Attic Insulation in Burke County, NC

Burke County and Its Homes

Burke County grew 2 percent from 2020 to 2025, to 88,655 people by the Census Bureau's estimate, in about 40,400 housing units.

Its eight incorporated towns each have a page here: Morganton, Valdese, Drexel, Hildebran, Glen Alpine, Connelly Springs, Rutherford College and Rhodhiss. About 35 percent of Burke County's housing units are inside town limits, the rest in unincorporated areas.

White and brick commercial buildings at a downtown street corner in Morganton — Union Street in downtown Morganton, the county seat of Burke County, North Carolina Photo: Warren LeMay, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; cropped and resized

Burke County at a Glance

Population: 88,655 (2025), 87,262 (2020)
Housing units: about 40,400
Median year built: 1980 (North Carolina: 1991)
Built before 1980: 49% (statewide: 34%)
Detached houses: 71%
Mobile homes: 19%
Owner-occupied: 75%
Heated with electricity: 71% (statewide: 65%)
Climate zone: 4 on both maps
Towns with pages here: 8

Census Bureau estimates for Burke County (housing: 2020 to 2024).

Towns and Communities in Burke County

Morganton
17,849 people · median home 1976 · its own electric system
Valdese
4,712 people · median home 1968 · Duke Energy Carolinas
Drexel
1,764 people · its own electric system
Hildebran
1,691 people · Duke Energy Carolinas
Glen Alpine
1,552 people · median home 1971 · power varies by address
Connelly Springs
1,550 people · median home 1987 · Duke Energy Carolinas
Rutherford College
1,220 people · Duke Energy Carolinas
Rhodhiss
996 people · Duke Energy Carolinas
Long View
Catawba County town · about 770 residents in Burke County

Unincorporated communities the Census Bureau maps in Burke County: Salem (about 1,200 housing units) and Icard.

What We Do in Burke County

Attic Insulation in Burke County
Some 49 percent of Burke County housing units predate 1980; joists showing above their insulation mean more blown-in fiberglass is due, R-60 from bare.
Attic Insulation Removal in Burke County
Wet, moldy or animal-soiled insulation comes out of Burke County attics, and a mouse-soiled Burke County attic is sanitized and deodorized; in the 23 percent of homes built before 1960, vermiculite is ruled out first.
Air Sealing in Burke County
Some 71 percent of Burke County homes heat with electricity, often through attic ducts; their joints and the ceiling's gaps are sealed first.

Homes in Burke County

Half of Burke County's 40,400 housing units were built before 1980: 36 percent before 1970, 49 percent before 1980 (nearly all before the state's 1978 insulation rule) and 6 percent in 2010 or later (16 percent statewide). The largest share went up in the 1980s; fiberglass from those years may have settled, so check its depth against the joists. Among Burke County towns, the median home is oldest in Valdese (1968) and newest in Connelly Springs (1987).

Burke County by type: 71 percent detached houses, 9 percent in buildings of two or more homes and 19 percent mobile homes. In Burke County, 71 percent of homes heat with electricity, 11 percent with piped gas (24 percent statewide), 6 percent with tank gas, 7 percent with oil or kerosene (2 percent statewide) and 4 percent with wood.

Burke County Homes by Year Built

Before 1940: about 3,320 units, 8% (±1)
1940s: about 2,400 units, 6% (±1)
1950s: about 3,480 units, 9% (±1)
1960s: about 5,230 units, 13% (±2)
1970s: about 5,520 units, 14% (±1)
1980s: about 6,510 units, 16% (±2)
1990s: about 6,500 units, 16% (±1)
2000s: about 4,870 units, 12% (±1)
2010s: about 1,740 units, 4% (±1)
2020 or later: about 790 units, 2% (±1)

Climate Across Burke County

NOAA 1991 to 2020 normals for Burke County towns, by station: Morganton station (Morganton, Valdese, Drexel and Glen Alpine): about 3,800 heating and 1,250 cooling degree days; Hickory Airport station (Hildebran, Connelly Springs, Rutherford College and Rhodhiss): about 3,550 heating and 1,400 cooling degree days.

Power and Gas in Burke County

The card lists Burke County's town utilities by the territory maps; a power bill confirms the one at an address.

Piedmont Natural Gas holds the Burke County gas franchise (NC Utilities Commission map), and 11 percent of Burke County homes heat with piped gas.

Who Supplies Power in Burke County

Duke Energy Carolinas: Valdese, Hildebran, Connelly Springs, Rutherford College and Rhodhiss; parts of Glen Alpine; homes near Morganton and Drexel
Rutherford EMC: parts of Glen Alpine; homes near Morganton and Drexel
Morganton's own electric system: Morganton
Drexel's own electric system: Drexel

Energy Programs for Burke County Homes

Check each program's current terms for a Burke County home; some pay only through the utility's contractor network. Insulation Pros is an approved Duke Energy trade ally for Duke's rebate.

Programs for Burke County

Smart $aver Insulate and Seal (Duke Energy rebate; Valdese, Hildebran, Connelly Springs, Rutherford College and more).
Home Energy House Call (Duke Energy home assessment; Valdese, Hildebran, Connelly Springs, Rutherford College and more).
ElectriCities energy audits (ElectriCities member towns; Morganton and Drexel).
Income-qualified Weatherization (Duke Energy income-qualified; Valdese, Hildebran, Connelly Springs, Rutherford College and more).
Energy Saver North Carolina (statewide income-qualified; any Burke County address).
Weatherization Assistance Program (statewide income-qualified; any Burke County address).
Piedmont Natural Gas lists rebates for high-efficiency gas furnaces, and none for insulation or air sealing (program page).

Get Your Free Estimate

or call (336) 870-3893

Burke County Insulation FAQs

Do you serve all of Burke County?

Yes: Morganton, Valdese, Drexel, Hildebran, Glen Alpine, Connelly Springs, Rutherford College and Rhodhiss, the parts of Long View inside Burke County, and every unincorporated Burke County address.

Which utilities offer insulation rebates in Burke County?

Duke Energy's Smart $aver Insulate and Seal (Valdese, Hildebran, Connelly Springs, Rutherford College and more).

Does attic insulation in Burke County need a permit?

Ask Burke County Building Inspections before work starts. For an address in Morganton, Valdese, Drexel or another Burke County town, the town or city hall can tell you whether Burke County's office handles its permits.