HomeNorth CarolinaCleveland County
Cleveland County, North Carolina: commercial real estate data.
Cleveland County, North Carolina had an estimated 102,194 residents on July 1, 2024, up 2.7 percent since the 2020 census base of 99,527, across 464 square miles. County output reached $6.03 bn in 2024, 2,028 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 47 7(a) approvals worth $35.7 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Cleveland County
How many people live in Cleveland County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024100,991
- Households38,850
- Average household size2.60
- Median household income$58,534
- Median age41.3
- Median gross rent$914 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$200,000
- Home value to household income3.4 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income18.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher21.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree8.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over69,701
- Population under 1822,528
- Share under 1822.3 percent
- Population 65 and over18,996
- Share 65 and over18.8 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6459,467
- Civilian labor force47,468
- Unemployment rate5.2 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over60.5 percent
- Rank by population among North Carolina counties29th of 100
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included614th of 3,222
Cleveland County is the 29th largest of 100 North Carolina counties by population. A median home costs 3.4 times median household income, which is moderately unaffordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 22.3 percent against 18.8 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Cleveland County
Is Cleveland County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 2024102,194
- Census 2020 base population99,527
- Population change since the 2020 census base2.68 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024633
- Births, 20241,104
- Deaths, 20241,468
- Natural change, 2024-364
- Net domestic migration, 2024908
- Net international migration, 202496
- Total net migration, 20241,004
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20243,636
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents956th of 3,144
The county has grown 2.68 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.
Cleveland County
Where are people moving to Cleveland County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving2,466
- People arriving, from those returns4,710
- Tax returns filed by households leaving2,039
- Net household movement427
- Adjusted gross income arriving$118.0 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$28.7 m
- Average income of an arriving household$47,862
- Average income of a leaving household$43,791
- Largest single originGaston County (674 households)
- Largest single destinationGaston County (524 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gaston County | 674 | 1,395 | $28.5 m |
| Mecklenburg County | 237 | 422 | $12.0 m |
| Rutherford County | 172 | 315 | $7.6 m |
| Lincoln County | 113 | 235 | $5.4 m |
| York County | 80 | 154 | $3.4 m |
| Cherokee County | 71 | 127 | $1.9 m |
| Catawba County | 55 | 107 | $2.2 m |
| Spartanburg County | 37 | 59 | $2.0 m |
Households arriving report $4,071 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 Gaston 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.
Cleveland County
What is the Cleveland County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$6.03 bn
- County GDP, 2023$5.82 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20243.5 percent
- GDP change over five years37.2 percent
- Rank by GDP among the North Carolina areas BEA publishes26th of 100
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes648th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$59,662
Output grew 3.5 percent in the latest year and 37.2 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.
Cleveland County
Employment by industry in Cleveland County
- Covered employment, annual average36,696
- Establishments reporting2,287
- Average annual pay$53,753
- Average weekly wage$1,034
- Manufacturing, employment7,075
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$68,441
- Retail trade, employment4,208
- Retail trade, average annual pay$35,806
- Health care and social assistance, employment3,317
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$45,149
- Accommodation and food services, employment2,863
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$19,894
- Construction, employment2,388
- Transportation and warehousing, employment2,180
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 7,075 | 128 | $68,441 |
| Retail trade | 4,208 | 376 | $35,806 |
| Health care and social assistance | 3,317 | 238 | $45,149 |
| Accommodation and food services | 2,863 | 190 | $19,894 |
| Construction | 2,388 | 235 | $68,515 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 2,180 | 74 | $49,479 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 1,810 | 155 | $40,557 |
| Educational services | 1,021 | 20 | $38,264 |
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 7,075 jobs, 19.3 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Cleveland County
How many businesses are in Cleveland County?
- Establishments, all industries2,028
- Employment at those establishments30,800
- Annual payroll$1.44 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents20.1
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.
