Best Places28023, NC Best Neighborhoods
2026–2027 edition · Data updated July 2026
Every neighborhood inside ZIP code 28023, scored on 40 measures of daily life and ranked to fit what matters to you. This page is for people who live here or already know they want to. To work out which city fits you best, start with the best places to live tool.
28023 ranks 15,519th of 33,110 U.S. zip codes on the BestNeighborhood index. It scores highest on state finances by a wide margin, and an overheated housing market is the weak spot.
The best neighborhoods in 28023
BestNeighborhood is the only ranking that scores 40 measures of daily life neighborhood by neighborhood and lets you re-weight every one of them yourself.
28023's strengths and weaknesses
Where 28023 ranks high
- State fiscal healthBetter than 91% of zip codes
- Cheap car insuranceBetter than 86% of zip codes
- Disaster safetyBetter than 76% of zip codes
- Local economyBetter than 74% of zip codes
- Tree shadeBetter than 73% of zip codes
Where 28023 ranks low
- Housing crash safetyBetter than only 20% of zip codes
- Educational attainmentBetter than only 22% of zip codes
- Household income$64,366 median, better than only 32% of zip codes
- QuietBetter than only 33% of zip codes
- Cost of living vs incomeBetter than only 34% of zip codes
What it costs to buy a home in 28023
A household needs to earn about $60,000 a year to comfortably buy the median 28023 home, at 20% down and today's 30-year rate. That is below the area's own median income of $64,366, so a typical household can afford the median home outright.
Where the monthly payment goes
Assumes a 20% down payment, a 6.6% 30-year fixed rate, and a 28% share of income going to the payment. The rate is the 2026-07-23 30-year fixed average, series MORTGAGE30US from the St. Louis Fed, which publishes Freddie Mac's weekly survey. Against the median home value, property tax uses 28023's effective rate of 0.69%, and insurance is estimated at 0.4% of home value a year.
Renting versus buying
At today's prices, buying tends to cost more than renting for about the first 8 years, then pulls ahead as rent keeps rising and the mortgage builds equity. The chart tracks the running cost of each.
Who lives in 28023
28023's age mix sits close to the national median.
Residents by age
Racial and ethnic makeup has its own map. See the race and diversity map for 28023.
Who works in 28023, and how
Work in 28023 centers on retail trade and health care & social. Unemployment is low, and jobs are growing.
Largest industries
How people get to work
- Drive or carpool 90%
- Work from home 8%
- Transit, walk, or bike 2%
Life in 28023
The map and measures below break down dining, culture, and green space by neighborhood across 28023.
What the weather is like in 28023, month by month
28023 sees roughly 78 pleasant days a year. July highs average about 89 degrees. January highs sit near 50, with lows near 31. The comfortable stretch runs April through June and August through October.
Show the monthly temperatures
| Month | Avg high | Avg | Avg low |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 50° | 40° | 31° |
| April | 72° | 60° | 49° |
| July | 89° | 77° | 69° |
| October | 73° | 60° | 50° |
Flying in and out of 28023
The nearest airport, Concord-Padgett Regional, is about 14 miles away and is a small airport. The nearest major hub is Charlotte/Douglas International, about 32 miles away.
The best schools in and around 28023
Schools across 28023 average a B, better than 69% of zip codes.
Top elementary schools
- Bostian ElementaryA− · 58% proficient
- Millbridge ElementaryB+ · 50% proficient
- Landis ElementaryB · 50% proficient
Top middle schools
- China Grove MiddleB− · 40% proficient
- Southeast MiddleC+ · 39% proficient
- West Rowan MiddleC+ · 36% proficient
Top high schools
- Rowan Co Early CollegeA− · 65% proficient
- Carson HighB+ · 58% proficient
- South Rowan HighC · 33% proficient
Grades come from K-12 test scores, with scores projected for schools missing data. See every 28023 school and its grade on SchoolGrade.
28023 measure by measure
Cards are ordered by how much each measure matters to you, so the ones you weighted highest come first. Expand to see every measure. Percentages compare 28023 against the other 33,109 zip codes.
Common questions about living in 28023
Is 28023 a good place to live?
Using BestNeighborhood's default rankings, 28023 ranks 15,519th of 33,110 zip codes. It scores highest on state finances, cheap car insurance, and low disaster risk, and lowest on an overheated housing market and education levels. How good it is for you depends on which of those you weight most, which the map lets you set.
Is 28023 expensive to live in?
The median home is worth $234,145. The overall cost of living runs about 14% below the national average. Set against a $64,366 median income, cost of living beats 34% of zip codes.
Is 28023 safe?
Yes, 28023 is safer than 60% of zip codes. Safety varies a lot by neighborhood. Crime costs an estimated $317 per resident a year.
Compare 28023 with other zip codes
Sources and methodology
Every measure on this page is scored for each neighborhood, then rolled up to 28023. Scores are absolute rather than ranked, which means a 60 in 28023 represents the same real quantity as a 60 anywhere else, and the ranking is a weighted average of those absolutes. The map colors come from a national scale calibrated against a population weighted random sample of 5,000 neighborhoods. That absolute scoring is what no other places-to-live ranking does: it puts a single neighborhood, a town, a metro, and a state on one scale, so the same 40 measures answer both which metro to move to and which street inside it to buy on. Read the full methodology.
28023 detail on BestNeighborhood maps:
- Walk Grade for 28023: walkability, transit, and biking, measured on the real street network rather than by straight line distance.
- Noise in 28023: road, rail, and aviation sound modeling calibrated against federal ground truth measurements.
- Conservative vs liberal map of 28023: precinct level election results apportioned to neighborhoods.
- Mobile and cell coverage in 28023: carrier by carrier coverage behind the cell score.
28023 detail on related sites:
- CrimeGrade: neighborhood crime rates behind the crime safety score.
- ISPreports.org: provider by provider internet availability and advertised speeds.
- CoverageWatch: the car insurance premiums behind the cheap car insurance score.
Federal and public data:
- U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey: income, home value, rent, vacancy, commute time and mode, educational attainment, home age, age structure, household type, industry, and race.
- NOAA Global Surface Summary of the Day: the daily station record behind the monthly temperatures and the pleasant-day count.
- FAA Passenger Boarding Data: airport size and annual passenger counts.
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey: the 30-year fixed rate used in the cost-to-buy estimate.
- FBI Crime Data Explorer: reported offenses behind the tangible crime cost estimate.
- U.S. EPA Air Quality System: five year average air quality index.
- FEMA National Risk Index: expected annual loss from natural hazards.
- CDC PLACES: disease burden, preventable risk, and barriers to care.
- National Center for Education Statistics: school enrollment and assessment inputs behind the school grade.
- FCC National Broadband Map: internet and wireless availability.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: employment and job growth behind the local economy score.
- Religious activity uses a proprietary religious signal measurement.
Your priorities
Move a slider to say how much a measure matters. Zero turns it off.