Urine culture cost in Charlotte, NC — inpatient
In Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC, 16 hospitals list a cash price for urine culture for bacteria, with colony count as an inpatient: from $119.23 to $356.50, with a median of $122.12. The lowest listed price is at Carolinas Medical Center and 7 other hospitals — $2.89 less than the median here. Across North Carolina, the median is $82.32 at 37 hospitals.
Cash prices at 16 facilities across 13 cities for code 87086, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Dec 1, 2025 and Sep 1, 2026.
Where each hospital's price falls
Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carolinas Medical Center lowest Charlotte, NC · (704) 355-2000 HC URINE CULTURE, COLONY COUNT | $119.23 | $238.45 | $72.25–$214.61 | 50% | Dec 5, 2025 source file |
| Atrium Health Anson lowest Wadesboro, NC · (704) 694-5131 HC URINE CULTURE, COLONY COUNT | $119.23 | $238.45 | $72.25–$226.53 | 50% | Dec 1, 2025 source file |
| Atrium Health Lincoln lowest Lincolnton, NC · (980) 212-2000 HC URINE CULTURE, COLONY COUNT | $119.23 | $238.45 | $68.36–$226.53 | 50% | Dec 1, 2025 source file |
| Atrium Health Union lowest Monroe, NC · (704) 283-3100 HC URINE CULTURE, COLONY COUNT | $119.23 | $238.45 | $72.25–$226.53 | 50% | Dec 4, 2025 source file |
| Atrium Health Pineville lowest Charlotte, NC · (704) 379-5000 HC URINE CULTURE, COLONY COUNT | $119.23 | $238.45 | $72.25–$219.37 | 50% | Dec 5, 2025 source file |
| Atrium Health Pineville lowest Charlotte, NC · (704) 379-5000 HC URINE CULTURE, COLONY COUNT | $119.23 | $238.45 | $72.25–$219.37 | 50% | Dec 5, 2025 source file |
| Carolinas Medical Center-Northeast lowest Concord, NC · (704) 783-3000 HC URINE CULTURE, COLONY COUNT | $119.23 | $238.45 | $72.25–$226.53 | 50% | Dec 1, 2025 source file |
| Carolinas Medical Center lowest Charlotte, NC · (704) 355-2000 HC URINE CULTURE, COLONY COUNT | $119.23 | $238.45 | $72.25–$214.61 | 50% | Dec 4, 2025 source file |
| Carolinas Medical Center lowest Charlotte, NC · (704) 355-2000 HC URINE CULTURE, COLONY COUNT | $119.23 | $238.45 | $72.25–$219.37 | 50% | Dec 4, 2025 source file |
| Carolinas Medical Center lowest Charlotte, NC · (704) 355-2000 HC URINE CULTURE, COLONY COUNT | $119.23 | $238.45 | $73.92–$209.84 | 50% | Dec 4, 2025 source file |
| Carolinas Rehabilitation lowest Charlotte, NC HC URINE CULTURE, COLONY COUNT | $119.23 | $238.45 | $79.88–$219.37 | 50% | Dec 5, 2025 source file |
| Carolinas Rehabilitation lowest Belmont, NC HC URINE CULTURE, COLONY COUNT | $119.23 | $238.45 | $79.88–$219.37 | 50% | Dec 5, 2025 source file |
| MUSC Chester Regional Medical Center Chester, SC · (803) 581-3151 HB BACTERIAL URINE CULTURE QT | $125.00 | $250.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Duke Health Lake Norman Hospital Mooresville, NC · (704) 660-4000 Cult/Colony Count Quant Urine | $135.27 | $501.00 | $145.79–$172.85 | 73% | — source file |
| Duke Health Lake Norman Hospital Mooresville, NC · (704) 660-4000 Cult/Colony Count Quant Urine | $135.27 | $501.00 | $145.79–$172.85 | 73% | — source file |
| Gaston Memorial Hospital Mount Holly, NC CHG CULTURE URINE BACTERIAL QUANT CNT | $175.00 | $175.00 | — | — | May 11, 2026 source file |
| Gaston Memorial Hospital Belmont, NC CHG CULTURE URINE BACTERIAL QUANT CNT | $175.00 | $175.00 | $138.60–$166.25 | — | May 11, 2026 source file |
| Gaston Memorial Hospital Gastonia, NC · (704) 834-4891 CHG CULTURE URINE BACTERIAL QUANT CNT | $175.00 | $175.00 | $138.60–$166.25 | — | May 11, 2026 source file |
| Piedmont Medical Center Fort Mill, SC CULTURE URINE COLONY CT | $302.25 | $403.00 | $1.00–$403.00 | 25% | Apr 15, 2026 source file |
| Piedmont Medical Center Rock Hill, SC CULTURE URINE COLONY CT | $302.25 | $403.00 | $1.00–$403.00 | 25% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| MUSC Lancaster Medical Center Lancaster, SC · (803) 286-1481 HB BACTERIAL URINE CULTURE QT | $356.50 | $713.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $119.23, median $122.12, highest $356.50 — a 3.0× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 16 facilities here, median $122.12 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 11 of 13 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at 1 it is below every plan's rate. If you have insurance but have not met your deductible, you usually pay your plan's negotiated rate, which falls somewhere in the "Insurers pay" column. Paying cash can cost less, but a cash payment usually does not count toward your deductible. Ask the hospital for both numbers before you book.
What it is
A urine culture grows bacteria from a urine sample in the lab and counts how many colonies appear. It is used to confirm a urinary tract infection, especially when symptoms return or first treatment does not work.
What the price covers
The price usually covers the culture and colony count. If bacteria grow, identifying them and testing which antibiotics work are separate codes with their own charges.