Attic Insulation in Catawba County, NC

Catawba County and Its Homes

Catawba County grew 6 percent from 2020 to 2025, to 170,172 people by the Census Bureau's estimate, in about 73,100 housing units.

Its eight incorporated towns each have a page here: Hickory, Newton, Conover, Long View, Maiden, Claremont, Catawba and Brookford. About 45 percent of Catawba County's housing units are inside town limits, the rest in unincorporated areas.

Neoclassical 1924 Catawba County Courthouse with tall arched windows behind trees in Newton — The historic 1924 Catawba County Courthouse in Newton, the county seat of Catawba County, North Carolina Photo: William Keener, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; cropped and resized

Catawba County at a Glance

Population: 170,172 (2025), 160,892 (2020)
Housing units: about 73,100
Median year built: 1985 (North Carolina: 1991)
Built before 1980: 42% (statewide: 34%)
Detached houses: 68%
Mobile homes: 12%
Owner-occupied: 72%
Heated with electricity: 73% (statewide: 65%)
Climate zone: 3 (2021 map), 4 (state code)
Towns with pages here: 8

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

Towns and Communities in Catawba County

Hickory
45,975 people · median home 1982 · Duke Energy Carolinas
Newton
13,822 people · median home 1977 · its own electric system
Conover
8,938 people · median home 1991 · Duke Energy Carolinas
Long View
5,387 people · median home 1970 · Duke Energy Carolinas
Maiden
3,922 people · its own electric system
Claremont
1,790 people · Duke Energy Carolinas
Catawba
736 people · median home 1957 · Duke Energy Carolinas
Brookford
456 people · median home 1945 · Duke Energy Carolinas

Unincorporated communities the Census Bureau maps in Catawba County: Lake Norman of Catawba (about 5,200 housing units, median year built 2000), St. Stephens (about 4,200 housing units, median year built 1977) and Mountain View (about 1,500 housing units, median year built 1979).

What We Do in Catawba County

Attic Insulation in Catawba County
Some 42 percent of Catawba County housing units predate 1980; joists showing above their insulation mean more blown-in fiberglass is due, R-49 from bare.
Attic Insulation Removal in Catawba County
Wet, moldy or animal-soiled insulation comes out of Catawba County attics, and a mouse-soiled Catawba County attic is sanitized and deodorized; in the 18 percent of homes built before 1960, vermiculite is ruled out first.
Air Sealing in Catawba County
Some 73 percent of Catawba County homes heat with electricity, often through attic ducts; their joints and the ceiling's gaps are sealed first.

Homes in Catawba County

Half of Catawba County's 73,100 housing units were built before 1985: 28 percent before 1970, 42 percent before 1980 (nearly all before the state's 1978 insulation rule) and 8 percent in 2010 or later (16 percent statewide). The largest share went up in the 2000s, under codes that asked for less than ENERGY STAR now suggests; ENERGY STAR notes insulation is often thinnest at the eaves. Among Catawba County towns, the median home is oldest in Brookford (1945) and newest in Conover (1991).

Catawba County by type: 68 percent detached houses, 16 percent in buildings of two or more homes and 12 percent mobile homes. In Catawba County, 73 percent of homes heat with electricity, 19 percent with piped gas and 4 percent with tank gas.

Catawba County Homes by Year Built

Before 1940: about 4,160 units, 6% (±1)
1940s: about 3,150 units, 4% (±1)
1950s: about 5,590 units, 8% (±1)
1960s: about 7,240 units, 10% (±1)
1970s: about 10,490 units, 14% (±1)
1980s: about 12,200 units, 17% (±1)
1990s: about 11,900 units, 16% (±1)
2000s: about 12,330 units, 17% (±1)
2010s: about 4,850 units, 7% (±1)
2020 or later: about 1,210 units, 2% (±1)

Climate Across Catawba County

NOAA 1991 to 2020 normals for Catawba County towns, by station: Hickory Airport station (Hickory, Conover, Long View and Brookford): about 3,550 heating and 1,400 cooling degree days; Catawba 5 SW station (Newton and Claremont): about 3,300 heating and 1,560 cooling degree days; Lincolnton 4 W station (Maiden): about 3,330 heating and 1,470 cooling degree days; Statesville 2 NNE station (Catawba): about 3,990 heating and 1,260 cooling degree days.

Power and Gas in Catawba County

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

Piedmont Natural Gas holds the Catawba County gas franchise (NC Utilities Commission map), and 19 percent of Catawba County homes heat with piped gas.

Who Supplies Power in Catawba County

Duke Energy Carolinas: Hickory, Conover, Long View, Claremont, Catawba and Brookford; homes near Newton and Maiden
Newton's own electric system: Newton
Maiden's own electric system: Maiden
EnergyUnited: homes near Catawba
Rutherford EMC: other parts of Catawba County

Energy Programs for Catawba County Homes

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

Smart $aver Insulate and Seal (Duke Energy rebate; Hickory, Conover, Long View, Claremont and more).
Home Energy House Call (Duke Energy home assessment; Hickory, Conover, Long View, Claremont and more).
ElectriCities energy audits (ElectriCities member towns; Newton and Maiden).
Income-qualified Weatherization (Duke Energy income-qualified; Hickory, Conover, Long View, Claremont and more).
Energy Saver North Carolina (statewide income-qualified; any Catawba County address).
Weatherization Assistance Program (statewide income-qualified; any Catawba 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

Catawba County Insulation FAQs

Do you serve all of Catawba County?

Yes: Hickory, Newton, Conover, Long View, Maiden, Claremont, Catawba and Brookford, and every unincorporated Catawba County address.

Which utilities offer insulation rebates in Catawba County?

Duke Energy's Smart $aver Insulate and Seal (Hickory, Conover, Long View, Claremont and more).

Does attic insulation in Catawba County need a permit?

Ask Catawba County Building Services before work starts. For an address in Hickory, Newton, Conover or another Catawba County town, the town or city hall can tell you whether Catawba County's office handles its permits.