EZ Home Search Guide to Living in Caldwell, NC

Are you looking for a place of unparalleled beauty across all four seasons? How about a place that feels like you’re always on vacation? Come to Caldwell County, North Carolina. Situated in the Blue Ridge Mountain foothills, this southern county is a paradise for sports enthusiasts and artists. 

In Caldwell County, you will find an area rich in history and abundant natural wonders. People come here to vacation and commune with nature. Residents stay busy with numerous outdoor activities, festivals, music concerts, unique shopping, and other events throughout the year.

Explore Caldwell County to see why this is a great place for you to live. 

About Caldwell County

Caldwell County lies in the Blue Ridge Mountain foothills around 69 miles northwest of Charlotte and 84 miles southwest of Winston-Salem. It is surrounded by Watauga, Wilkes, Alexander, Catawba, Burke, and Avery counties.

Residents enjoy breathtaking vistas, with elevations ranging from 900 feet to around a mile. The Blue Ridge peaks lie to the north. The Yadkin, Johns, and Catawba Rivers flow through and around these hills, carving canyons and rapids along the way. 

While the climate can vary depending on whether you live in the lower southern end or the higher northern area, you generally enjoy a pleasant four-season climate. The high temperatures reach 90F degrees in July and 54F degrees in January. The rainiest months are from May to July. 

The Best Places Cost of Living Index places the US average at 100. Catawba County has an overall 86.4 score. The most expensive category was health care, and the least expensive was housing. 

Residents of Caldwell County live near other major towns in the Appalachian region, such as Hickory, Morganton, and Boone. 

Caldwell County History

Caldwell County was originally formed from parts of Burke and Wilkes counties in January 1841. It was named after Dr. Joseph Caldwell, a former president of the University of North Carolina and advocate for a public school system.

One of the earliest settlements was near modern-day Lenoir and was known as Tucker’s Barn. The community was settled by a family named Tucker around 1765, and it became a gathering place for many occasions. It was a voting precinct, a store, and a celebration ground. It was so popular that a violin piece was composed about Tucker’s Barn.

When the area was designated as the new county seat, it was renamed in honor of General William Lenoir. The General built his home on the former Fort Defiance in the Happy Valley Community off Highway 268. The land was a former Revolutionary War Fort that protected pioneers from early Native American attacks in the area.

Caldwell County Cities and Areas

Lenoir is the county seat and largest municipality in Caldwell County. A large section of the town is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Courtney Warehouse still stands today after being constructed in 1888.

Sawmills was named after the many sawmills that supplied the local furniture plants. As the second-largest town by population, it lies between Hudson and Granite Falls. It is located on Lake Rhodhiss and is a place for residential lakeside living. 

Granite Falls was established in 1899 in southern Caldwell County. It is partly located on Lake Hickory and has benefited from residential spillover in nearby Catawba County. It is named for the local falls and giant granite boulders on Gunpowder Creek. The Bank of Granite has been called by investor Warren Buffett the “Best Run Bank in the United States.”

Hudson was incorporated in 1905. Originally a lumber community, it is home to many of the county’s major industrial employers and the Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute. The downtown area has a mixture of small-town businesses. The Hudson Uptown building is a renovated school building and a favorite place for community events.

Gamewell is midway between Lenoir and Morganton on North Carolina Highway 18. It is primarily a residential area and benefits from its quick drive to The Pisgah National Forest. Here you’ll find some new residential developments, condominiums, and affordable real estate.

Rhodhiss is a small community that straddles Caldwell and Burke counties. It is also alongside the Catawba River, just below Duke Energy’s Rhodhiss Dam. Here you can find many lakeside homes and a community park. 

Other towns located inside Caldwell County include Cajah’s Mountain and Cedar Rock.

Caldwell County Job Market

Caldwell County is part of the Hickory-Lenoir-Morgantown MSA. In October 2021, the area had a 3.4% unemployment rate. Manufacturing, government, and trade and transportation are leading employing industries. The area is known as a manufacturing hub.

