Established December 12, 1842, Catawba County is located in the
foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. Catawba County
was recognized by a Reader's Digest poll as one of the top ten areas in
America to raise a family and the Hickory Metropolitan area was rated eighth in
the state quality of life. With more than 405 square miles, the population
of the county is approximately 150,000 including nearly 24,000 students.
The climate in the area is rather mild, with moderate winters and warm summers:
the average year round temperature is 68.8 degrees Fahrenheit.
The average cost of a single family home for 2005 was $154,400 and the
average rent for a two bedroom apartment was $531.
Catawba County has eight municipalities (click the image to enlarge):
- Brookford
- Catawba
- Claremont
- Conover
- Hickory
- Long View
- Newton (County Seat)
- Maiden
Traditionally, furniture, textiles, telecommunications, and manufacturing
have been the primary industries for the area. With a change in the global
economy, Catawba County is currently in the process of identifying and
recruiting areas such as biomedical, pharmaceutical, technological,
construction, and medicine. Catawba County is home to two major medical
centers, Catawba
Valley Medical Center and
Frye Regional Medical Center, both equipped with some of the newest medical
technologies.
Despite the shift in the furniture economy, the Hickory area is know as the
"furniture capital of the world". With the
Hickory Furniture Mart and the
Catawba Furniture Mall, as well as numerous furniture businesses throughout
the metropolitan area, Catawba County offers a plethora of establishments sure
to meet the needs of even the most fastidious shopper. Additionally, the
county is home to
Valley Hills Mall as well as other shopping centers.
Catawba County offers various recreational activities and attractions:
Catawba County is fortunate to have two institutions of higher education:
Lenoir-Rhyne College and
Catawba Valley Community College. In addition, Hickory is home of the
Hickory Metro Higher Education Center (HMHEC), a collaborative partnership
among Appalachian State
University, Catawba Valley
Community College, Lenoir-Rhyne
College,
Northwest AHEC, UNC Charlotte,
UNC Chapel Hill, and Western
Carolina University.
In
addition, Catawba County is home to numerous historical sites such as Murray's
Mill, Old St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Bunker Hill Covered Bridge, as well as
historical residences.
Click here for an interactive map to see distances to other cities!
Catawba County is within approximately one hour
of Charlotte, North Carolina, the largest city
in the state. Check out the more information regarding the Charlotte area
by visiting the
Charlotte Chamber of Commerce Website.