HomeNorth CarolinaStanly County
Stanly County, North Carolina: commercial real estate data.
Stanly County, North Carolina had an estimated 67,326 residents on July 1, 2024, up 7.7 percent since the 2020 census base of 62,502, across 395 square miles. County output reached $2.78 bn in 2024, 1,459 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 43 7(a) approvals worth $30.3 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Stanly County
How many people live in Stanly County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202464,651
- Households25,240
- Average household size2.56
- Median household income$60,704
- Median age40.5
- Median gross rent$861 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$242,400
- Home value to household income4.0 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income17.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher19.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree5.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over45,338
- Population under 1814,002
- Share under 1821.7 percent
- Population 65 and over12,378
- Share 65 and over19.1 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6438,271
- Civilian labor force30,460
- Unemployment rate4.1 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over60.1 percent
- Rank by population among North Carolina counties44th of 100
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included856th of 3,222
Stanly County is the 44th largest of 100 North Carolina counties by population. A median home costs 4.0 times median household income, which is moderately unaffordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 21.7 percent against 19.1 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Stanly County
Is Stanly County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202467,326
- Census 2020 base population62,502
- Population change since the 2020 census base7.72 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 20241,508
- Births, 2024705
- Deaths, 2024818
- Natural change, 2024-113
- Net domestic migration, 20241,455
- Net international migration, 2024170
- Total net migration, 20241,625
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20244,882
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents262nd of 3,144
The county has grown 7.72 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.
Stanly County
Where are people moving to Stanly County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving1,761
- People arriving, from those returns3,472
- Tax returns filed by households leaving1,271
- Net household movement490
- Adjusted gross income arriving$112.6 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$44.8 m
- Average income of an arriving household$63,921
- Average income of a leaving household$53,286
- Largest single originMecklenburg County (387 households)
- Largest single destinationCabarrus County (212 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mecklenburg County | 387 | 796 | $25.6 m |
| Cabarrus County | 353 | 726 | $22.1 m |
| Union County | 152 | 327 | $11.9 m |
| Rowan County | 77 | 139 | $3.7 m |
| Montgomery County | 69 | 162 | $4.4 m |
| Anson County | 27 | 56 | $1.2 m |
| Iredell County | 23 | 43 | $1.4 m |
Households arriving report $10,635 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 Mecklenburg 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.
Stanly County
What is the Stanly County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$2.78 bn
- County GDP, 2023$2.63 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20245.8 percent
- GDP change over five years48.2 percent
- Rank by GDP among the North Carolina areas BEA publishes47th of 100
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes1028th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$43,074
Output grew 5.8 percent in the latest year and 48.2 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.
Stanly County
Employment by industry in Stanly County
- Covered employment, annual average23,093
- Establishments reporting1,703
- Average annual pay$44,697
- Average weekly wage$860
- Administrative and support and waste management services, employment3,778
- Administrative and support and waste management services, average annual pay$24,416
- Manufacturing, employment3,512
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$59,792
- Retail trade, employment2,893
- Retail trade, average annual pay$33,639
- Accommodation and food services, employment2,075
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$18,636
- Health care and social assistance, employment1,708
- Construction, employment1,642
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 3,778 | 124 | $24,416 |
| Manufacturing | 3,512 | 95 | $59,792 |
| Retail trade | 2,893 | 251 | $33,639 |
| Accommodation and food services | 2,075 | 133 | $18,636 |
| Health care and social assistance | 1,708 | 155 | $37,284 |
| Construction | 1,642 | 253 | $65,224 |
| Other services, except public administration | 588 | 136 | $37,661 |
| Wholesale trade | 426 | 68 | $67,464 |
Administrative and support and waste management services is the largest private sector at 3,778 jobs, 16.4 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Stanly County
How many businesses are in Stanly County?
- Establishments, all industries1,459
- Employment at those establishments18,013
- Annual payroll$776.8 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents22.6
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.
Stanly County
Building permits in Stanly County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 2024367
- Declared construction value permitted$61.8 m
- Single family units authorized367
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$168,383
- Units authorized per 1,000 households14.5
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.
