Burke County Resource Guide
Burke
County Seat
Morganton 18.36 Square miles
County Area 514.9 Square miles
Land Area 506.7 Square miles
Water Area 8.2 Square miles
County Elevation Ranges from 900 to 4,350 feet above sea level.
Population
(*2006 Estimated N.C. Office of State Planning: www.demog.state.nc.us)
Burke County* 88,619
Municipalities*
Connelly Springs 1,904
Drexel 1,914
Glen Alpine 1,120
Hildebran 1,761
Morganton 17,310
Rutherford College 1,302
Valdese 4,584
Hickory (section) 81
Long View (section) 701
Rhodhiss (section) 498
Projected Population Growth
Burke County
2009 90,169
2008 89,634
2007 89,088
Important Telephone Numbers
Emergency 911
Burke County Sheriff (828) 438-5500
Federal Bureau of
Investigation (704) 377-9200
NC Highway Patrol (828) 438-6291
Poison Control Center (800) 848-6946
State Bureau of Investigation (919) 662-4500
U.S. Marshall (Charlotte) (704) 344-6234
Police Departments (non-emergency)
Drexel (828) 437-7421
Glen Alpine (828) 584-2113
Morganton (828) 432-2676
Valdese (828) 879-2104
Fire Departments (non-emergency)
Morganton (Public Safety) (828) 432-2676
Valdese (828) 879-2110
Municipalities Administrative Offices
Connelly Springs (828) 879-2321
Drexel (828) 437-7421
Glen Alpine (828) 584-2622
Hildebran (828) 397-5801
Morganton (828) 438-5228
Rhodhiss (828) 396-8400
Rutherford College (828) 874-0333
Valdese (828) 879-2116
Recreation Departments
Burke County Recreation (828) 439-4370
City of Morganton Recreation (828) 438-5350
Valdese Recreation (828) 879-2132
Government
Burke County
Board of Elections (828) 433-1703
Building Inspections (828) 438-5420
Economic Development (828) 439-4359
Health Department (828) 439-4400
Planning and Zoning (828) 439-4362
Tax Office (828) 438-5400
License Plates/Tag Agency (828) 437-4505
N. C. Driver’s License Bureau (828) 438-6294
Post Offices
Morganton (828) 437-3484
Valdese (828) 874-2812
Glen Alpine (828) 584-0628
Connelly Springs (828) 874-0784
Hildebran (828) 397-6573
Icard (828) 397-5071
Rutherford College (828) 874-0048
School Board
Burke County Public Schools (828) 439-4312
Social Security
Social Security Commission (828) 328-3609
Communications
Newspapers
The Morganton News Herald (828) 437-2161
Valley Neighbors (828) 324-0055
Hickory Daily Record (828) 322-4510
Libraries
Morganton Public Library (828) 437-5638
Valdese Public Library (828) 874-2421
C. B. Hildebran Public Library (828) 397-3600
Utilities
Cable Television
CoMPAS (City of Morganton) (828) 438-5353
Charter Communications (866) 472-2200
or “Connect My Cable” Service (888) 922-2539
Electricity
Duke Power Company (828) 437-4611
Rutherford EMC (828) 584-1410
City of Morganton
Electric Dept. (828) 438-5277
Town of Drexel (828) 437-7421
Gas
Piedmont Natural
Gas Company (800) 752-7504
Water, Sewer, and Garbage (Municipality service)
City of Morganton (828) 437-8863
Burke County Public Works (828) 439-4391
Town of Valdese (828) 879-2120
Town of Drexel (828) 437-7421
Solid Waste Disposal
GDS, Inc. (Res., Comm., Ind.) (828) 437-7940
Blue Ridge Disposal
(Comm. & Ind.) (828) 438-1799
Telephone
AT&T (Residential) (888) 757-6500
AT&T (Business) (866) 620-6000
Morganton; western part of county
Embarq (828) 328-0200
Valdese, Hildebran; eastern part of county
Burke County Employment
(January 2007)
County Labor Force 42,045
Unemployment Rate 4.6%
Economic Indicators
Median Household
Income (2005) $32,963.00
Per Capita Income (2003) $17,722.00
Gross Retail Sales (FY 2005-06) $888 Million
Economic Data/Statistics
www.ers.usda.gov/data/
www.census.gov
www.wpcog.org
Cost of Living Information
www.datamasters.com
(Comparison between cities)
www.bls.gov
Taxes
(Effective July 1, 2006)
Property Tax
County 59 cents per $100.00
Morganton 50 cents per $100.00
Valdese 40 cents per $100.00
If inside city/town limits, Burke County taxes and city/town taxes must be paid. For persons living outside city/town limits, only county taxes are paid.
