HomeNorth CarolinaColumbus County
Columbus County, North Carolina: commercial real estate data.
Columbus County, North Carolina had an estimated 50,054 residents on July 1, 2024, down 1.1 percent since the 2020 census base of 50,625, across 937 square miles. County output reached $1.92 bn in 2024, 997 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 14 7(a) approvals worth $17.9 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Columbus County
How many people live in Columbus County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202450,140
- Households20,048
- Average household size2.50
- Median household income$49,442
- Median age42.6
- Median gross rent$824 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$146,000
- Home value to household income3.0 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income20.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher14.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree4.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over35,543
- Population under 1810,334
- Share under 1820.6 percent
- Population 65 and over10,376
- Share 65 and over20.7 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6429,430
- Civilian labor force20,699
- Unemployment rate4.4 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over52.0 percent
- Rank by population among North Carolina counties51st of 100
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included1012th of 3,222
Columbus County is the 51st largest of 100 North Carolina counties by population. A median home costs 3.0 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 20.7 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.
Columbus County
Is Columbus County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202450,054
- Census 2020 base population50,625
- Population change since the 2020 census base-1.13 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024-86
- Births, 2024540
- Deaths, 2024805
- Natural change, 2024-265
- Net domestic migration, 2024154
- Net international migration, 202424
- Total net migration, 2024178
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024597
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2231st of 3,144
The county has lost 1.13 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024 by more than net migration added, so the population fell even though more people moved in than left.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Columbus County
Where are people moving to Columbus County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving1,043
- People arriving, from those returns1,911
- Tax returns filed by households leaving877
- Net household movement166
- Adjusted gross income arriving$42.8 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$10.0 m
- Average income of an arriving household$40,996
- Average income of a leaving household$37,409
- Largest single originBrunswick County (138 households)
- Largest single destinationHorry County (106 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brunswick County | 138 | 283 | $5.9 m |
| New Hanover County | 106 | 176 | $3.8 m |
| Horry County | 106 | 200 | $3.6 m |
| Bladen County | 83 | 168 | $3.2 m |
| Robeson County | 44 | 89 | $1.2 m |
| Cumberland County | 33 | 51 | $843,000 |
| Mecklenburg County | 26 | 44 | $1.3 m |
Households arriving report $3,587 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 Brunswick 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.
Columbus County
What is the Columbus County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$1.92 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.90 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20241.1 percent
- GDP change over five years23.8 percent
- Rank by GDP among the North Carolina areas BEA publishes63rd of 100
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes1317th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$38,247
Output grew 1.1 percent in the latest year and 23.8 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.
Columbus County
Employment by industry in Columbus County
- Covered employment, annual average14,466
- Establishments reporting1,217
- Average annual pay$47,896
- Average weekly wage$921
- Health care and social assistance, employment2,592
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$43,810
- Retail trade, employment1,933
- Retail trade, average annual pay$30,284
- Manufacturing, employment1,591
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$71,517
- Accommodation and food services, employment1,162
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$18,767
- Administrative and support and waste management services, employment1,032
- Construction, employment506
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 2,592 | 169 | $43,810 |
| Retail trade | 1,933 | 193 | $30,284 |
| Manufacturing | 1,591 | 36 | $71,517 |
| Accommodation and food services | 1,162 | 96 | $18,767 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 1,032 | 62 | $39,725 |
| Construction | 506 | 113 | $55,883 |
| Finance and insurance | 484 | 51 | $55,405 |
| Other services, except public administration | 282 | 101 | $40,480 |
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 2,592 jobs, 17.9 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Columbus County
How many businesses are in Columbus County?
- Establishments, all industries997
- Employment at those establishments11,658
- Annual payroll$496.9 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents19.9
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.
Columbus County
Building permits in Columbus County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 202455
- Declared construction value permitted$13.7 m
- Single family units authorized55
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$248,509
- Units authorized per 1,000 households2.7
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.