Stanly County
SBA loans in Stanly County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded43
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$30.3 m
- Average 7(a) approval$704,602
- Median 7(a) approval$392,200
- 10th percentile approval$15,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,933,440
- Largest single approval$3,495,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)211
- Jobs per approval4.9
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active22
- Distinct industries receiving approvals32
- Median 7(a) term144 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer39.5 percent
- Loans on real estate terms17
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter17
- Franchise loans8
- Franchise share of approvals18.6 percent
- Leading industry by approval countHotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (5)
- Most active lenderWells Fargo Bank National Association (7)
- 504 approvals recorded13
- 504 gross approval dollars$7.4 m
- Average 504 approval$570,385
- Median 504 approval$318,000
- Distinct CDCs active2
- 504 jobs per approval5.5
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved9.7
- Most active CDCCarolina Business Capital, Inc. (7)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$37.7 m
The average approval of $704,602 sits well above the median of $392,200, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here gets. 39.5 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.
Stanly County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Stanly County
Do SBA loans in Stanly County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded4
- Paid in full3
- Charged off1
- Status: Exempt from disclosure33
- Status: Cancelled4
- Status: Paid in full3
- Status: Charged off1
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed2
Only 4 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.
Stanly County
SBA lending by place in Stanly County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending6
- Albemarle, approvals21
- Locust, approvals8
- Norwood, approvals5
- Oakboro, approvals5
- Richfield, approvals3
- Mount Pleasant, approvals1
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Albemarle | 21 | $18,666,000 |
| Locust | 8 | $5,593,900 |
| Norwood | 5 | $3,653,000 |
| Oakboro | 5 | $680,000 |
| Richfield | 3 | $1,555,000 |
| Mount Pleasant | 1 | $150,000 |
Albemarle accounts for 21 approvals against 8 in Locust. 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.
Stanly County
How large is Stanly County?
- Land area395 sq mi
- Rank by land area among North Carolina counties64th of 100
- Width, east to west25.6 mi
- Height, north to south24.9 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land164
- Establishments per square mile3.69
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.
Stanly County
Flood risk in Stanly County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Stanly County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 370361
- Communities in the county 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 Stanly 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 Stanly County (community 370361), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Stanly 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 Stanly 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 Stanly County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202464,651
- Households25,240
- Average household size2.56
- Median household income$60,704
- Median age40.5
Common questions
Stanly County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Stanly County, North Carolina?
The Census Bureau estimates 67,326 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 64,651, in 25,240 households, ranking 44th of 100 North Carolina counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Stanly County's population growing?
The population has grown 7.72 percent since the 2020 census base of 62,502, to 67,326 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 705 births against 818 deaths, with net migration of 1,625. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Stanly County?
$60,704. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $242,400, which is 4.0 times income, and median gross rent is $861 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Stanly County?
1,459 establishments, employing 18,013 people with an annual payroll of $776.8 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 Stanly County?
Administrative and support and waste management services is the largest private sector at 3,778 jobs, 16.4 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 23,093 jobs at an average annual pay of $44,697, or $860 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Stanly County?
43 7(a) approvals totaling $30.3 m since FY2020, across 22 lenders, with a median approval of $392,200, plus 13 504 approvals worth $7.4 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Stanly County?
367 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $61.8 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Stanly 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 Stanly County come from?
The largest single origin is Mecklenburg County, with 387 households. Arriving households report an average income of $63,921 against $53,286 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Stanly 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 Stanly 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.
Stanly County
Cities and places in Stanly.
12 Census places lie wholly or partly in Stanly County. All 12 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albemarle | city | 16,762 | 21 | Wholly in this county |
| Locust | city | 5,840 | 8 | 75.4 percent here, 24.6 percent Cabarrus County |
| Oakboro | town | 2,683 | 5 | Wholly in this county |
| Norwood | town | 2,433 | 5 | Wholly in this county |
| Badin | town | 2,184 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Stanfield | town | 1,522 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Richfield | town | 937 | 3 | Wholly in this county |
| Red Cross | town | 903 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Misenheimer | village | 659 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| New London | town | 608 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Millingport | CDP | 522 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Aquadale | CDP | 156 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
A further 1 of the county's 43 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Stanly County, the largest being Mount Pleasant (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.