Attic Insulation in Rowan County, NC

Rowan County and Its Homes

Rowan County grew 6 percent from 2020 to 2025, to 155,096 people by the Census Bureau's estimate, in about 65,000 housing units.

Its nine incorporated towns each have a page here: Salisbury, China Grove, Landis, Spencer, Granite Quarry, Rockwell, East Spencer, Cleveland and Faith. About 45 percent of Rowan County's housing units are inside town limits, the rest in unincorporated areas.

Brick storefronts and parked cars along Main Street in China Grove — Main Street in China Grove, Rowan County, North Carolina Photo: Indy beetle, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Rowan County at a Glance

Population: 155,096 (2025), 146,893 (2020)
Housing units: about 65,000
Median year built: 1983 (North Carolina: 1991)
Built before 1980: 47% (statewide: 34%)
Detached houses: 72%
Mobile homes: 15%
Owner-occupied: 72%
Heated with electricity: 68% (statewide: 65%)
Climate zone: 3 on both maps
Towns with pages here: 9

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

Towns and Communities in Rowan County

Salisbury
36,879 people · median home 1976 · Duke Energy Carolinas
China Grove
4,650 people · Duke Energy Carolinas
Landis
3,885 people · its own electric system
Spencer
3,450 people · Duke Energy Carolinas
Granite Quarry
3,129 people · median home 1982 · Duke Energy Carolinas
Rockwell
2,417 people · Duke Energy Carolinas
East Spencer
1,650 people · median home 1966 · Duke Energy Carolinas
Cleveland
902 people · Duke Energy Carolinas
Faith
845 people · Duke Energy Carolinas
Kannapolis
Cabarrus County town · about 11,600 residents in Rowan County

Unincorporated communities the Census Bureau maps in Rowan County: Enochville (median year built 1972) and Gold Hill.

What We Do in Rowan County

Attic Insulation in Rowan County
Some 47 percent of Rowan 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 Rowan County
Wet, moldy or animal-soiled insulation comes out of Rowan County attics, and a mouse-soiled Rowan County attic is sanitized and deodorized; in the 24 percent of homes built before 1960, vermiculite is ruled out first.
Air Sealing in Rowan County
Some 68 percent of Rowan County homes heat with electricity, often through attic ducts; their joints and the ceiling's gaps are sealed first.

Homes in Rowan County

Half of Rowan County's 65,000 housing units were built before 1983: 33 percent before 1970, 47 percent before 1980 (nearly all before the state's 1978 insulation rule) and 10 percent in 2010 or later. 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 Rowan County towns, the median home is oldest in East Spencer (1966) and newest in Granite Quarry (1982).

Rowan County by type: 72 percent detached houses, 11 percent in buildings of two or more homes and 15 percent mobile homes. In Rowan County, 68 percent of homes heat with electricity, 24 percent with piped gas and 4 percent with tank gas.

Rowan County Homes by Year Built

Before 1940: about 6,830 units, 11% (±1)
1940s: about 3,450 units, 5% (±1)
1950s: about 5,580 units, 9% (±1)
1960s: about 5,380 units, 8% (±1)
1970s: about 9,090 units, 14% (±1)
1980s: about 7,510 units, 12% (±1)
1990s: about 10,440 units, 16% (±1)
2000s: about 10,270 units, 16% (±1)
2010s: about 5,150 units, 8% (±1)
2020 or later: about 1,280 units, 2% (±1)

Climate Across Rowan County

NOAA 1991 to 2020 normals for Rowan County towns, by station: Salisbury station (Salisbury, Spencer, Granite Quarry, Rockwell and 2 more): about 3,530 heating and 1,480 cooling degree days; Salisbury 9 WNW station (China Grove and Cleveland): about 3,760 heating and 1,440 cooling degree days; Concord station (Landis): about 3,290 heating and 1,760 cooling degree days.

Power and Gas in Rowan County

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

Piedmont Natural Gas holds the Rowan County gas franchise (NC Utilities Commission map), and 24 percent of Rowan County homes heat with piped gas.

Who Supplies Power in Rowan County

Duke Energy Carolinas: Salisbury, China Grove, Spencer, Granite Quarry, Rockwell, East Spencer, Cleveland and Faith; homes near Landis
Landis' own electric system: Landis
EnergyUnited: homes near Cleveland
Union Power Cooperative: other parts of Rowan County

Energy Programs for Rowan County Homes

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

Smart $aver Insulate and Seal (Duke Energy rebate; Salisbury, China Grove, Spencer, Granite Quarry and more).
Home Energy House Call (Duke Energy home assessment; Salisbury, China Grove, Spencer, Granite Quarry and more).
ElectriCities energy audits (ElectriCities member towns; Landis).
Audit My Home (Union Power Cooperative; parts of Rowan County): free in-home audit.
Income-qualified Weatherization (Duke Energy income-qualified; Salisbury, China Grove, Spencer, Granite Quarry and more).
Energy Saver North Carolina (statewide income-qualified; any Rowan County address).
Weatherization Assistance Program (statewide income-qualified; any Rowan 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

Rowan County Insulation FAQs

Do you serve all of Rowan County?

Yes: Salisbury, China Grove, Landis, Spencer, Granite Quarry, Rockwell, East Spencer, Cleveland and one more town, the parts of Kannapolis inside Rowan County, and every unincorporated Rowan County address.

Which utilities offer insulation rebates in Rowan County?

Duke Energy's Smart $aver Insulate and Seal (Salisbury, China Grove, Spencer, Granite Quarry and more).

Does attic insulation in Rowan County need a permit?

Ask Rowan County Building Inspections before work starts. For an address in Salisbury, China Grove, Landis or another Rowan County town, the town or city hall can tell you whether Rowan County's office handles its permits.