Country United States Time zone EST Area 4,315 km² | State North Carolina Area code(s) 704,828 | |
 | ||
Principal cities - Hickory
- Lenoir
- Morganton Elevation 305-2,560 ft (93-780 m) | ||
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.
Contents
- Counties
- Anchor city
- Principal cities
- Suburban cities over 5000 in population
- Suburban towns and cities under 5000 in population
- Unincorporated communities
- Mass transit
- Roads
- Air
- Rail
- Higher education
- Demographics
- References
The Census Bureau has also defined a larger Hickory–Lenoir Combined Statistical Area that includes the Unifour and the Marion, NC μSA of McDowell County.
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).
Counties
Anchor city
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)
Unincorporated communities
(2010 Census figures)
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.
Higher education
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.