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COUNTY · 2010 ACS

Cleveland County

North Carolina · 98,078 residents · 464 sq mi
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The short version

Cleveland County is a county of 98,078 people in North Carolina. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 16% of adults. The typical home is worth $103,300. The foreign-born share is 2%. The median age is 40.3, about 3 years above the US median. The poverty rate is 19.4%, above the 13.8% national rate.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $52,703
Older
median age 40.3
US median: 37.2
Less educated
16% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 28%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $225,659
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
98,078
+2%since 2000
from 96,287 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Median age
40.3
+10%since 2000
from 36.5 in 2000
US average: 37.2
Land area
464 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
83K88K93K98K103K19902000201020202024Cleveland County
2024101K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2010
Under 55.9%(5,819)
US avg: 6.5%
5 to 96.4%(6,232)
US avg: 6.6%
10 to 146.8%(6,641)
US avg: 6.7%
15 to 197.4%(7,305)
US avg: 7.1%
20 to 246.1%(5,940)
US avg: 7%
25 to 3410.6%(10,417)
US avg: 13.3%
35 to 4413.4%(13,152)
US avg: 13.3%
45 to 5415%(14,738)
US avg: 14.6%
55 to 6413.4%(13,157)
US avg: 11.8%
65 to 748.5%(8,356)
US avg: 7%
75 to 844.8%(4,719)
US avg: 4.2%
85 and over1.6%(1,602)
US avg: 1.8%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$38,208
−14%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $35,283 in 2000
US average: $52,703
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$19,284
+11%since 2000
from $17,395 in 2000
US average: $27,286
Households earning $100K+
19.4%
+0.7 ptssince 2009
from 18.6% in 2009
US average: 33.3%
Poverty rate
19.4%
+6.1 ptssince 2000
from 13.3% in 2000
US average: 13.8%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.439
US average: 0.461
Workforce by industry, 2010
Retail trade20.8%
US avg: 10.9%
Information12.4%
US avg: 11.5%
Wholesale trade6.6%
US avg: 7.2%
Finance & insurance5.9%
US avg: 5.1%
Professional, scientific, technical4.6%
US avg: 4.2%
Other services3.3%
US avg: 7%
Transportation & warehousing2.4%
US avg: 3.1%
Public administration2.2%
US avg: 4.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing1.4%
US avg: 1.9%
Education & health services1.3%
US avg: 0.9%
Construction1%
US avg: 1.4%
Arts, entertainment, food0.9%
US avg: 2.4%
Manufacturing0.4%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$103,300
+5%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $77,600 in 2000
US average: $225,659
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$603
+7%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $447 in 2000
US average: $853
Owner-occupied
68.7%
−4.1 ptssince 2000
from 72.8% in 2000
31.3% rent
Vacancy rate
12.8%
+0.7 ptssince 2009
from 12.1% in 2009
US average: 12.1%
Persons per household
2.54 people
Unchangedsince 2009
from 2.53 people in 2009
US average: 2.60
Owner cost-burdened
25.7%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 26.1% in 2009
US average: 30.9%
Renter cost-burdened
43.4%
+0.9 ptssince 2009
from 42.5% in 2009
US average: 46.8%
Afford Score
2.7
+2%since 2009
from 2.6 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic76.2%(73,357)
Black20.8%(20,010)
Hispanic / Latino1.5%(1,433)
Asian0.7%(647)
Other0%
2010
White, non-Hispanic74.2%(72,793)
Black20.6%(20,237)
Hispanic / Latino2.8%(2,756)
Asian0.7%(735)
Other1.1%(1,104)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican2.2%(2,132)
Honduran0.2%(153)
Puerto Rican0.1%(139)
Spaniard0%(46)
Cuban0%(35)
Colombian0%(30)
Ancestry
American19.3%(18,906)
German10.4%(10,191)
English9%(8,754)
Irish8.2%(8,049)
Scotch-Irish3.4%(3,333)
Scottish1.9%(1,813)
Italian1.6%(1,566)
Dutch1.2%(1,205)
French1%(959)
Polish0.6%(618)
Norwegian0.4%(388)
+ 31 more ancestry groups with data
Swedish0.4%(373)
Welsh0.3%(318)
West Indian0.2%(157)
Greek0.2%(150)
British0.1%(139)
Haitian0.1%(113)
Hungarian0.1%(91)
Arab0.1%(80)
Lebanese0.1%(80)
Canadian0.1%(57)
Danish0.1%(49)
Slovak0%(46)
Russian0%(44)
Ukrainian0%(44)
Romanian0%(40)
Czech0%(38)
Austrian0%(37)
Finnish0%(34)
Swiss0%(34)
Brazilian0%(31)
Bulgarian0%(29)
Armenian0%(22)
Nigerian0%(22)
Serbian0%(13)
Jamaican0%(12)
Slovene0%(8)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
15.7%
+2.4 ptssince 2000
from 13.3% in 2000
US average: 27.9%
High school or higher
79.5%
+7.3 ptssince 2000
from 72.2% in 2000
US average: 84.9%
Graduate degree
5.0%
+0.7 ptssince 2000
from 4.3% in 2000
US average: 10.2%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
22.6 min
+42%since 2000
from 15.9 min in 2000
US average: 25.2
Drive alone to work
86.5%
+0.7 ptssince 2009
from 85.8% in 2009
US average: 76.2%
Carpooled to work
8.4%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 8.8% in 2009
US average: 10.4%
Public transit
0.2%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 0.2% in 2009
US average: 4.7%
Worked from home
2.3%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 2.3% in 2009
US average: 4.1%
Walked to work
1.5%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 1.4% in 2009
US average: 2.8%
Biked to work
0.0%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 0.1% in 2009
US average: 0.5%
No vehicle available
7.3%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 7.0% in 2009
US average: 8.7%
Section 07

Work & employment

Self-employed
14.6%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 14.7% in 2009
US average: 12.9%
Management & professional
28.2%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 28.3% in 2009
US average: 35.2%
Section 08

People & community

Male
48.0%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 47.8% in 2009
Female
52.0%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 52.2% in 2009
Foreign born
2.2%
+0.5 ptssince 2009
from 1.8% in 2009
US average: 12.8%
Veterans
10.3%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 10.5% in 2009
US average: 9.9%
Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married33%(12,986)
Married53.5%(21,063)
Widowed3.5%(1,372)
Divorced10%(3,926)
Women 15+
Never married27.7%(11,897)
Married48.8%(20,972)
Widowed11.3%(4,842)
Divorced12.3%(5,266)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
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

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Pop 110,318
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Pop 99,695
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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+32%
Home value$142,000+37%
Population58,275−44%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CLEVELAND COUNTY VS
Rutherford County
Income$51,410+35%
Home value$201,800+95%
Population65,745−36%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CLEVELAND COUNTY VS
Lincoln County
Income$80,016+109%
Home value$321,000+211%
Population98,654−5%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CLEVELAND COUNTY VS
Gaston County
Income$67,478+77%
Home value$266,000+158%
Population246,558+139%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Cleveland County, North Carolina?

Cleveland County, North Carolina has about 98,078 residents according to the 2010 American Community Survey.

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

The typical household in Cleveland County, North Carolina earns about $38,208 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 $103,300, and the typical rent is about $603 a month.

How educated are people in Cleveland County, North Carolina?

About 15.7% 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 19.4% 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 13,364 residents, a change of about 16 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 →