HomeNorth CarolinaGates County
Gates County, North Carolina: commercial real estate data.
Gates County, North Carolina had an estimated 10,299 residents on July 1, 2024, down 1.7 percent since the 2020 census base of 10,476, across 340 square miles. County output reached $240.0 m in 2024, 115 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 4 7(a) approvals worth $1.3 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Gates County
How many people live in Gates County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202410,376
- Households4,192
- Average household size2.48
- Median household income$66,333
- Median age47.6
- Median gross rent$1,143 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$170,800
- Home value to household income2.6 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income20.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher10.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree4.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over7,595
- Population under 181,994
- Share under 1819.2 percent
- Population 65 and over2,357
- Share 65 and over22.7 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 646,025
- Civilian labor force4,751
- Unemployment rate5.9 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over56.7 percent
- Rank by population among North Carolina counties96th of 100
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included2460th of 3,222
Gates County is the 96th largest of 100 North Carolina counties by population. A median home costs 2.6 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 22.7 percent against 19.2 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.
Gates County
Is Gates County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202410,299
- Census 2020 base population10,476
- Population change since the 2020 census base-1.69 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024-55
- Births, 202473
- Deaths, 2024137
- Natural change, 2024-64
- Net domestic migration, 202413
- Net international migration, 2024-4
- Total net migration, 20249
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024103
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2418th of 3,144
The county has lost 1.69 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.
Gates County
Where are people moving to Gates County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving221
- People arriving, from those returns445
- Tax returns filed by households leaving214
- Net household movement7
- Adjusted gross income arriving$10.4 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$109,000
- Average income of an arriving household$47,244
- Average income of a leaving household$48,280
- Largest single originSuffolk city (40 households)
- Largest single destinationSuffolk city (38 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suffolk city | 40 | 77 | $1.5 m |
| Virginia Beach city | 23 | 47 | $1.3 m |
| Pasquotank County | 20 | 42 | $594,000 |
Households arriving report $1,036 less average income than households leaving, which drains spending power even where headcount holds up. The largest single source of arrivals is Suffolk city, 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.
Gates County
What is the Gates County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$240.0 m
- County GDP, 2023$231.9 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20243.5 percent
- GDP change over five years11.3 percent
- Rank by GDP among the North Carolina areas BEA publishes97th of 100
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes2820th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$23,128
Output grew 3.5 percent in the latest year and 11.3 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.
Gates County
Employment by industry in Gates County
- Covered employment, annual average1,408
- Establishments reporting204
- Average annual pay$44,429
- Average weekly wage$854
- Retail trade, employment179
- Retail trade, average annual pay$36,546
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, employment160
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, average annual pay$47,208
- Other services, except public administration, employment57
- Other services, except public administration, average annual pay$37,725
- Professional, scientific and technical services, employment37
- Professional, scientific and technical services, average annual pay$40,128
- Administrative and support and waste management services, employment22
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 179 | 22 | $36,546 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting | 160 | 20 | $47,208 |
| Other services, except public administration | 57 | 21 | $37,725 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 37 | 17 | $40,128 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 22 | 10 | $118,874 |
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 179 jobs, 12.7 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Gates County
How many businesses are in Gates County?
- Establishments, all industries115
- Employment at those establishments882
- Annual payroll$40.5 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents11.1
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.
Gates County
Building permits in Gates County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 202414
- Declared construction value permitted$2.6 m
- Single family units authorized14
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$185,809
- Units authorized per 1,000 households3.3
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.
Gates County
SBA loans in Gates County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded4
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$1.3 m
- Average 7(a) approval$317,750
- Median 7(a) approval$275,000
- Largest single approval$711,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)43
- Jobs per approval10.8
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active3
- Distinct industries receiving approvals4
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer25.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms1
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter3
- 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.
Gates County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Gates County
Do SBA loans in Gates County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded0
- Paid in full0
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure4
Only 0 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.
Gates County
SBA lending by place in Gates County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending3
- Corapeake, approvals2
- Sunbury, approvals1
- Eure, approvals1
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Corapeake | 2 | $761,000 |
| Sunbury | 1 | $500,000 |
| Eure | 1 | $10,000 |
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Gates County
How large is Gates County?
- Land area340 sq mi
- Rank by land area among North Carolina counties76th of 100
- Width, east to west26.6 mi
- Height, north to south17.6 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary7
- Residents per square mile of land31
- Establishments per square mile0.34
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.
Gates County
Flood risk in Gates County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Gates County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 370103
- 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 Gates 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 Gates County (community 370103), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Gates 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 Gates 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 Gates County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202410,376
- Households4,192
- Average household size2.48
- Median household income$66,333
- Median age47.6
Common questions
Gates County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Gates County, North Carolina?
The Census Bureau estimates 10,299 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 10,376, in 4,192 households, ranking 96th of 100 North Carolina counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Gates County's population growing?
The population has fallen 1.69 percent since the 2020 census base of 10,476, to 10,299 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 73 births against 137 deaths, with net migration of 9. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Gates County?
$66,333. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $170,800, which is 2.6 times income, and median gross rent is $1,143 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Gates County?
115 establishments, employing 882 people with an annual payroll of $40.5 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 Gates County?
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 179 jobs, 12.7 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 1,408 jobs at an average annual pay of $44,429, or $854 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Gates County?
4 7(a) approvals totaling $1.3 m since FY2020, across 3 lenders, with a median approval of $275,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Gates County?
14 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $2.6 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Gates 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 Gates County come from?
The largest single origin is Suffolk city, with 40 households. Arriving households report an average income of $47,244 against $48,280 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Gates 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 Gates 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.
Gates County
Cities and places in Gates.
2 Census places lie wholly or partly in Gates County. All 2 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gatesville | town | 320 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Sunbury | CDP | 251 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
A further 3 of the county's 4 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Gates County, the largest being Corapeake (2), Eure (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.