Water damage restoration · Salisbury, North Carolina
Water damage restoration in Salisbury, NC
Burst pipe, failed water heater, or storm water? Salisbury-area ZIPs: 54 flood claims since 1981[1]; 55% of homes built before 1980[2]. Request help from local restoration crews. Salisbury, in Rowan County — ZIPs 28144, 28147, 28146, counts 36,879 residents (2025 estimate)[3].
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Salisbury water damage snapshot: the key figures
- Population (2025 est.)
- 36,879[3]+4.1% since 2020
- County
- Rowan[3]
- Land area
- 23.2 sq mi[4]
- Flood-insurance (NFIP) claims, local ZIPs
- 54 since 1981[1]$1,099,520 paid across 41 claims · ZIP 28144, 28147, 28146
- Flood & flash-flood reports within 10 mi
- 9[5]2016–2025 · latest Jun 5, 2025
- Winter-storm & freeze days, rowan zone
- 23[5]2016–2025; hard freezes burst pipes
- Homes built before 1980
- 55%[2]the highest share of the 14 Charlotte-area suburbs we cover
- Households renting
- 48%[2]2020–2024
Reading the Salisbury data for water damage
Salisbury is one of the most established suburbs tracked here — 36,879 people (2025 estimate), up just 4.1% since 2020[3]. It covers 23.2 square miles (1,589 residents per square mile, the 10th densest), sits entirely in Rowan County, in ZIP codes 28144, 28147, 28146[4].
Salisbury mixes 11% of homes built since 2010 and 55% before 1980[2]: new supply lines and water heaters in one house, aging pipe and original valves in the next — so where a leak starts depends a lot on the address.
Mail to Salisbury goes through 3 ZIP codes — 28144 (48% of the city's land), 28147 (35% of the city's land), 28146 (18% of the city's land)[6].
The closest tracked neighbours are Kannapolis (15.5 mi SW), Mooresville (19.7 mi W) and Concord (20.6 mi SW)[4].
54 flood-insurance claims have come from Salisbury-area ZIP codes (28144, 28147, 28146) since 1981, and $1,099,520 has been paid on them (about $26,818 per paid claim)[1]. 2018 was the worst year, with 13 claims. That is the 4th-most of the 14 Charlotte-area suburbs we cover; for comparison, Kannapolis (64), Mooresville (10), and Concord (53). Outside water is a real part of the picture here. Of the 54 claims rated in a flood zone, 18 were in FEMA's high-risk areas (zones A or V) and 36 outside them (zones B, C or X)[1][7] — flooding here is not only a high-risk-zone problem.
By month of loss, Salisbury-area flood claims cluster in January (6), August (22), and September (7) — 35 of 54 dated claims[1].
Within 10 miles of central Salisbury, weather observers filed 9 flood, flash-flood or heavy-rain reports in 2016–2025 (6 flash floods)[5]. Countywide: no flood declarations since 2000[8]. Nearby: Kannapolis (8), Mooresville (5), and Concord (29).
55% of Salisbury's 15,637 housing units predate 1980[2] — the highest share of the 14 Charlotte-area suburbs we cover (Kannapolis (44%), Mooresville (14%), and Concord (28%)). Aging supply lines and valves are the usual hidden-leak suspects in houses that old.
Freeze days in the rowan zone: 23 in 2016–2025, latest Feb 20, 2025[5]. Nearby: Kannapolis (18), Mooresville (29), and Concord (18).
48% of Salisbury households rent[2]: tenants should report leaks to the landlord in writing, with photos.
Out of the 14 suburbs on this site, Salisbury has the highest pre-1980 housing share (55%)[2], the oldest housing (by median year built) (1976)[2], the lowest median home value ($242,500)[2], and the 2nd-highest renter share (48%)[2].
How a leak spreads inside a wall
Water on the move: it spreads across floors and wicks upward into drywall until it is stopped.
Salisbury storm calendar
Within 10 miles of Salisbury, 2016–2025: 6 flash-flood reports and 3 flood reports[5]. Peak: 67% in August, September, and November. Busiest year 2020 (3); 5 of 10 years had none. Busiest month September 2018 (2). Latest: flood report, Jun 5, 2025, 9.5 mi out.
| Month | Flash flood | Flood | Heavy rain | All |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1 | – | – | 1 |
| Jun | – | 1 | – | 1 |
| Jul | 1 | – | – | 1 |
| Aug | 2 | – | – | 2 |
| Sep | 1 | 1 | – | 2 |
| Nov | 1 | 1 | – | 2 |
Get water damage help in Salisbury
Water damage restoration contractors taking requests around Salisbury cover ZIP codes 28144, 28147, 28146.
Before you call: what a restoration crew does first
Shared walls and ceilings: Salisbury homes by building type
With 62%[2] of homes detached, most Salisbury water-damage jobs stay inside one house — the owner's policy and the owner's call.
After detached houses, the biggest group is 10–19 units: 1,287 of 15,637 housing units[2].
