HomeNorth CarolinaColumbus County
Columbus County, North Carolina: commercial real estate data.
Columbus County, North Carolina has a population of 50,140 across 937 square miles, down 1.1 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $1.92 bn in 2024, 997 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 14 7(a) approvals worth $17.9 m.
126 sourced county values · tier FULL · 12 sections
Columbus County
How many people live in Columbus County
- Population50,140
- Households20,048
- Average household size2.50
- Median household income$49,442
- Median age42.6
- Median gross rent$824 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$146,000
- Home value to household income3.0 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income20.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher14.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree4.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over35,543
- Population under 1810,334
- Share under 1820.6 percent
- Population 65 and over10,376
- Share 65 and over20.7 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6429,430
- Civilian labor force20,699
- Unemployment rate4.4 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over52.0 percent
- Rank by population among North Carolina counties51st of 100
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1012th
Columbus County is the 51st largest of 100 North Carolina counties by population. A median home costs 3.0 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 20.7 percent against 20.6 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single storey product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Columbus County
Is Columbus County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-1.13 percent
- Census 2020 base population50,625
- Births, 2024540
- Deaths, 2024805
- Natural change, 2024-265
- Net domestic migration, 2024154
- Net international migration, 202424
- Total net migration, 2024178
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024597
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2231st
The county has lost 1.13 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration alone 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.
Columbus County
Where people moving to Columbus County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving1,043
- People arriving, from those returns1,911
- Adjusted gross income arriving$42.8 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$40,996
- Largest single originColumbus County Non-migrants (17,020 households)
- Largest single destination (17,020 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus County Non-migrants | 17,020 | 34,841 | $924.2 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 287 | 538 | $13.8 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 220 | 362 | $9.2 m |
| Other flows - South | 159 | 299 | $8.1 m |
| Brunswick County | 138 | 283 | $5.9 m |
| New Hanover County | 106 | 176 | $3.8 m |
| Horry County | 106 | 200 | $3.6 m |
| Bladen County | 83 | 168 | $3.2 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Columbus County Non-migrants, 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.
Columbus County
What the Columbus County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$1.92 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.90 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20241.1 percent
- GDP change over five years23.8 percent
- Rank by GDP among North Carolina counties63rd
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1317th
- GDP per resident$38,247
Output grew 1.1 percent in the latest year and 23.8 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.
Columbus County
Who employs people in Columbus County
- Covered employment, annual average14,466
- Establishments reporting1,217
- Average annual pay$47,896
- Average weekly wage$921
- Sector 62, employment2,592
- Sector 62, average annual pay$43,810
- Sector 44-45, employment1,933
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$30,284
- Sector 31-33, employment1,591
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$71,517
- Sector 72, employment1,162
- Sector 72, average annual pay$18,767
- Sector 56, employment1,032
- Sector 23, employment506
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 2,592 | 169 | $43,810 |
| Sector 44-45 | 1,933 | 193 | $30,284 |
| Sector 31-33 | 1,591 | 36 | $71,517 |
| Sector 72 | 1,162 | 96 | $18,767 |
| Sector 56 | 1,032 | 62 | $39,725 |
| Sector 23 | 506 | 113 | $55,883 |
| Sector 52 | 484 | 51 | $55,405 |
| Sector 81 | 282 | 101 | $40,480 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 2,592 jobs, 17.9 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Columbus County
What businesses operate in Columbus County
- Establishments, all industries997
- Employment at those establishments11,658
- Annual payroll$496.9 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents19.9
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Columbus County
What is being built in Columbus County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202455
- Declared construction value permitted$13.7 m
- Single family units authorised55
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$248,509
- Units authorised per 1,000 households2.7
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Columbus County
How much SBA lending happens in Columbus County
- 7(a) approvals recorded14
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$17.9 m
- Average 7(a) approval$1,277,243
- Median 7(a) approval$800,000
- 10th percentile approval$30,000
- 90th percentile approval$3,850,000
- Largest single approval$4,600,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)102
- Jobs per approval7.3
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active9
- Distinct industries receiving approvals10
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer35.7 percent
- Loans on real estate terms5
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter9
- Franchise loans1
- Franchise share of approvals7.1 percent
- Leading industry by approval countBerry (except Strawberry) Farming (4)
- Most active lenderThe First Bank and Trust Company (4)
- 504 approvals recorded3
- 504 gross approval dollars$3.0 m
- Average 504 approval$1,003,667
- Median 504 approval$1,082,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval1.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved1.0
- Most active CDCBusiness Expansion Funding Corporation (3)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals82.4 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$20.9 m
The average approval of $1,277,243 sits well above the median of $800,000, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. 35.7 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.
Columbus County
Do SBA loans in Columbus County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded5
- Paid in full5
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full5
- Status: Exempt from disclosure6
- Status: Cancelled3
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 5 resolved loans, too few to publish a rate. A rate computed on a handful of loans is noise, so none is shown.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Columbus County
Which parts of Columbus County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending6
- WHITEVILLE, approvals8
- TABOR CITY, approvals2
- Lake Waccamaw, approvals1
- Riegelwood, approvals1
- Chadbourn, approvals1
- NAKINA, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| WHITEVILLE | 8 | $15,648,900 |
| TABOR CITY | 2 | $50,000 |
| Lake Waccamaw | 1 | $292,500 |
| Riegelwood | 1 | $40,000 |
| Chadbourn | 1 | $1,050,000 |
| NAKINA | 1 | $800,000 |
WHITEVILLE accounts for 8 approvals against 2 in TABOR CITY. 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.
Columbus County
How big is Columbus County
- Land area937 sq mi
- Rank by land area among North Carolina counties3rd of 100
- Width, east to west52 mi
- Height, north to south37.2 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary4
- Residents per square mile of land54
- Establishments per square mile1.06
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.
Columbus County
What hazards affect Columbus County
- EPA radon zone predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/LZone 3
- Communities in the NFIP Community Status Book11
- Of those, participating in the NFIP11
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Best Community Rating System class in the county A lower CRS class is a larger flood insurance premium discount.Class 9
- Communities carrying a CRS class1
The EPA places the county in radon zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. The best Community Rating System class in the county is 9, which carries a flood insurance premium discount for properties in the participating community.
US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001. FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Community Status Book, Community Status Book, as retrieved.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Columbus 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 Columbus County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population50,140
- Households20,048
- Average household size2.50
- Median household income$49,442
- Median age42.6
Common questions
Columbus County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Columbus County, North Carolina?
50,140, in 20,048 households, ranking 51st of 100 North Carolina counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Columbus County growing?
The population has fallen 1.13 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 540 births against 805 deaths, with net migration of 178. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Columbus County?
$49,442. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $146,000, which is 3.0 times income, and median gross rent is $824 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Columbus County?
997 establishments, employing 11,658 people with an annual payroll of $496.9 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Columbus County?
Average annual pay is $47,896, or $921 a week, across 14,466 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Columbus County?
14 7(a) approvals totalling $17.9 m since FY2020, across 9 lenders, with a median approval of $800,000, plus 3 504 approvals worth $3.0 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Columbus County?
55 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $13.7 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Columbus 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 Columbus County come from?
The largest single origin is Columbus County Non-migrants, with 17,020 households. Arriving households report an average income of $40,996 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Columbus 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 Columbus County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.