Businesses are attracted to the area because it is considered one of the least expensive business climates. Site Selection magazine ranked North Carolina as having the third-best business climate in the United States.

The leading employers by the number of workers are Caldwell County Schools, Merchants Distributors, Bernhardt Furniture Company, NCHealth, Walmart, Caldwell County, Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute, Sealed Air, Fairfield Chair Co, and Skilled Creations.

The average travel time to work for Caldwell residents from 2015 to 2019 was 25 minutes. 

Caldwell County Real Estate Market

A range of housing is available to you in Caldwell County, from lakeside living to affordable condo residences. Lenoir has been designated a RetireNC Certified Community. 

Looking at real estate market data for September 2021, Caldwell County had a median sales price of $225,000, up 16.3% year-over-year. Homes were on the market an average of 20 days until sale. The month’s supply of inventory stood at one month, which was a 41% drop from September 2020.  

Looking at year-to-date data, the median sales price was up 21% while the days on market until sale was down. The number of listings was up both year-to-date and year-over-year. 

Historically, housing prices in Caldwell County have been relatively stable. They began rising around 2018 with a sharper push upward beginning mid-2020. 

Looking closer at the community of Lenoir, the median sales price was $172,045. This was actually a 14.8% decrease from September 2020. The number of new listings was up slightly, but the days on the market until sale remained low at 26. Lenoir had a 1.2 month’ supply of inventory, which was also down YOY.  

Caldwell residents paid a 0.63 property tax rate. Housing values were re-evaluated in 2021 and are scheduled to be assessed again in 2029. 

Caldwell County Population

Caldwell County had 80,652 residents in the April 2020 Census. The population decreased from the 2010 Census when just over 83,000 residents called the area home. The county is primarily urban, with only 34% of residents living in a rural area. 

The average age of a resident was approximately 45 years old in 2019. The age bracket with the most residents was the 0-19 demographic, followed by the over-65 group.

Demographically, around 87% of residents identified as white alone. Approximately 6% identified as Hispanic or Latino and 5% identified as African American.

At least 16% of residents aged 25 and over had a bachelor’s degree. The median household income was $44,511 in 2019.

Caldwell County Education

The Caldwell County School System offers PreK-12 education to around 11,000 students living in the area. It operates six high schools, three of which are traditional high schools, two innovative high schools, and one alternative school. In addition, there are 12 elementary schools, four grades 6-8 middle schools, and three K-8 schools. 

The school system also offers summer programs in STEM exploration and academic intervention. There is also an after-care wraparound program for students in grades K-8 at 12 different schools.

The Caldwell Community College and Technical institution offers career training and associate degrees for higher education. It has 75 curriculum programs and includes adult education programs. The Caldwell campus is the site of the Caldwell Early College High School and the Caldwell Career Center Middle College, which provides high school students with access to college courses and career training. The Caldwell campus is located in Hudson.

Caldwell County Health Care

Caldwell UNC Health Care Is a full-service community medical center located in Lenoir. The hospital has a 110-bed acute care facility. It is equipped to handle a 24-hour emergency department, heart and coronavirus killer care, oncology, orthopedic surgery, neonatal care, diagnostic, and outpatient services. Its associated divisions also have primary and specialty physician practices located countywide.

The Caldwell County Health Department offers men’s and women’s care programs. You can seek care for physical exams, family planning, immunizations, and prenatal appointments. 

Caldwell County Things to Do 

Modern Caldwell County is a thriving area for arts and culture. It has one of the largest collections of permanent public outdoor sculptures compared to other communities of its size. The downtown Sculpture Trail is a gallery in motion, with new sculptures being added all the time.

You have ample choices when it comes to things to do outside. Participate in canoeing, kayaking, watersports, and waterfall hikes. If you enjoy bicycling, you have road and mountain trails. Visit areas for ATV and off-road driving. Head out hiking, horseback riding, or camping for a slower pace. Find land for hunting and rivers for fishing.

