HomeNorth CarolinaHenderson County
Henderson County, North Carolina: commercial real estate data.
Henderson County, North Carolina had an estimated 120,771 residents on July 1, 2024, up 3.8 percent since the 2020 census base of 116,304, across 373 square miles. County output reached $6.37 bn in 2024, 3,085 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 117 7(a) approvals worth $83.8 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Henderson County
How many people live in Henderson County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024118,484
- Households51,067
- Average household size2.32
- Median household income$68,187
- Median age47.5
- Median gross rent$1,187 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$351,400
- Home value to household income5.2 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income20.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher36.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree13.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over88,826
- Population under 1822,143
- Share under 1818.7 percent
- Population 65 and over31,376
- Share 65 and over26.5 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6464,965
- Civilian labor force56,608
- Unemployment rate3.5 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over58.8 percent
- Rank by population among North Carolina counties25th of 100
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included540th of 3,222
Henderson County is the 25th largest of 100 North Carolina counties by population. A median home costs 5.2 times median household income, which is severely unaffordable by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 26.5 percent against 18.7 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.
Henderson County
Is Henderson County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 2024120,771
- Census 2020 base population116,304
- Population change since the 2020 census base3.84 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 20241,195
- Births, 20241,080
- Deaths, 20241,566
- Natural change, 2024-486
- Net domestic migration, 20241,200
- Net international migration, 2024471
- Total net migration, 20241,671
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20245,413
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents716th of 3,144
The county has grown 3.84 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.
Henderson County
Where are people moving to Henderson County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving4,146
- People arriving, from those returns7,234
- Tax returns filed by households leaving3,359
- Net household movement787
- Adjusted gross income arriving$395.1 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$146.7 m
- Average income of an arriving household$95,308
- Average income of a leaving household$73,970
- Largest single originBuncombe County (1,141 households)
- Largest single destinationBuncombe County (809 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buncombe County | 1,141 | 2,032 | $86.6 m |
| Transylvania County | 138 | 236 | $7.8 m |
| Greenville County | 85 | 144 | $8.3 m |
| Polk County | 69 | 116 | $5.1 m |
| Wake County | 66 | 103 | $5.9 m |
| Mecklenburg County | 61 | 97 | $5.9 m |
| Haywood County | 59 | 102 | $3.8 m |
| Rutherford County | 50 | 92 | $2.2 m |
Households arriving report $21,338 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 Buncombe 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.
Henderson County
What is the Henderson County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$6.37 bn
- County GDP, 2023$5.98 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20246.5 percent
- GDP change over five years46.6 percent
- Rank by GDP among the North Carolina areas BEA publishes25th of 100
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes621st of 3,127
- GDP per resident$53,778
Output grew 6.5 percent in the latest year and 46.6 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.
Henderson County
Employment by industry in Henderson County
- Covered employment, annual average44,207
- Establishments reporting4,120
- Average annual pay$54,106
- Average weekly wage$1,041
- Health care and social assistance, employment6,644
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$59,545
- Manufacturing, employment5,807
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$67,344
- Retail trade, employment5,634
- Retail trade, average annual pay$40,158
- Accommodation and food services, employment4,161
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$26,910
- Construction, employment2,717
- Administrative and support and waste management services, employment2,413
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 6,644 | 446 | $59,545 |
| Manufacturing | 5,807 | 153 | $67,344 |
| Retail trade | 5,634 | 408 | $40,158 |
| Accommodation and food services | 4,161 | 282 | $26,910 |
| Construction | 2,717 | 539 | $62,677 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 2,413 | 315 | $48,508 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 1,920 | 92 | $50,539 |
| Wholesale trade | 1,794 | 215 | $67,750 |
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 6,644 jobs, 15.0 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Henderson County
How many businesses are in Henderson County?
- Establishments, all industries3,085
- Employment at those establishments38,824
- Annual payroll$1.90 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents26.0
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.
Henderson County
Building permits in Henderson County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 20241,610
- Declared construction value permitted$468.0 m
- Single family units authorized988
- Multifamily units authorized622
- Multifamily share of units38.6 percent
- Average declared value per unit$290,667
- Units authorized per 1,000 households31.5
Single-family homes are 61.4 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Henderson County
SBA loans in Henderson County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded117
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$83.8 m
- Average 7(a) approval$716,010
- Median 7(a) approval$290,000
- 10th percentile approval$50,000
- 90th percentile approval$2,093,040
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)1,726
- Jobs per approval14.8
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active45
- Distinct industries receiving approvals67
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer12.8 percent
- Loans on real estate terms15
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter91
- Franchise loans13
- Franchise share of approvals11.1 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFull-Service Restaurants (6)
- Most active lenderTD Bank, National Association (15)
- 504 approvals recorded17
- 504 gross approval dollars$7.9 m
- Average 504 approval$463,176
- Median 504 approval$389,000
- Distinct CDCs active3
- 504 jobs per approval6.4
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved13.7
- Most active CDCBusiness Expansion Funding Corporation (13)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$91.6 m
The average approval of $716,010 sits well above the median of $290,000, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here gets. Only 12.8 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.
