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COUNTY · 2000 CENSUS

Cleveland County

North Carolina · 96,287 residents · 464 sq mi
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The short version

Cleveland County is home to 96,287 people in North Carolina. About 13% of adults have finished a four-year degree. The typical home is worth $77,600. Owners hold 73% of the housing stock. Median rent is $447 a month. The population is up 14% since 1990.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $42,589
Mid-age
median age 36.5
US median: 35.2
Less educated
13% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 24%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $120,530
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
96,287
+14%since 1990
from 84,714 in 1990
1990 – 2025
Median age
36.5
+5%since 1990
from 34.7 in 1990
US average: 35.2
Land area
464 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
83K88K93K98K103K19902000201020202024Cleveland County
2024101K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2000
Under 56.7%(6,420)
US avg: 6.8%
5 to 97.4%(7,171)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 147.2%(6,974)
US avg: 7.3%
15 to 196.5%(6,258)
US avg: 7.2%
20 to 246.1%(5,915)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3413.6%(13,110)
US avg: 14.2%
35 to 4415.2%(14,622)
US avg: 16%
45 to 5413.8%(13,307)
US avg: 13.4%
55 to 649.9%(9,545)
US avg: 8.6%
65 to 747.3%(7,013)
US avg: 6.5%
75 to 844.6%(4,477)
US avg: 4.4%
85 and over1.5%(1,475)
US avg: 1.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$35,283
+1%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $26,476 in 1990
US average: $42,589
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$17,395
+46%since 1990
from $11,875 in 1990
US average: $21,522
Poverty rate
13.3%
+2.3 ptssince 1990
from 11.0% in 1990
US average: 12.4%
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$77,600
+11%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $52,900 in 1990
US average: $120,530
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$447
+4%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $327 in 1990
US average: $602
Owner-occupied
72.8%
Unchangedsince 1990
from 72.8% in 1990
27.2% rent
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

1990
White, non-Hispanic78.2%(66,235)
Black21%(17,752)
Hispanic / Latino0.3%(280)
Asian0.5%(442)
2000
White, non-Hispanic76.2%(73,357)
Black20.8%(20,010)
Hispanic / Latino1.5%(1,433)
Asian0.7%(647)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

Hispanic origin
Mexican3.1%(3,162)
Puerto Rican0.4%(415)
Cuban0.2%(196)
Guatemalan0.2%(168)
Salvadoran0.2%(156)
Colombian0.1%(124)
Honduran0.1%(116)
Spaniard0%(21)
+ 2 more hispanic origin groups with data
Asian origin
Laotian0.3%(303)
Filipino0.2%(216)
Asian Indian0.1%(150)
Chinese0.1%(110)
Pakistani0.1%(79)
Korean0%(32)
Thai0%(29)
Japanese0%(18)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0%(1)
Ancestry
American20.9%(21,102)
English11.1%(11,247)
German8.2%(8,329)
Irish8.2%(8,262)
Scottish2%(2,019)
Italian1.3%(1,342)
French1.2%(1,243)
Scotch-Irish1.1%(1,120)
Polish0.7%(719)
British0.4%(430)
Welsh0.4%(373)
+ 33 more ancestry groups with data
Dutch0.3%(344)
Swedish0.3%(332)
West Indian0.3%(259)
Greek0.2%(188)
Canadian0.2%(155)
Hungarian0.1%(139)
Swiss0.1%(127)
Guyanese0.1%(118)
Portuguese0.1%(90)
Slovak0.1%(88)
Norwegian0.1%(73)
Belgian0.1%(68)
Romanian0.1%(68)
Austrian0.1%(65)
Arab0.1%(60)
Russian0.1%(58)
Nigerian0.1%(51)
Jamaican0%(50)
Ukrainian0%(44)
Czech0%(37)
Danish0%(36)
Egyptian0%(33)
Barbadian0%(30)
Croatian0%(26)
Serbian0%(25)
Turkish0%(19)
Jordanian0%(15)
Syrian0%(12)
Finnish0%(9)
Slovene0%(8)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
13.3%
+2.1 ptssince 1990
from 11.1% in 1990
US average: 24.4%
High school or higher
72.2%
+8.7 ptssince 1990
from 63.5% in 1990
US average: 80.3%
Graduate degree
4.3%
+0.8 ptssince 1990
from 3.5% in 1990
US average: 8.8%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
15.9 min
−11%since 1990
from 17.8 min in 1990
US average: 17.6
Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status
Men 15+
Never married23.8%(8,506)
Married64.6%(23,057)
Widowed2.6%(912)
Divorced9%(3,201)
Women 15+
Never married18.9%(7,547)
Married59.1%(23,663)
Widowed12.3%(4,913)
Divorced9.7%(3,900)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2000
Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured
9.3%
−6.5 ptssince 2013
from 15.8% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
46.0%
−3.3 ptssince 2020
from 49.3% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
13.4%
−3.6 ptssince 2020
from 17.0% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
22.3%
−0.4 ptssince 2020
from 22.7% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
26.5%
+3.5 ptssince 2020
from 23.0% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
2.8%
−0.6 ptssince 2020
from 3.4% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
58.3%
−2.4 ptssince 2020
from 60.7% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
45.3%
+3.5 ptssince 2020
from 41.8% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)20%(1,145)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)24%(1,371)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era34.5%(1,971)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War4.6%(265)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.4%(25)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 5,720 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Drill deeper

Places similar to Cleveland County

Houston County
Pop 110,318
Garland County
Pop 99,695
Delaware County
Pop 113,106
Marshall County
Pop 103,537
Places similar to Cleveland County
Head to head

Compare Cleveland County to nearby counties

CLEVELAND COUNTY VS
Cherokee County
Income$50,288+43%
Home value$142,000+83%
Population58,275−44%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CLEVELAND COUNTY VS
Rutherford County
Income$51,410+46%
Home value$201,800+160%
Population65,745−36%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CLEVELAND COUNTY VS
Lincoln County
Income$80,016+127%
Home value$321,000+314%
Population98,654−5%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CLEVELAND COUNTY VS
Gaston County
Income$67,478+91%
Home value$266,000+243%
Population246,558+139%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Cleveland County, North Carolina?

Cleveland County, North Carolina has about 96,287 residents according to the 2000 Census.

What is the median household income in Cleveland County, North Carolina?

The typical household in Cleveland County, North Carolina earns about $35,283 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Cleveland County, North Carolina expensive?

In Cleveland County, North Carolina, the median home is worth about $77,600, and the typical rent is about $447 a month.

How educated are people in Cleveland County, North Carolina?

About 13.3% of adults age 25 and over in Cleveland County, North Carolina hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Cleveland County, North Carolina?

About 13.3% of people in Cleveland County, North Carolina live below the federal poverty line.

Has Cleveland County, North Carolina grown since 1990?

Yes, Cleveland County, North Carolina has grown since 1990. The population has added about 11,573 residents, a change of about 14 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →