolest is Jan at 37°F (2.6°C). About 1,296 mm (51 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Jul is the wettest month (126 mm) and Feb the driest (88 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Lenoir (15 miles, rent 30% lower); Hickory (21 miles, rent 13% higher); Newton (27 miles, rent 16% higher); Lincolnton (32 miles, similar rent). Rent differences are against Morganton; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in North Carolina (496) →State guide: North CarolinaCountry guideBurke CountyNorth Carolina rankings
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There are 496 federal postings open in North Carolina (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
Open federal jobs in North Carolina →
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 4,850 | 1.66 | $40,240 | $30,520 | $47,590 | +0% |
| Retail Salespersons | 4,000 | 1.04 | $30,520 | $22,500 | $45,700 | -14% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 3,500 | 1.25 | $38,130 | $29,460 | $49,580 | +2% |
| Cashiers | 3,470 | 1.13 | $27,570 | $22,150 | $34,530 | -16% |
| Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators | 3,190 | 2.29 | $42,770 | $30,710 | $57,650 | -4% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 3,050 | 1.49 | $57,460 | $40,640 | $78,410 | -2% |
| Registered Nurses | 3,020 | 0.90 | $80,060 | $66,020 | $100,990 | -18% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 2,930 | 0.77 | $27,580 | $21,340 | $36,170 | -12% |
| Nursing Assistants | 2,780 | 1.94 | $37,430 | $31,240 | $44,860 | -11% |
| Cooks, Fast Food | 2,650 | 4.16 | $27,550 | $21,810 | $34,310 | -11% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 2,250 | 0.87 | $37,790 | $28,770 | $55,210 | -16% |
| Office Clerks, General | 2,060 | 0.84 | $40,340 | $27,610 | $56,820 | -10% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 2,040 | 0.48 | $30,490 | $23,570 | $37,380 | -15% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 2,000 | 0.89 | $29,310 | $16,170 | $57,830 | -17% |
| Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants | 1,790 | 1.87 | $38,380 | $33,920 | $48,660 | -16% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers | 1,760 | 2.64 | $64,910 | $45,850 | $95,570 | -13% |
| General and Operations Managers | 1,750 | 0.50 | $95,640 | $45,060 | $219,920 | -10% |
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products | 1,730 | 1.41 | $67,150 | $37,430 | $131,870 | -7% |
| Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers | 1,710 | 2.88 | $43,140 | $35,350 | $58,300 | -11% |
| Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks | 1,570 | 1.15 | $45,130 | $31,530 | $61,380 | -11% |
These figures are for the whole Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $45,220 (US $50,980); unemployment 3.0% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 26.0% |
| Manufacturing | 19.7% |
| Retail trade | 11.2% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 9.0% |
| Other services | 6.7% |
| Construction | 5.9% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 5.7% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 4.5% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 3.8% |
| Public administration | 3.6% |
| Information | 1.9% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 1.3% |
| Wholesale trade | 0.7% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Morganton lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burke County | 87,795 | $3,724 million | $42,421 | 29,553 | 1,725 | $48,986 | +0.2% | 2.9% | 38,209 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 7,515 | 32.8% | $53,751 | 3.10 |
| Health care and social assistance | 4,591 | 20.0% | $64,669 | 1.08 |
| Retail trade | 3,006 | 13.1% | $31,700 | 1.02 |
| Accommodation and food services | 2,899 | 12.7% | $20,003 | 1.08 |
| Administrative and waste services | 1,355 | 5.9% | $35,463 | 0.78 |
| Construction | 810 | 3.5% | $54,539 | 0.52 |
| Wholesale trade | 567 | 2.5% | $64,106 | 0.49 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 504 | 2.2% | $39,259 | 0.57 |
| Professional and technical services | 409 | 1.8% | $60,791 | 0.20 |
| Finance and insurance | 357 | 1.6% | $67,498 | 0.30 |
| Educational services | 241 | 1.1% | $34,785 | 0.39 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 194 | 0.8% | $27,291 | 0.39 |
| Real estate and rental | 150 | 0.7% | $64,236 | 0.33 |
| Information | 119 | 0.5% | $57,657 | 0.21 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 88 | 0.4% | $56,074 | 0.07 |
| Utilities | 54 | 0.2% | $90,551 | 0.48 |
| Management of companies | 45 | 0.2% | $102,095 | 0.09 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 75.6% |
| Public transit | 0.0% |
| Walk | 0.4% |
| Work from home | 8.1% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 6.9% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $51,355 |
| Income per person | $29,317 |
| Median gross rent per month | $944 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 22.1% |
| Median home value | $221,700 |
| Homeowners | 54.7% |
| Poverty rate | 25.7% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 88.5 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $45,220 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Flat 3.99%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 37.8 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 81.2% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 26.1% |
| Born abroad | 10.6% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 56.4% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2.6 | 37 | 91 |
| Feb | 4.4 | 40 | 88 |
| Mar | 8.8 | 48 | 102 |
| Apr | 14.0 | 57 | 108 |
| May | 18.8 | 66 | 116 |
| Jun | 23.3 | 74 | 115 |
| Jul | 25.1 | 77 | 126 |
| Aug | 24.6 | 76 | 121 |
| Sep | 20.9 | 70 | 116 |
| Oct | 14.8 | 59 | 97 |
| Nov | 8.7 | 48 | 99 |
| Dec | 4.6 | 40 | 117 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lenoir | NC | 15 mi | 18,299 | $49,910 | $664 |
| Hickory | NC | 21 mi | 44,258 | $64,576 | $1,063 |
| Newton | NC | 27 mi | 13,333 | $62,015 | $1,091 |
| Lincolnton | NC | 32 mi | 11,783 | $46,320 | $965 |
| Shelby | NC | 32 mi | 22,100 | $48,376 | $945 |
| Boone | NC | 33 mi | 20,032 | $30,065 | $1,111 |
| Kings Mountain | NC | 40 mi | 12,039 | $49,564 | $959 |
| Lake Norman of Catawba | NC | 41 mi | 9,906 | $112,656 | $1,319 |
| Gastonia | NC | 45 mi | 82,884 | $64,059 | $1,204 |
| Lake Norman of Iredell | NC | 45 mi | 12,494 | $173,542 | $1,327 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
17,646 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$944 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 22.1% of the median household income.
$51,355 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
2.9% (BLS county, Burke County (latest month 2026M09)).
North Carolina. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.