HomeNorth CarolinaAlexander County
Alexander County, North Carolina: commercial real estate data.
Alexander County, North Carolina had an estimated 36,693 residents on July 1, 2024, up 0.7 percent since the 2020 census base of 36,443, across 260 square miles. County output reached $1.20 bn in 2024, 598 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 19 7(a) approvals worth $10.4 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Alexander County
How many people live in Alexander County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202436,412
- Households14,126
- Average household size2.58
- Median household income$65,354
- Median age43.8
- Median gross rent$764 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$211,800
- Home value to household income3.2 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income14.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher16.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree5.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over26,780
- Population under 187,144
- Share under 1819.6 percent
- Population 65 and over7,721
- Share 65 and over21.2 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6421,547
- Civilian labor force17,031
- Unemployment rate5.0 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over58.2 percent
- Rank by population among North Carolina counties67th of 100
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included1307th of 3,222
Alexander County is the 67th largest of 100 North Carolina counties by population. A median home costs 3.2 times median household income, which is moderately unaffordable by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 21.2 percent against 19.6 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single story product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Alexander County
Is Alexander County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202436,693
- Census 2020 base population36,443
- Population change since the 2020 census base0.69 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024266
- Births, 2024333
- Deaths, 2024480
- Natural change, 2024-147
- Net domestic migration, 2024398
- Net international migration, 202413
- Total net migration, 2024411
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024990
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1592nd of 3,144
The county has grown 0.69 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024 and the population still grew, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Alexander County
Where are people moving to Alexander County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving925
- People arriving, from those returns1,700
- Tax returns filed by households leaving779
- Net household movement146
- Adjusted gross income arriving$50.2 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$15.8 m
- Average income of an arriving household$54,223
- Average income of a leaving household$44,114
- Largest single originCatawba County (228 households)
- Largest single destinationCatawba County (214 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catawba County | 228 | 443 | $14.3 m |
| Iredell County | 155 | 299 | $7.5 m |
| Caldwell County | 83 | 149 | $3.2 m |
| Burke County | 35 | 70 | $2.0 m |
| Mecklenburg County | 25 | 47 | $2.2 m |
Households arriving report $10,109 more average income than households leaving, so the migration is raising local spending power rather than just moving it around. The largest single source of arrivals is Catawba County, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Alexander County
What is the Alexander County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$1.20 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.14 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20245.2 percent
- GDP change over five years38.5 percent
- Rank by GDP among the North Carolina areas BEA publishes71st of 100
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes1695th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$32,860
Output grew 5.2 percent in the latest year and 38.5 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Alexander County
Employment by industry in Alexander County
- Covered employment, annual average8,510
- Establishments reporting699
- Average annual pay$46,164
- Average weekly wage$888
- Manufacturing, employment2,958
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$48,341
- Retail trade, employment756
- Retail trade, average annual pay$30,603
- Accommodation and food services, employment701
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$18,213
- Administrative and support and waste management services, employment357
- Administrative and support and waste management services, average annual pay$52,787
- Construction, employment316
- Finance and insurance, employment178
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 2,958 | 73 | $48,341 |
| Retail trade | 756 | 77 | $30,603 |
| Accommodation and food services | 701 | 46 | $18,213 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 357 | 48 | $52,787 |
| Construction | 316 | 82 | $49,000 |
| Finance and insurance | 178 | 34 | $56,598 |
| Other services, except public administration | 176 | 66 | $37,662 |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 73 | 10 | $19,184 |
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 2,958 jobs, 34.8 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Alexander County
How many businesses are in Alexander County?
- Establishments, all industries598
- Employment at those establishments8,199
- Annual payroll$311.1 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents16.4
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Alexander County
Building permits in Alexander County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 2024113
- Declared construction value permitted$19.4 m
- Single family units authorized113
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$171,643
- Units authorized per 1,000 households8.0
Single-family homes are 100.0 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Alexander County
SBA loans in Alexander County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded19
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$10.4 m
- Average 7(a) approval$545,826
- Median 7(a) approval$200,000
- Largest single approval$3,200,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)218
- Jobs per approval11.5
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active11
- Distinct industries receiving approvals14
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer21.1 percent
- Loans on real estate terms4
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter13
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countSpecialized Freight (except Used Goods) Trucking, Long-Distance (3)
- Most active lenderFirst Community Bank (5)
- 504 approvals recorded1
- 504 gross approval dollars$898,000
- Average 504 approval$898,000
- Median 504 approval$898,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval9.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved10.0
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$11.3 m
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Alexander County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Alexander County
Do SBA loans in Alexander County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded4
- Paid in full4
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full4
- Status: Exempt from disclosure13
- Status: Cancelled2
Only 4 loans have reached a final outcome, fewer than the 30 a charge-off rate needs, so no rate is published.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Alexander County
SBA lending by place in Alexander County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending4
- Taylorsville, approvals15
- Stony Point, approvals2
- Sherrills Point, approvals1
- Hiddenite, approvals1
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Taylorsville | 15 | $8,674,200 |
| Stony Point | 2 | $185,000 |
| Sherrills Point | 1 | $828,500 |
| Hiddenite | 1 | $683,000 |
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Alexander County
How large is Alexander County?
- Land area260 sq mi
- Rank by land area among North Carolina counties88th of 100
- Width, east to west18.4 mi
- Height, north to south18.6 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary4
- Residents per square mile of land140
- Establishments per square mile2.30
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Alexander County
Flood risk in Alexander County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Alexander County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 370398
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book2
- Of those, participating in the NFIP2
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Alexander County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/LZone 2
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Alexander County (community 370398), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Alexander County in radon zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. 100.0 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
Feasibility studies
When a Alexander County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Alexander County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202436,412
- Households14,126
- Average household size2.58
- Median household income$65,354
- Median age43.8
Common questions
Alexander County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Alexander County, North Carolina?
The Census Bureau estimates 36,693 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 36,412, in 14,126 households, ranking 67th of 100 North Carolina counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Alexander County's population growing?
The population has grown 0.69 percent since the 2020 census base of 36,443, to 36,693 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 333 births against 480 deaths, with net migration of 411. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Alexander County?
$65,354. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $211,800, which is 3.2 times income, and median gross rent is $764 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Alexander County?
598 establishments, employing 8,199 people with an annual payroll of $311.1 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Alexander County?
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 2,958 jobs, 34.8 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 8,510 jobs at an average annual pay of $46,164, or $888 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Alexander County?
19 7(a) approvals totaling $10.4 m since FY2020, across 11 lenders, with a median approval of $200,000, plus 1 504 approvals worth $898,000 since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Alexander County?
113 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $19.4 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Alexander County?
Zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Alexander County come from?
The largest single origin is Catawba County, with 228 households. Arriving households report an average income of $54,223 against $44,114 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Alexander County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Alexander County?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
Alexander County
Cities and places in Alexander.
4 Census places lie wholly or partly in Alexander County. All 4 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bethlehem | CDP | 4,101 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Taylorsville | town | 2,201 | 15 | Wholly in this county |
| Stony Point | CDP | 1,372 | 2 | 81.5 percent here, 18.5 percent Iredell County |
| Hiddenite | CDP | 290 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
A further 1 of the county's 19 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Alexander County, the largest being Sherrills Point (1). Those are postal cities, unincorporated areas and cities outside the county, so no place row claims them; they are counted in the county total above.