HomeNorth CarolinaRowan County
Rowan County, North Carolina: commercial real estate data.
Rowan County, North Carolina has a population of 149,875 across 511 square miles, up 4.4 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $7.89 bn in 2024, 2,908 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 65 7(a) approvals worth $55.3 m.
126 sourced county values · tier FULL · 12 sections · underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency
Rowan County
How many people live in Rowan County
- Population149,875
- Households58,899
- Average household size2.54
- Median household income$65,725
- Median age40.4
- Median gross rent$1,013 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$238,400
- Home value to household income3.6 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income18.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher23.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree7.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over103,579
- Population under 1833,228
- Share under 1822.2 percent
- Population 65 and over26,593
- Share 65 and over17.7 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6490,054
- Civilian labor force71,927
- Unemployment rate5.3 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over61.7 percent
- Rank by population among North Carolina counties20th of 100
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents458th
Rowan County is the 20th largest of 100 North Carolina counties by population. A median home costs 3.6 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 22.2 percent against 17.7 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Rowan County
Is Rowan County's population growing?
- Population change since the 2020 census base4.43 percent
- Census 2020 base population146,875
- Births, 20241,622
- Deaths, 20241,873
- Natural change, 2024-251
- Net domestic migration, 20241,248
- Net international migration, 2024503
- Total net migration, 20241,751
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20246,734
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents624th
The county has grown 4.43 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration alone 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.
Rowan County
Where are people moving to Rowan County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving4,381
- People arriving, from those returns8,034
- Adjusted gross income arriving$241.5 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$55,121
- Largest single originRowan County Non-migrants (52,544 households)
- Largest single destination (52,544 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rowan County Non-migrants | 52,544 | 106,464 | $3.53 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 1,214 | 2,227 | $73.2 m |
| Cabarrus County | 1,148 | 2,214 | $60.7 m |
| Mecklenburg County | 649 | 1,190 | $37.6 m |
| Other flows - South | 612 | 1,079 | $37.2 m |
| Iredell County | 363 | 665 | $19.4 m |
| Other flows - Northeast | 290 | 542 | $17.2 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 274 | 468 | $16.1 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Rowan County Non-migrants, 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.
Rowan County
What is the Rowan County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$7.89 bn
- County GDP, 2023$7.58 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20244.0 percent
- GDP change over five years37.3 percent
- Rank by GDP among North Carolina counties20th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents531st
- GDP per resident$52,618
Output grew 4.0 percent in the latest year and 37.3 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.
Rowan County
Largest employers in Rowan County
- Covered employment, annual average50,595
- Establishments reporting3,334
- Average annual pay$57,503
- Average weekly wage$1,106
- Sector 31-33, employment6,867
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$70,236
- Sector 44-45, employment6,331
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$44,349
- Sector 62, employment5,576
- Sector 62, average annual pay$51,571
- Sector 72, employment4,474
- Sector 72, average annual pay$22,333
- Sector 48-49, employment3,778
- Sector 23, employment3,142
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 6,867 | 168 | $70,236 |
| Sector 44-45 | 6,331 | 414 | $44,349 |
| Sector 62 | 5,576 | 309 | $51,571 |
| Sector 72 | 4,474 | 275 | $22,333 |
| Sector 48-49 | 3,778 | 150 | $67,538 |
| Sector 23 | 3,142 | 450 | $66,506 |
| Sector 56 | 2,520 | 250 | $49,811 |
| Sector 42 | 2,513 | 192 | $67,818 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 6,867 jobs, 13.6 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Rowan County
How many businesses are in Rowan County?
- Establishments, all industries2,908
- Employment at those establishments49,366
- Annual payroll$2.89 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents19.4
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Rowan County
Building permits in Rowan County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024592
- Declared construction value permitted$222.2 m
- Single family units authorised585
- Multifamily units authorised7
- Multifamily share of units1.2 percent
- Average declared value per unit$375,265
- Units authorised per 1,000 households10.1
Multifamily is 1.2 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Rowan County
SBA loans in Rowan County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded65
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$55.3 m
- Average 7(a) approval$851,306
- Median 7(a) approval$350,000
- 10th percentile approval$45,000
- 90th percentile approval$2,530,000
- Largest single approval$4,109,900
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)703
- Jobs per approval10.8
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active32
- Distinct industries receiving approvals46
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer32.3 percent
- Loans on real estate terms21
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter42
- Franchise loans12
- Franchise share of approvals18.5 percent
- Leading industry by approval countLessors of Miniwarehouses and Self-Storage Units (4)
- Most active lenderPinnacle Bank (6)
- 504 approvals recorded23
- 504 gross approval dollars$24.4 m
- Average 504 approval$1,060,000
- Median 504 approval$535,000
- Distinct CDCs active4
- 504 jobs per approval8.7
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved8.2
- Most active CDCBusiness Expansion Funding Corporation (14)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals73.9 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$79.7 m
The average approval of $851,306 sits well above the median of $350,000, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. 32.3 percent of approvals run on real estate terms of 240 months or more, so this is a market where SBA credit is buying buildings, not just funding operations.
