Demographics of Cleveland County, North Carolina

Cleveland County, North Carolina had 103,325 people on July 1, 2025, by the Census Bureau’s estimate: +3,399 since July 2020. Age, income, poverty, housing and origin below come from the American Community Survey, averaged over 2020–2024, each with its margin of error.

Cleveland County, in four figures

103,325
Population: July 1, 2025, Vintage 2025 estimate.; +3.4%
Change since July 2020: +3,399 people.; 41.3 ±0.4
Median age: ACS 2020–⁠2024.; $58,534 ±$2,730
Median household income: ACS 2020–⁠2024, in 2024 dollars.

Population, year by year

July 1 estimates from the Census Bureau’s Vintage 2025. Each year's change is births less deaths, net moves from abroad and net moves from elsewhere in the country, with the Bureau's small residual. The 2020 row's components run 3 months, from the April census to July 1.

Cleveland County, North Carolina's population grew 3.4% from July 2020 to July 2025, against +3.1% nationally

The July 1 estimate of Cleveland County, North Carolina's resident population and the nation's, each year of the Census Bureau's Vintage 2025, as a share of its July 2020 level (= 100).

U.S. Census Bureau — Census Bureau population estimates — counties and Puerto Rico municipios, with components of change

About this chart

The figures

Cleveland County, North Carolina's population grew 3.4% from July 2020 to July 2025, against +3.1% nationally. The July 1 estimate of Cleveland County, North Carolina's resident population and the nation's, each year of the Census Bureau's Vintage 2025, as a share of its July 2020 level (= 100).
July 1	Population	Index	United States
2020	99,926	100.0	100.0
2021	100,478	100.6	100.2
2022	100,773	100.8	100.7
2023	101,606	101.7	101.6
2024	102,506	102.6	102.5
2025	103,325	103.4	103.1

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Population of Cleveland County, North Carolina on July 1 of each year, Vintage 2025
July 1	Population	Change	Births less deaths	From abroad	From elsewhere in the country
2020	99,926	+415	−62	0	+505
2021	100,478	+552	−438	+2	+962
2022	100,773	+295	−440	+50	+716
2023	101,606	+833	−319	+118	+1,029
2024	102,506	+900	−247	+247	+907
2025	103,325	+819	−228	+104	+952

Age, 2020–2024

The median age is 41.3 ±0.4: for men 39.5 ±0.5 and for women 42.9 ±0.5. Shares are of everyone the survey counts, in the Bureau’s sex-by-age table (B01001).

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People in Cleveland County by age, ACS 2020–2024
Age	People	Share	North Carolina	United States
Under 5	5,891 ±79	5.8% ±0.1	5.6% ±<0.1	5.6% ±<0.1
5 to 17	16,637 ±732	16.5% ±0.7	16.1% ±0.1	16.3% ±<0.1
18 to 24	8,762 ±619	8.7% ±0.6	9.5% ±0.1	9.1% ±<0.1
25 to 44	23,909 ±607	23.7% ±0.6	26.2% ±0.1	26.9% ±<0.1
45 to 64	26,796 ±760	26.5% ±0.8	25.4% ±0.1	24.8% ±<0.1
65 and over	18,996 ±784	18.8% ±0.8	17.2% ±0.1	17.2% ±<0.1

Income and poverty, 2020–2024

Median household income is $58,534 ±$2,730, and income per person $30,294 ±$1,079, in 2024 dollars. The median is $72,388 ±$324 in North Carolina and $80,734 ±$166 in the United States.

Households by income

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Households in Cleveland County by income, ACS 2020–2024
Household income	Households	Share	North Carolina	United States
Under $25,000	7,754 ±755	20.0% ±1.9	15.8% ±0.2	14.6% ±<0.1
$25,000 to $49,999	9,332 ±825	24.0% ±2.1	19.1% ±0.2	16.7% ±<0.1
$50,000 to $74,999	6,893 ±705	17.7% ±1.8	16.8% ±0.2	15.5% ±<0.1
$75,000 to $99,999	4,307 ±485	11.1% ±1.2	13.0% ±0.1	12.6% ±<0.1
$100,000 to $149,999	6,555 ±596	16.9% ±1.5	16.6% ±0.2	17.5% ±<0.1
$150,000 to $199,999	2,261 ±396	5.8% ±1.0	8.3% ±0.1	9.6% ±<0.1
$200,000 or more	1,748 ±315	4.5% ±0.8	10.4% ±0.1	13.4% ±0.1

Poverty by age

The poverty rate is the share of people whose family income is below the federal threshold for their family’s size, of everyone for whom the Bureau determines it (B17020).