Cleveland County
Building permits in Cleveland County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 2024513
- Declared construction value permitted$119.2 m
- Single family units authorized403
- Multifamily units authorized110
- Multifamily share of units21.4 percent
- Average declared value per unit$232,427
- Units authorized per 1,000 households13.2
Single-family homes are 78.6 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Cleveland County
SBA loans in Cleveland County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded47
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$35.7 m
- Average 7(a) approval$759,228
- Median 7(a) approval$440,000
- 10th percentile approval$20,000
- 90th percentile approval$2,068,800
- Largest single approval$3,014,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)540
- Jobs per approval11.5
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active25
- Distinct industries receiving approvals33
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer29.8 percent
- Loans on real estate terms14
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter28
- Franchise loans7
- Franchise share of approvals14.9 percent
- Leading industry by approval countBroilers and Other Meat Type Chicken Production (5)
- Most active lenderLive Oak Banking Company (5)
- 504 approvals recorded5
- 504 gross approval dollars$3.0 m
- Average 504 approval$591,000
- Median 504 approval$575,000
- Distinct CDCs active2
- 504 jobs per approval10.2
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved17.3
- Most active CDCCarolina Business Capital, Inc. (4)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$38.6 m
The average approval of $759,228 sits well above the median of $440,000, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here gets. Only 29.8 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
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.
Cleveland County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Cleveland County
Do SBA loans in Cleveland County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded13
- Paid in full11
- Charged off2
- Status: Exempt from disclosure23
- Status: Paid in full11
- Status: Charged off2
- Status: Cancelled8
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed3
Only 13 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.
Cleveland County
SBA lending by place in Cleveland County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending6
- Shelby, approvals31
- Kings Mountain, approvals10
- Grover, approvals3
- Huntersville, approvals1
- Lawndale, approvals1
- Mooresboro, approvals1
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Shelby | 31 | $18,023,100 |
| Kings Mountain | 10 | $4,077,600 |
| Grover | 3 | $7,378,000 |
| Huntersville | 1 | $2,440,000 |
| Lawndale | 1 | $2,172,000 |
| Mooresboro | 1 | $1,593,000 |
Shelby accounts for 31 approvals against 10 in Kings Mountain. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Cleveland County
How large is Cleveland County?
- Land area464 sq mi
- Rank by land area among North Carolina counties50th of 100
- Width, east to west25.2 mi
- Height, north to south28.8 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land218
- Establishments per square mile4.37
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.
Cleveland County
Flood risk in Cleveland County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Cleveland County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 370302
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book13
- Of those, participating in the NFIP12
- NFIP participation rate92.3 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Cleveland 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 Cleveland County (community 370302), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Cleveland 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. 92.3 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 Cleveland 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 Cleveland County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024100,991
- Households38,850
- Average household size2.60
- Median household income$58,534
- Median age41.3
Common questions
Cleveland County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Cleveland County, North Carolina?
The Census Bureau estimates 102,194 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 100,991, in 38,850 households, ranking 29th of 100 North Carolina counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Cleveland County's population growing?
The population has grown 2.68 percent since the 2020 census base of 99,527, to 102,194 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 1,104 births against 1,468 deaths, with net migration of 1,004. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Cleveland County?
$58,534. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $200,000, which is 3.4 times income, and median gross rent is $914 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Cleveland County?
2,028 establishments, employing 30,800 people with an annual payroll of $1.44 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Cleveland County?
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 7,075 jobs, 19.3 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 36,696 jobs at an average annual pay of $53,753, or $1,034 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Cleveland County?
47 7(a) approvals totaling $35.7 m since FY2020, across 25 lenders, with a median approval of $440,000, plus 5 504 approvals worth $3.0 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Cleveland County?
513 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $119.2 m. Multifamily was 21.4 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Cleveland 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 Cleveland County come from?
The largest single origin is Gaston County, with 674 households. Arriving households report an average income of $47,862 against $43,791 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Cleveland 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 Cleveland 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.
Cleveland County
Cities and places in Cleveland.
16 Census places lie wholly or partly in Cleveland County. All 16 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shelby | city | 22,100 | 31 | Wholly in this county |
| Kings Mountain | city | 12,039 | 10 | 83.8 percent here, 16.2 percent Gaston County |
| Boiling Springs | town | 4,757 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Belwood | town | 893 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Patterson Springs | town | 845 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Lawndale | town | 739 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Grover | town | 621 | 3 | Wholly in this county |
| Fallston | town | 616 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Polkville | city | 536 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Lattimore | town | 526 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Kingstown | town | 381 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Casar | town | 373 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Earl | town | 309 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Light Oak | CDP | 277 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Mooresboro | town | 190 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Waco | town | 171 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
A further 1 of the county's 47 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Cleveland County, the largest being Huntersville (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.