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.
Rowan County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Rowan County
Do SBA loans in Rowan County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded9
- Paid in full9
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full9
- Status: Cancelled5
- Status: Exempt from disclosure45
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed6
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 9 resolved loans, too few to publish a rate. A rate computed on a handful of loans is noise, so none is shown.
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.
Rowan County
SBA lending by place in Rowan County
- Places in the county with recorded lending12
- SALISBURY, approvals39
- MOORESVILLE, approvals5
- Cleveland, approvals4
- LANDIS, approvals4
- KANNAPOLIS, approvals3
- CHINA GROVE, approvals2
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| SALISBURY | 39 | $30,121,100 |
| MOORESVILLE | 5 | $12,189,900 |
| Cleveland | 4 | $910,000 |
| LANDIS | 4 | $2,543,400 |
| KANNAPOLIS | 3 | $877,200 |
| CHINA GROVE | 2 | $1,830,000 |
| MOUNT ULLA | 2 | $3,665,000 |
| CHARLOTTE | 2 | $665,800 |
SALISBURY accounts for 39 approvals against 5 in MOORESVILLE. 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.
Rowan County
How large is Rowan County?
- Land area511 sq mi
- Rank by land area among North Carolina counties40th of 100
- Width, east to west33.1 mi
- Height, north to south24.2 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land293
- Establishments per square mile5.69
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.
Rowan County
Flood risk in Rowan County
- Communities in the NFIP Community Status Book11
- Of those, participating in the NFIP11
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Rowan County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/LZone 3
The EPA places Rowan 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 FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Community Status Book, Community Status Book, as retrieved.
FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Community Status Book, Community Status Book, as retrieved. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Rowan 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 Rowan County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population149,875
- Households58,899
- Average household size2.54
- Median household income$65,725
- Median age40.4
Common questions
Rowan County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Rowan County, North Carolina?
149,875, in 58,899 households, ranking 20th of 100 North Carolina counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Rowan County's population growing?
The population has grown 4.43 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 1,622 births against 1,873 deaths, with net migration of 1,751. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Rowan County?
$65,725. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $238,400, which is 3.6 times income, and median gross rent is $1,013 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Rowan County?
2,908 establishments, employing 49,366 people with an annual payroll of $2.89 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Rowan County?
Average annual pay is $57,503, or $1,106 a week, across 50,595 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Rowan County?
65 7(a) approvals totalling $55.3 m since FY2020, across 32 lenders, with a median approval of $350,000, plus 23 504 approvals worth $24.4 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Rowan County?
592 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $222.2 m. Multifamily was 1.2 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Rowan 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 Rowan County come from?
The largest single origin is Rowan County Non-migrants, with 52,544 households. Arriving households report an average income of $55,121 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Rowan 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 Rowan County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.
Rowan County
Cities and places in Rowan.
12 Census places lie wholly or partly in Rowan County. 12 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked. The rest are named here and not linked, because the American Community Survey and the SBA record between them do not carry enough about them to write an honest page. A place existing is itself worth knowing, so nothing in the county is left out.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA approvals | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kannapolis | city | 57,890 | 29 | 20.3 percent here, 79.7 percent Cabarrus County |
| Salisbury | city | 35,825 | 39 | Wholly in this county |
| China Grove | town | 4,530 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Landis | town | 3,765 | 4 | Wholly in this county |
| Spencer | town | 3,349 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Enochville | CDP | 3,321 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Granite Quarry | town | 3,043 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Rockwell | town | 2,782 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| East Spencer | town | 1,434 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Cleveland | town | 1,080 | 6 | Wholly in this county |
| Faith | town | 917 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Gold Hill | CDP | 914 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
A further 4 SBA approvals in Rowan County are recorded against borrower cities that match no Census place, the largest being Mount Ulla, Woodleaf. Those are postal cities and unincorporated areas rather than incorporated places, so no page claims them, and their lending is counted in this county's totals above rather than under any city.