If you enjoy fishing, you are in a great place. There are over 40 lakes and over 3,000 rivers and streams. Residents have 400 public locations for fishing. Lake Rhodhiss is known for some huge fish, particularly striped bass. Try Cove Creek, Wilson Creek, and Andrews Creek for fly fishing.

Golfers have several golf clubs. The Cedar Rock Country Club is a private institution with a 7153 yd Ellis Maple designed course. The National Lefty/Righty Tournament brings golfers from around the United States. The Lenoir Golf Club is a semi-public course that mixes up characteristics from Donald Ross with views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. 

Caldwell County has ample events and festivals that take place throughout the year. Two popular events are the Blackberry Festival and the Butterfly Festival. The Blackberry Festival in downtown Lenoir has cobbler eating contests, 5K runs, live music, beauty pageants, a parade, and more family-friendly fun.

Caldwell County Local Attractions

The Lenoir Greenway is over nine miles of path and trails for outdoor activities. The individual sections include the T.H. Broyhill Walking Park, the Zacks Fork Bike Trail, and the greenway on Morganton Boulevard. 

Historic Walker Stadium is a few blocks from downtown Lenoir. It is named after two local brothers who coached for the Chicago Cubs and the Dodgers. Today the Caldwell Community College Cobras men’s baseball team plays here.

Tri-County Motor Speedway is a 0.4-mile banked asphalt track and a designated NASCAR Home Track facility. It has been a proving ground for many rising NASCAR talents. In season, expect weekly racing on Friday nights. 

Caldwell Heritage Museum is in the former auditorium and music building of the defunct Davenport College. Exhibits span from the pre-colonial days through the present. The Museum preserves information about the establishment of Caldwell County.

Fort Defiance was Revolutionary War Hero William Lenoir’s 18th century home. The fort is no longer in existence, as he actually built the residence on the former site. Fort Defiance was erected to protect early settlers. The home has been restored to its late-18th century grandeur with 300 original furnishings, textiles, and artifacts.

Historic Happy Valley is a region along NC Highway 268 and the upper Yadkin River from the mountains to the Piedmont foothills. As you drive through this farming region, you will see the river valley dotted with historic homes and old barns. Happy Valley has several cultural stops, such as the Chapel of Rest, the Patterson School, Laura Foster’s grave, the Whippoorwill Academy and Village, and Fort Defiance. 

One unique place in Lenoir is the Hog Waller Market. Its roots go back to the early 1800s when it was a large, open-air market where people from all over came for local produce, homemade crafts, and other merchandise. The market became a place for social activity and entertainment. 

Caldwell County Dining

Caldwell County has various dining options available. Lenoir has the most choices. The classics include barbecue and southern cooking, but find American favorites like burgers, pizza, and Mexican Cuisine. Other restaurants serve Cuban and El Salvadorian food.

If you’re into the craft brewing scene, check out Liquid Roots Brewing Project, which has local beer, wine, and in-house roasted coffee. The Granite Falls Brewing Company is to the south. MoonJoy Meadery converts honey into a fermented mead. 

Caldwell County Shopping

This region is part of the famous “20 Miles of Furniture.” Along this stretch of road, find various outlets and retail stores that carry over 400 lines of furniture. Options include Kincaid, Thomasville, Broyhill, but shoppers can discover lesser-known companies with top-quality furnishings. Look for special furniture markets held in the spring and the fall.

Surrounding Lenoir are charming downtown boutiques and small businesses. Caldwell has five art galleries with local and regional artists.

Living in Caldwell County, NC

Many people come to Caldwell County because they fall in love with the lifestyle. Here you have deep roots, many festivals and events, and ample outdoor recreation opportunities. It’s paired with an affordable cost of living and economic opportunities. Not only do you have abundant things to do in your Caldwell County backyard, but you’re a short drive from the mountains or the cities.