Henderson County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Henderson County
Do SBA loans in Henderson County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded28
- Paid in full28
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full28
- Status: Exempt from disclosure64
- Status: Cancelled21
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed4
Only 28 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.
Henderson County
SBA lending by place in Henderson County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending9
- Hendersonville, approvals58
- Fletcher, approvals29
- Mills River, approvals9
- Flat Rock, approvals6
- Etowah, approvals5
- Zirconia, approvals4
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Hendersonville | 58 | $34,703,300 |
| Fletcher | 29 | $19,404,600 |
| Mills River | 9 | $17,705,800 |
| Flat Rock | 6 | $6,623,200 |
| Etowah | 5 | $3,101,500 |
| Zirconia | 4 | $1,149,600 |
| Penrose | 4 | $665,200 |
| Anderson | 1 | $330,000 |
| 1 other borrower city | 1 | $90,000 |
Hendersonville accounts for 58 approvals against 29 in Fletcher. 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.
Henderson County
How large is Henderson County?
- Land area373 sq mi
- Rank by land area among North Carolina counties70th of 100
- Width, east to west27.3 mi
- Height, north to south22.2 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land318
- Establishments per square mile8.27
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.
Henderson County
Flood risk in Henderson County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Henderson County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 370125
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book7
- Of those, participating in the NFIP6
- NFIP participation rate85.7 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Henderson County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/LZone 1
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Henderson County (community 370125), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Henderson County in radon zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. 85.7 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 Henderson 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 Henderson County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024118,484
- Households51,067
- Average household size2.32
- Median household income$68,187
- Median age47.5
Common questions
Henderson County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Henderson County, North Carolina?
The Census Bureau estimates 120,771 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 118,484, in 51,067 households, ranking 25th of 100 North Carolina counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Henderson County's population growing?
The population has grown 3.84 percent since the 2020 census base of 116,304, to 120,771 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 1,080 births against 1,566 deaths, with net migration of 1,671. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Henderson County?
$68,187. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $351,400, which is 5.2 times income, and median gross rent is $1,187 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Henderson County?
3,085 establishments, employing 38,824 people with an annual payroll of $1.90 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 Henderson County?
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 6,644 jobs, 15.0 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 44,207 jobs at an average annual pay of $54,106, or $1,041 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Henderson County?
117 7(a) approvals totaling $83.8 m since FY2020, across 45 lenders, with a median approval of $290,000, plus 17 504 approvals worth $7.9 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Henderson County?
1,610 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $468.0 m. Multifamily was 38.6 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Henderson County?
Zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 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 Henderson County come from?
The largest single origin is Buncombe County, with 1,141 households. Arriving households report an average income of $95,308 against $73,970 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Henderson 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 Henderson 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.
Henderson County
Cities and places in Henderson.
18 Census places lie wholly or partly in Henderson County. All 18 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hendersonville | city | 15,408 | 58 | Wholly in this county |
| Fletcher | town | 8,098 | 29 | Wholly in this county |
| Etowah | CDP | 7,968 | 5 | Wholly in this county |
| Mills River | town | 7,281 | 9 | Wholly in this county |
| East Flat Rock | CDP | 6,323 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Dana | CDP | 4,147 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Flat Rock | village | 3,530 | 6 | Wholly in this county |
| Mountain Home | CDP | 3,437 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Edneyville | CDP | 2,716 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Valley Hill | CDP | 2,675 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Laurel Park | town | 2,408 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Fruitland | CDP | 2,398 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Hoopers Creek | CDP | 1,683 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Horse Shoe | CDP | 1,490 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Balfour | CDP | 1,134 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Barker Heights | CDP | 1,074 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Saluda | city | 683 | None recorded | 3.9 percent here, 96.1 percent Polk County |
| Gerton | CDP | 110 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
A further 9 of the county's 117 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Henderson County, the largest being Zirconia (4), Penrose (4), Anderson (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.