Salisbury also has 444 mobile homes (2.8%); for a leak under one, ask for a crew that works on manufactured homes.
| Building type | Units | Share | Margin of error |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached house | 9,726 | 62.2% | ±566 |
| Attached house (townhouse, rowhouse) | 437 | 2.8% | ±160 |
| Duplex (2 units) | 648 | 4.1% | ±247 |
| 3–4 units | 993 | 6.4% | ±323 |
| 5–9 units | 1,234 | 7.9% | ±324 |
| 10–19 units | 1,287 | 8.2% | ±340 |
| 20–49 units | 343 | 2.2% | ±157 |
| 50 or more units | 503 | 3.2% | ±169 |
| Mobile home | 444 | 2.8% | ±168 |
| Boat, RV, van, etc. | 22 | 0.1% | ±41 |
Margins of error are the Census Bureau’s 90% intervals; small categories in small cities are rough.
Salisbury by the numbers
| Measure | Salisbury | Median of 14 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Built before 1980 | 55% | 23% | 32 pts higher |
| Renter-occupied | 48% | 35% | 14 pts higher |
| NFIP flood claims (area ZIPs) | 54 | 39 | 15 more |
| Median home value | $242,500 | $387,950 | 37% lower |
| Owner-occupied | 52% | 65% | 14 pts lower |
| Flood reports (10 mi) | 9 | 9 | 1 more |
| Median year built | 1976 | 1996 | 20 years older |
Sorted by largest difference. Each median is the middle value across the covered Charlotte-area suburbs, from the same sources.
| City | NFIP claims | Flood reports ≤10 mi | Freeze days | Built before 1980 | Renting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salisbury | 54 | 9 | 23 | 55% | 48% |
| Kannapolis 15.5 mi | 64 | 8 | 18 | 44% | 34% |
| Mooresville 19.7 mi | 10 | 5 | 29 | 14% | 42% |
| Concord 20.6 mi | 53 | 29 | 18 | 28% | 35% |
| Statesville 22.8 mi | 41 | 6 | 29 | 48% | 48% |
| Cornelius 25.6 mi | 21 | 6 | 16 | 8% | 30% |
| ZIP | Claims | Paid | Busiest year | Outside high-risk zones |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28144 | 32 | $243,539 | 2018 (10) | 21 of 32 |
| 28147 | 9 | $594,942 | 2018 (2) | 7 of 9 |
| 28146 | 13 | $261,039 | 2003 (4) | 8 of 13 |
ZIPs extend past city limits. Outside high-risk zones: claims rated in zone B, C or X, of the claims that carry a zone.
| Year | Claims |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 9 |
| 2018 | 13 |
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2013 | 1 |
| 2011 | 1 |
| 2010 | 6 |
| 2009 | 2 |
| 2008 | 7 |
| 2005 | 3 |
| 2004 | 1 |
| 2003 | 4 |
| 1985 | 1 |
| Month | Claims |
|---|---|
| January | 6 |
| March | 3 |
| June | 4 |
| July | 3 |
| August | 22 |
| September | 7 |
| October | 4 |
| November | 5 |
| Date | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Jun 5, 2025 | Flood | 9.5 mi |
| Aug 8, 2024 | Flash Flood | 2.7 mi |
| Jan 9, 2024 | Flash Flood | 5.6 mi |
| Nov 12, 2020 | Flood | 7.1 mi |
| Nov 12, 2020 | Flash Flood | 7.1 mi |
| Aug 31, 2020 | Flash Flood | 3.3 mi |
| Sep 16, 2018 | Flash Flood | 8.1 mi |
| Sep 16, 2018 | Flood | 8.1 mi |
| ZIP (ZCTA) | Share of Salisbury's land | Share of the ZIP inside the city |
|---|---|---|
| 28144 | 48% | 35% |
| 28147 | 35% | 10% |
| 28146 | 18% | 4% |
Salisbury water damage questions
Do I need flood insurance in Salisbury?
Homeowners policies exclude outside floodwater[9], and Salisbury-area ZIPs have 23 NFIP claims in just the last ten years[1].
Which Salisbury ZIP codes do these crews cover?
28144, 28147, and 28146[6], in Rowan County. Nearby pages: Kannapolis (15.5 mi), Mooresville (19.7 mi), and Concord (20.6 mi)[4].
Which Salisbury ZIP code has the most flood claims?
28144, with 32 NFIP claims and $243,539 paid[1].
When was the last flood report near Salisbury?
Jun 5, 2025: a flood report 9.5 miles from the city center[5].
A lot of Salisbury homes predate 1980 — what does that mean for plumbing fixtures and water heater work?
55% of Salisbury's housing units were built before 1980, 30.9% before 1960[2] — the highest share of the 14 Charlotte-area suburbs we cover. Older supply lines and original shut-off valves are common failure points — know where your main shut-off is before you need it.
I rent in Salisbury. Who arranges the repair?
48% of occupied Salisbury homes are rented[2], the 2nd-highest share of the 14 Charlotte-area suburbs we cover. Tell your landlord or property manager in writing first; your lease says who arranges repairs.
Sources
- OpenFEMA NFIP claims
- Census ACS 2020–2024 5-year (keyless bulk)
- Census population estimates, Vintage 2025
- Census Gazetteer 2025
- NOAA Storm Events Database
- Census 2020 ZCTA–place file
- FEMA, Flood Zones (link unverified)
- OpenFEMA disaster declarations
- FEMA FloodSmart (link unverified)
Data pulled Sep 28, 2026. Full citations and method.