Cleveland County, North Carolina
CountyPopulation: 100,170 (2023 estimate)
Located in North Carolina
County-level Census Bureau data covering income, housing, demographics, education, employment, and more. Counties are the primary administrative division in the U.S. and the most common unit for comparing local conditions across a state.
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023 (released December 2024).
Quick Facts — Cleveland County
- What is the median household income in Cleveland County?
- The median household income in Cleveland County is $55,769 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023).
- What is the poverty rate in Cleveland County?
- The poverty rate in Cleveland County is 13.2% (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What is the median home value in Cleveland County?
- $180,200 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What is the average rent in Cleveland County?
- The median gross rent in Cleveland County is $835 per month (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What percentage of Cleveland County residents have a college degree?
- 21.1% of adults in Cleveland County hold a bachelor's degree or higher (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
Population
100,170
Median Income
$55,769
Median Home Value
$180,200
Poverty Rate
13.2%
Unemployment (ACS 2023)
5.7%
Median Age
41.0 yrs
Since 2019
Median Income:
+$13,522 (+32%)
Home Value:
+$60,100 (+50%)
Poverty Rate:
-3.0 pp (-18.5%)
Bachelor's+:
+3.5 pp (+19.9%)
Unemployment:
-2.6 pp (-31.3%)
Demographics
Total Population
100,170
Median Age
41.0
Female
51.8%
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino 4.4%
White (non-Hisp.) 71.0%
Black 18.4%
Asian 1.0%
Two or More 5.7%
Other 2.1%
Asian Subgroups (% of total pop.)
Indian
0.1%
Chinese
0.1%
Filipino
0.1%
Hispanic Subgroups (% of total pop.)
Mexican
3.2%
Puerto Rican
0.4%
Cuban
0.2%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Income & Poverty
Median Household Income
$55,769
±$2,864
-$14,135 vs. state
Per Capita Income
$75,640
Median Family Income
$68,049
Poverty Rate
13.2%
+3.8 pp vs. state
Child Poverty Rate
23.0%
Working-Age Poverty Rate
—
SNAP Recipients
19.8%
Social Security Income
—
Retirement Income
24.5%
Household Income Distribution
< $10k
7.0%
$10–15k
4.8%
$15–25k
10.0%
$25–35k
9.4%
$35–50k
14.4%
$50–75k
18.2%
$75–100k
10.4%
$100–150k
15.4%
$150–200k
5.6%
$200k+
4.8%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Housing
Total Housing Units
43,999
Owner-Occupied
70.7%
Renter-Occupied
29.3%
Vacancy Rate
15.4%
Median Home Value
$180,200
-$79,200 vs. state
Median Gross Rent
$835
Owner Cost Burden (30%+)
19.3%
Renter Cost Burden (30%+)
40.6%
Home Value Distribution
< $50k
10.8%
$50–100k
13.2%
$100–200k
17.6%
$200–300k
23.5%
$300–500k
13.0%
$500k–$1M
5.7%
$1M+
0.9%
Gross Rent Distribution
< $500
14.9%
$500–1k
53.4%
$1–1.5k
26.2%
$1.5–2k
4.4%
$2–2.5k
0.8%
$3.5k+
0.3%
Vehicle Availability
No vehicle
5.9%
1 vehicle
28.3%
2 vehicles
34.5%
3+
31.2%
Housing Type
Single-fam. det.
70.2%
Single-fam. att.
1.1%
2–4 units
2.6%
5–19 units
2.8%
20+ units
1.4%
Mobile home
18.2%
Housing Age
Pre-1940
6.8%
1940–1969
4.7%
1970–1999
18.9%
2000–2009
12.3%
2010+
4.5%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Education
High School or Higher
87.5%
Bachelor's or Higher
21.1%
-13.6 pp vs. state
Graduate Degree
7.6%
Some College / Associate
19.3%
Less Than High School
3.9%
Enrolled in School
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Employment
Labor Force Participation
58.7%
Unemployment Rate
5.7%
+0.9 pp vs. state
Work from Home
6.2%
Self-Employed
5.3%
Government Workers
13.3%
Private For-Profit
81.1%
Industry
Edu/Health
21.7%
Manufacturing
18.6%
Retail
14.6%
Prof. Services
8.2%
Arts/Entmt.
7.0%
Transportation
7.0%
Construction
6.8%
Public Admin
3.8%
Finance
3.1%
Wholesale
1.3%
Agriculture
1.2%
Information
0.9%
Occupation
Management
32.8%
Production
21.7%
Sales
19.9%
Food Prep
15.6%
Construction
9.9%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Commute
Median Travel Time
25.1 min
Drove Alone
82.2%
Carpool
8.7%
Public Transit
0.0%
Work from Home
6.2%
Walked
2.0%
Bicycle
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Households & Families
Total Households
37,218
Avg. Household Size
2.00
Avg. Family Size
—
Married-Couple Households
47.3%
Single-Mother Households
—
Single-Father Households
—
Living Alone
—
Households with Children
14.0%
Multigenerational
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Age Distribution
Under 5
5.8%
5–9
6.4%
10–14
6.3%
15–19
6.5%
20–24
6.0%
25–34
12.8%
35–44
10.8%
45–54
12.6%
55–64
7.2%
65–74
6.8%
75–84
11.3%
85+
5.3%
Under 18: 22.3%
Working age (18–64): 77.7%
65 and over: 18.7%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Social Characteristics
Immigration
Foreign Born
3.0%
Naturalized Citizen
53.5%
Speaks English Less Than Very Well
1.9%
Foreign-Born Origin
Latin America
48.4%
Asia
26.8%
Europe
9.6%
Africa
1.5%
Veterans & Disability
Veteran
7.4%
With a Disability
17.0%
Cognitive Difficulty
—
Ambulatory Difficulty
—
Health Insurance
Insured
89.6%
Uninsured
10.4%
Employer Insurance
—
Medicaid
—
Medicare
—
Technology & Mobility
Broadband Internet
80.8%
Has a Computer
89.9%
Same House 1 Year Ago
91.1%
Moved from Abroad
0.1%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Compare Cleveland County
Compare to another county →Where People Move From (IRS Migration Data)
Top origins of people who moved to Cleveland County in 2023, by number of tax returns filed (IRS SOI Migration Data).
| Origin | Tax Returns | People (est.) |
|---|---|---|
| Gaston County | 724 | 1,447 |
| Other flows - South | 367 | 677 |
| Mecklenburg County | 250 | 457 |
| Rutherford County | 166 | 345 |
| Other flows - Northeast | 114 | 214 |
| Lincoln County | 100 | 194 |
| Cherokee County | 89 | 165 |
| Other flows - West | 80 | 158 |
| Other flows - Midwest | 80 | 160 |
| Spartanburg County | 52 | 102 |