Columbus County
SBA loans in Columbus County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded14
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$17.9 m
- Average 7(a) approval$1,277,243
- Median 7(a) approval$640,200
- Largest single approval$4,600,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)102
- Jobs per approval7.3
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active9
- Distinct industries receiving approvals10
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer35.7 percent
- Loans on real estate terms5
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter9
- Franchise loans1
- Franchise share of approvals7.1 percent
- Leading industry by approval countBerry (except Strawberry) Farming (4)
- Most active lenderThe First Bank and Trust Company (4)
- 504 approvals recorded3
- 504 gross approval dollars$3.0 m
- Average 504 approval$1,003,667
- Median 504 approval$1,082,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval1.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved1.0
- Most active CDCBusiness Expansion Funding Corporation (3)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$20.9 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.
Columbus County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Columbus County
Do SBA loans in Columbus County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded5
- Paid in full5
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full5
- Status: Exempt from disclosure6
- Status: Cancelled3
Only 5 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.
Columbus County
SBA lending by place in Columbus County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending6
- Whiteville, approvals8
- Tabor City, approvals2
- Chadbourn, approvals1
- Nakina, approvals1
- Lake Waccamaw, approvals1
- Riegelwood, approvals1
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Whiteville | 8 | $15,648,900 |
| Tabor City | 2 | $50,000 |
| Chadbourn | 1 | $1,050,000 |
| Nakina | 1 | $800,000 |
| Lake Waccamaw | 1 | $292,500 |
| Riegelwood | 1 | $40,000 |
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Columbus County
How large is Columbus County?
- Land area937 sq mi
- Rank by land area among North Carolina counties3rd of 100
- Width, east to west52 mi
- Height, north to south37.2 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land54
- Establishments per square mile1.06
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.
Columbus County
Flood risk in Columbus County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Columbus County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 370305
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book11
- Of those, participating in the NFIP11
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Best Community Rating System class in the county A lower CRS class is a larger flood insurance premium discount.Class 9
- Communities carrying a CRS class1
- Radon levels in Columbus 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 Columbus County (community 370305), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Columbus 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. The best Community Rating System class among the county's communities is 9, which carries a flood insurance premium discount for policies written in that community. 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 Columbus 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 Columbus County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202450,140
- Households20,048
- Average household size2.50
- Median household income$49,442
- Median age42.6
Common questions
Columbus County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Columbus County, North Carolina?
The Census Bureau estimates 50,054 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 50,140, in 20,048 households, ranking 51st of 100 North Carolina counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Columbus County's population growing?
The population has fallen 1.13 percent since the 2020 census base of 50,625, to 50,054 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 540 births against 805 deaths, with net migration of 178. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Columbus County?
$49,442. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $146,000, which is 3.0 times income, and median gross rent is $824 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Columbus County?
997 establishments, employing 11,658 people with an annual payroll of $496.9 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 Columbus County?
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 2,592 jobs, 17.9 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 14,466 jobs at an average annual pay of $47,896, or $921 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Columbus County?
14 7(a) approvals totaling $17.9 m since FY2020, across 9 lenders, with a median approval of $640,200, plus 3 504 approvals worth $3.0 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Columbus County?
55 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $13.7 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Columbus 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 Columbus County come from?
The largest single origin is Brunswick County, with 138 households. Arriving households report an average income of $40,996 against $37,409 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Columbus 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 Columbus 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.
Columbus County
Cities and places in Columbus.
14 Census places lie wholly or partly in Columbus County. All 14 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whiteville | city | 4,696 | 8 | Wholly in this county |
| Tabor City | town | 3,777 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Lake Waccamaw | town | 1,770 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Chadbourn | town | 1,352 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Brunswick | town | 937 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Sandyfield | town | 763 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Fair Bluff | town | 695 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Riegelwood | CDP | 649 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Bolton | town | 504 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Evergreen | CDP | 421 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Cerro Gordo | town | 319 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Hallsboro | CDP | 291 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Delco | CDP | 258 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Boardman | town | 210 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
A further 1 of the county's 14 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Columbus County, the largest being Nakina (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.