Attic Insulation in Caldwell County, NC

Caldwell County and Its Homes

Caldwell County grew 1 percent from 2020 to 2025, to 81,105 people by the Census Bureau's estimate, in about 37,400 housing units.

Its seven incorporated towns each have a page here: Lenoir, Sawmills, Granite Falls, Hudson, Gamewell, Cajah's Mountain and Cedar Rock. About 50 percent of Caldwell County's housing units are inside town limits, the rest in unincorporated areas.

Tan stone Caldwell County Courthouse with a columned entrance in Lenoir — The Caldwell County Courthouse in Lenoir, the county seat of Caldwell County, North Carolina Photo: Upstateherd, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; cropped and resized

Caldwell County at a Glance

Population: 81,105 (2025), 80,582 (2020)
Housing units: about 37,400
Median year built: 1980 (North Carolina: 1991)
Built before 1980: 50% (statewide: 34%)
Detached houses: 73%
Mobile homes: 15%
Owner-occupied: 74%
Heated with electricity: 70% (statewide: 65%)
Climate zone: 4 on both maps
Towns with pages here: 7

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

Towns and Communities in Caldwell County

Lenoir
18,372 people · median home 1972 · Duke Energy Carolinas
Sawmills
5,105 people · median home 1990 · Duke Energy Carolinas
Granite Falls
4,964 people · median home 1991 · its own electric system
Hudson
3,786 people · median home 1978 · Duke Energy Carolinas
Gamewell
3,713 people · Duke Energy Carolinas
Cajah's Mountain
2,702 people · median home 1976 · Duke Energy Carolinas
Cedar Rock
302 people · median home 1977 · Duke Energy Carolinas
Rhodhiss
Burke County town · about 350 residents in Caldwell County

Unincorporated communities the Census Bureau maps in Caldwell County: Northlakes (about 600 housing units, median year built 1985).

What We Do in Caldwell County

Attic Insulation in Caldwell County
Some 50 percent of Caldwell 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 Caldwell County
Wet, moldy or animal-soiled insulation comes out of Caldwell County attics, and a mouse-soiled Caldwell County attic is sanitized and deodorized; in the 22 percent of homes built before 1960, vermiculite is ruled out first.
Air Sealing in Caldwell County
Some 70 percent of Caldwell County homes heat with electricity, often through attic ducts; their joints and the ceiling's gaps are sealed first.

Homes in Caldwell County

Half of Caldwell County's 37,400 housing units were built before 1980: 35 percent before 1970, 50 percent before 1980 (nearly all before the state's 1978 insulation rule) and 5 percent in 2010 or later (16 percent statewide). The largest share went up in the 1990s, under codes that asked for less than ENERGY STAR now suggests; ENERGY STAR notes insulation is often thinnest at the eaves. Among Caldwell County towns, the median home is oldest in Lenoir (1972) and newest in Granite Falls (1991).

Caldwell County by type: 73 percent detached houses, 11 percent in buildings of two or more homes and 15 percent mobile homes. In Caldwell County, 70 percent of homes heat with electricity, 13 percent with piped gas, 6 percent with tank gas, 6 percent with oil or kerosene (2 percent statewide) and 3 percent with wood.

Caldwell County Homes by Year Built

Before 1940: about 2,120 units, 6% (±1)
1940s: about 1,940 units, 5% (±1)
1950s: about 4,010 units, 11% (±2)
1960s: about 4,880 units, 13% (±1)
1970s: about 5,710 units, 15% (±2)
1980s: about 5,800 units, 16% (±2)
1990s: about 6,710 units, 18% (±2)
2000s: about 4,250 units, 11% (±1)
2010s: about 1,650 units, 4% (±1)
2020 or later: about 330 units, 1% (±1)

Climate Across Caldwell County

NOAA 1991 to 2020 normals for Caldwell County towns, by station: Lenoir station (Lenoir, Sawmills, Hudson, Gamewell and 2 more): about 3,850 heating and 1,290 cooling degree days; Hickory Airport station (Granite Falls): about 3,550 heating and 1,400 cooling degree days.

Power and Gas in Caldwell County

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

Piedmont Natural Gas holds the Caldwell County gas franchise (NC Utilities Commission map), and 13 percent of Caldwell County homes heat with piped gas.

Who Supplies Power in Caldwell County

Duke Energy Carolinas: Lenoir, Sawmills, Hudson, Gamewell, Cajah's Mountain and Cedar Rock; homes near Granite Falls
Blue Ridge Energy: homes near Lenoir, Sawmills, Hudson and Cedar Rock
Granite Falls' own electric system: Granite Falls

Energy Programs for Caldwell County Homes

Check each program's current terms for a Caldwell 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 Caldwell County

Smart $aver Insulate and Seal (Duke Energy rebate; Lenoir, Sawmills, Hudson, Gamewell and more).
Weatherization Rebates (Smart Rebates) (Blue Ridge Energy; near Lenoir, near Sawmills, near Hudson and near Cedar Rock): air sealing, duct sealing and insulation rebates.
Home Energy House Call (Duke Energy home assessment; Lenoir, Sawmills, Hudson, Gamewell and more).
ElectriCities energy audits (ElectriCities member towns; Granite Falls).
Income-qualified Weatherization (Duke Energy income-qualified; Lenoir, Sawmills, Hudson, Gamewell and more).
Energy Saver North Carolina (statewide income-qualified; any Caldwell County address).
Weatherization Assistance Program (statewide income-qualified; any Caldwell 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

Caldwell County Insulation FAQs

Do you serve all of Caldwell County?

Yes: Lenoir, Sawmills, Granite Falls, Hudson, Gamewell, Cajah's Mountain and Cedar Rock, the parts of Rhodhiss inside Caldwell County, and every unincorporated Caldwell County address.

Which utilities offer insulation rebates in Caldwell County?

Duke Energy's Smart $aver Insulate and Seal (Lenoir, Sawmills, Hudson, Gamewell and more); Blue Ridge Energy's Weatherization Rebates (Smart Rebates) (homes near Lenoir, homes near Sawmills, homes near Hudson and homes near Cedar Rock).

Does attic insulation in Caldwell County need a permit?

Ask Caldwell County Building Permits & Inspections before work starts. For an address in Lenoir, Sawmills, Granite Falls or another Caldwell County town, the town or city hall can tell you whether Caldwell County's office handles its permits.