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Poverty rate in Cleveland County by age, ACS 2020–2024
Age	Below poverty	Rate	North Carolina	United States
All ages	16,432 ±1,602	16.6% ±1.6	13.0% ±0.2	12.5% ±0.1
Under 18	5,553 ±793	25.0% ±3.3	17.7% ±0.3	16.1% ±0.1
18 to 59	7,194 ±854	14.2% ±1.6	12.1% ±0.2	11.6% ±0.1
60 and over	3,685 ±463	14.2% ±1.7	10.9% ±0.2	11.0% ±<0.1

Housing, 2020–2024

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Housing in Cleveland County, ACS 2020–2024
Measure	Cleveland County	North Carolina	United States
Housing units	44,304 ±71	4,895,668 ±642	143,775,355 ±10,234
Occupied	87.7% ±1.3	87.5% ±0.2	89.9% ±0.1
Vacant	12.3% ±1.3	12.5% ±0.2	10.1% ±0.1
Owner occupied	70.9% ±1.6	66.6% ±0.3	65.2% ±0.3
Renter occupied	29.1% ±1.8	33.4% ±0.2	34.8% ±0.1
Median home value	$200,000 ±$8,612	$288,900 ±$1,086	$332,700 ±$236
Median gross rent	$914 ±$50	$1,228 ±$5	$1,413 ±$2
Median year built	1979 ±2	1991 ±1	1980 ±1

Occupied and vacant are shares of all housing units; owner and renter occupied are shares of occupied units. Value and rent are medians in 2024 dollars.

Origin and place of birth, 2020–2024

Hispanic or Latino origin is not a race in the Census Bureau’s tables. Here the people of Hispanic origin, of any race, are one row, and everyone else is counted by race alone (B03002), so the rows add to the whole.

Hispanic origin and race

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People in Cleveland County by Hispanic origin and race, ACS 2020–2024
Origin	People	Share	North Carolina	United States
Hispanic or Latino	4,792 ±0	4.7% ±<0.1	11.3% ±<0.1	19.3% ±<0.1
White alone, not Hispanic	71,321 ±352	70.6% ±0.3	60.0% ±<0.1	57.4% ±<0.1
Black alone, not Hispanic	18,030 ±972	17.9% ±1.0	20.0% ±0.1	11.9% ±<0.1
Asian alone, not Hispanic	953 ±124	0.9% ±0.1	3.3% ±<0.1	5.9% ±<0.1
American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic	65 to 379	0.1% to 0.4%	0.8% ±<0.1	0.5% ±<0.1
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic	0 to 167	0% to 0.2%	0.1% ±<0.1	0.2% ±<0.1
Some other race alone, not Hispanic	108 to 340	0.1% to 0.3%	0.5% ±<0.1	0.6% ±<0.1
Two or more races, not Hispanic	5,385 ±988	5.3% ±1.0	4.1% ±0.1	4.3% ±<0.1

A range (the estimate less and plus its margin) where the Bureau's estimate is too uncertain to state as one number: a coefficient of variation over 30%.

Place of birth and citizenship

“Born a citizen outside the states” counts people born in Puerto Rico, the island areas, or abroad to American parents. Naturalized citizens and those who are not citizens together make up the people born abroad (B05002).

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People in Cleveland County by place of birth and citizenship, ACS 2020–2024
Born	People	Share	North Carolina	United States
Born in the state	74,352 ±1,478	73.6% ±1.5	53.6% ±0.2	57.3% ±<0.1
Born in another state	22,802 ±1,452	22.6% ±1.4	35.9% ±0.2	26.9% ±<0.1
Born a citizen outside the states	673 ±202	0.7% ±0.2	1.4% ±<0.1	1.7% ±<0.1
Born abroad	3,164 ±436	3.1% ±0.4	9.1% ±0.1	14.1% ±<0.1
Naturalized citizens	1,451 ±258	1.4% ±0.3	3.8% ±0.1	7.4% ±<0.1
Not citizens	1,713 ±381	1.7% ±0.4	5.2% ±0.1	6.8% ±<0.1

Cleveland County among the counties of North Carolina

29th of 100 by population, July 2025. Every one is listed on the North Carolina page.

Counties of North Carolina near Cleveland County in population, July 2025
County	July 2025	Change since 2020
Henderson County	122,375	+5.0%
Wayne County	122,278	+3.8%
Robeson County	119,941	+3.4%
Moore County	110,619	+10.3%
Craven County	105,025	+3.5%
Cleveland County	103,325	+3.4%
Nash County	99,365	+3.9%
Lincoln County	98,654	+13.2%
Rockingham County	94,195	+3.3%
Burke County	88,655	+1.6%
Chatham County	85,111	+11.0%

Elsewhere on the site

Sources

Census Bureau population estimates — counties and Puerto Rico municipios, with components of change — U.S. Census Bureau · U.S. Government work · retrieved September 25, 2026
American Community Survey 5-year estimates — table-based Summary File · U.S. Government work

Compiled automatically from Census Bureau population estimates — counties and Puerto Rico municipios, with components of change and American Community Survey 5-year estimates — table-based Summary File by a checked SQL query · Editor: Kian O'Connor · How this site is built

Data retrieved September 25, 2026