Vehicle Tax (Highway Usage Tax upon purchase or initial State Registration) 3% of wholesale value
State Taxes
Corporate Income Tax 6.9%
Personal Income Tax (marginal rates based on filing status and income) 6%
Retail Sales Tax
Retail Sales General Rate
(includes state and local) 7%
Food for Home Consumption
Sales Tax (local rate) 2%
Healthcare
Dentists (General) 25
(Specialty) 5
Hospitals (General) 2
Total Hospital Beds 376
Mental Health Treatment Facilities 3
(Private) 8
Nursing Homes/Long-Term Care Facilities 7
Physicians 247
Substance Treatment Facilities 7
Transportation
Air
Charlotte Douglas
International Airport (704) 359-4027
Hickory Regional Airport (828) 323-7408
Foothills Regional Airport (828) 757-0099
(5500 ft. runway/all services)
Bus
Burke County Transit Authority (828) 438-0867
Greyhound (Gastonia) (704) 865-1661
Major Thoroughfares
Interstate 40 East/West
Interstates 26, 77, and 85
(Access within 50 miles)
US Highway 70 East/West
NC Highway 18 North/South
NC Highway 64 East/West
NC Highway 181 North/South
Climate
Mean Temperature 57.83º F
Winter temperatures averaging 40-50º F and summer temperatures in the 70º’s and 80º’s
Average annual precipitation: 50.4”
(approximately 8” snow)
LIVE WEB CAM...for an up to minute weather view visit www.burkecounty.org.
For an up-to-the-minute weather view, go to our website and see the live web-cam of Morganton.
Recreation
Bowling Alleys 1
Minor League Baseball Teams 1
(Hickory)
Country Clubs 2
Golf Courses 4
Marinas 3
Movie Theater Screens 9
Marquee Cinemas (828) 437-8084
JJ’s Movies, Munches
and More (828) 437-6006
Parks 21
State Parks 2
Lake James State Park (828) 652-5047
South Mountains State Park (828) 433-4772
Community Facilities
Churches 230
(For a complete list of churches, visit our website at www.burkecounty.org)
Motels/Inns/B&B’s 12
Number of Rooms 753
Libraries 3
Register to Vote
To register to vote, a person must sign a voter declaration affirming that:
He/she is a U. S. Citizen
He/she will have been a citizen of Burke County and North Carolina for 30 days before the election.
He/she will be at least 18 years old by the next general election.
He/she is not registered nor will vote in any other county or state.
If he/she is a convicted felon, the citizenship has been restored.
The Burke County Board of Elections Office is located at 201 W. Meeting Street. Tel: (828) 433-1703.
North Carolina Drivers License
A new resident who intends to operate a motor vehicle in North Carolina must obtain a North Carolina driver’s license within 60 days of establishing a permanent residence. Applications are taken in Burke County at the NCDMV Driver’s License Bureau located at 260 Enola Road. Tel: (828) 438-6294.
Tags and Registration for Vehicles
Residents have 30 days to apply for new tags. Applicant must show proof of liability insurance, title (if paid for) and current out of state registration card. If the vehicle title is held by a lien holder (bank) the applicant must furnish the lien holder’s name/address and current out of state registration card. In Burke County, the Morganton License Plate Agency is located at 603 S. College Street. Tel: (828) 437-4505.
 |
 |
|---|---|
 |
|
