HomeNorth CarolinaBladen County
Bladen County, North Carolina: commercial real estate data.
Bladen County, North Carolina had an estimated 29,777 residents on July 1, 2024, up 0.5 percent since the 2020 census base of 29,615, across 874 square miles. County output reached $1.86 bn in 2024, 540 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 6 7(a) approvals worth $1.1 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Bladen County
How many people live in Bladen County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202429,566
- Households11,824
- Average household size2.50
- Median household income$42,422
- Median age44.7
- Median gross rent$773 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$135,100
- Home value to household income3.2 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income21.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher19.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree5.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over21,282
- Population under 186,094
- Share under 1820.6 percent
- Population 65 and over6,935
- Share 65 and over23.5 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6416,537
- Civilian labor force11,903
- Unemployment rate5.4 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over50.7 percent
- Rank by population among North Carolina counties71st of 100
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included1487th of 3,222
Bladen County is the 71st 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 23.5 percent against 20.6 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.
Bladen County
Is Bladen County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202429,777
- Census 2020 base population29,615
- Population change since the 2020 census base0.55 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024272
- Births, 2024353
- Deaths, 2024448
- Natural change, 2024-95
- Net domestic migration, 2024325
- Net international migration, 202444
- Total net migration, 2024369
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024717
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1633rd of 3,144
The county has grown 0.55 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.
Bladen County
Where are people moving to Bladen County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving668
- People arriving, from those returns1,277
- Tax returns filed by households leaving593
- Net household movement75
- Adjusted gross income arriving$30.6 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$6.0 m
- Average income of an arriving household$45,741
- Average income of a leaving household$41,352
- Largest single originCumberland County (99 households)
- Largest single destinationCumberland County (100 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cumberland County | 99 | 212 | $5.2 m |
| Robeson County | 81 | 177 | $2.9 m |
| Columbus County | 61 | 122 | $2.2 m |
| Brunswick County | 33 | 56 | $1.0 m |
| Sampson County | 31 | 59 | $1.2 m |
| New Hanover County | 29 | 41 | $1.3 m |
Households arriving report $4,389 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 Cumberland 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.
Bladen County
What is the Bladen County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$1.86 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.82 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20242.7 percent
- GDP change over five years31.1 percent
- Rank by GDP among the North Carolina areas BEA publishes64th of 100
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes1346th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$63,051
Output grew 2.7 percent in the latest year and 31.1 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.
Bladen County
Employment by industry in Bladen County
- Covered employment, annual average13,453
- Establishments reporting677
- Average annual pay$48,430
- Average weekly wage$931
- Manufacturing, employment6,438
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$52,338
- Retail trade, employment805
- Retail trade, average annual pay$27,952
- Transportation and warehousing, employment707
- Transportation and warehousing, average annual pay$57,217
- Accommodation and food services, employment624
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$22,188
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, employment543
- Health care and social assistance, employment514
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 6,438 | 37 | $52,338 |
| Retail trade | 805 | 98 | $27,952 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 707 | 43 | $57,217 |
| Accommodation and food services | 624 | 56 | $22,188 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting | 543 | 81 | $47,365 |
| Health care and social assistance | 514 | 45 | $34,002 |
| Construction | 341 | 62 | $54,501 |
| Educational services | 138 | 7 | $35,843 |
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 6,438 jobs, 47.9 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Bladen County
How many businesses are in Bladen County?
- Establishments, all industries540
- Employment at those establishments10,734
- Annual payroll$529.8 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents18.3
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.
Bladen County
Building permits in Bladen County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 2024159
- Declared construction value permitted$34.3 m
- Single family units authorized159
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$215,707
- Units authorized per 1,000 households13.4
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.
Bladen County
SBA loans in Bladen County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded6
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$1.1 m
- Average 7(a) approval$175,000
- Median 7(a) approval$150,000
- Largest single approval$350,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)23
- Jobs per approval3.8
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active5
- Distinct industries receiving approvals4
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer0.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms0
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter6
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Bladen County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Bladen County
Do SBA loans in Bladen County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded2
- Paid in full0
- Charged off2
- Status: Exempt from disclosure2
- Status: Charged off2
- Status: Cancelled2
Only 2 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.
Bladen County
SBA lending by place in Bladen County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending2
- Bladenboro, approvals3
- Elizabethtown, approvals3
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Bladenboro | 3 | $600,000 |
| Elizabethtown | 3 | $450,000 |
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Bladen County
How large is Bladen County?
- Land area874 sq mi
- Rank by land area among North Carolina counties4th of 100
- Width, east to west41.3 mi
- Height, north to south33.8 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land34
- Establishments per square mile0.62
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.
Bladen County
Flood risk in Bladen County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Bladen County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 370293
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book6
- Of those, participating in the NFIP6
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Bladen County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/LZone 3
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Bladen County (community 370293), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Bladen County in radon zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 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 Bladen 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 Bladen County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202429,566
- Households11,824
- Average household size2.50
- Median household income$42,422
- Median age44.7
Common questions
Bladen County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Bladen County, North Carolina?
The Census Bureau estimates 29,777 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 29,566, in 11,824 households, ranking 71st of 100 North Carolina counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Bladen County's population growing?
The population has grown 0.55 percent since the 2020 census base of 29,615, to 29,777 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 353 births against 448 deaths, with net migration of 369. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Bladen County?
$42,422. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $135,100, which is 3.2 times income, and median gross rent is $773 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Bladen County?
540 establishments, employing 10,734 people with an annual payroll of $529.8 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 Bladen County?
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 6,438 jobs, 47.9 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 13,453 jobs at an average annual pay of $48,430, or $931 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Bladen County?
6 7(a) approvals totaling $1.1 m since FY2020, across 5 lenders, with a median approval of $150,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Bladen County?
159 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $34.3 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Bladen County?
Zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Bladen County come from?
The largest single origin is Cumberland County, with 99 households. Arriving households report an average income of $45,741 against $41,352 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Bladen 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 Bladen 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.
Bladen County
Cities and places in Bladen.
10 Census places lie wholly or partly in Bladen County. All 10 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elizabethtown | town | 3,277 | 3 | Wholly in this county |
| Bladenboro | town | 2,249 | 3 | Wholly in this county |
| White Lake | town | 970 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Clarkton | town | 740 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Kelly | CDP | 616 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| East Arcadia | town | 444 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Dublin | town | 349 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| White Oak | CDP | 191 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Tar Heel | town | 69 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Butters | CDP | 62 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |