HomeNorth CarolinaCraven County
Craven County, North Carolina: commercial real estate data.
Craven County, North Carolina has a population of 102,612 across 709 square miles, up 3.4 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $6.91 bn in 2024, 2,224 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 61 7(a) approvals worth $50.5 m.
126 sourced county values · tier FULL · 12 sections
Craven County
How many people live in Craven County
- Population102,612
- Households42,871
- Average household size2.39
- Median household income$65,873
- Median age38.8
- Median gross rent$1,110 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$231,600
- Home value to household income3.5 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income20.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher27.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree10.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over69,624
- Population under 1821,819
- Share under 1821.3 percent
- Population 65 and over21,446
- Share 65 and over20.9 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6459,347
- Civilian labor force43,245
- Unemployment rate4.2 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over53.5 percent
- Rank by population among North Carolina counties28th of 100
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents608th
Craven County is the 28th largest of 100 North Carolina counties by population. A median home costs 3.5 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 21.3 percent against 20.9 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Craven County
Is Craven County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base3.41 percent
- Census 2020 base population100,731
- Births, 20241,282
- Deaths, 20241,261
- Natural change, 202421
- Net domestic migration, 2024625
- Net international migration, 2024182
- Total net migration, 2024807
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20242,407
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents791st
The county has grown 3.41 percent since the 2020 census base. Migration contributed more to 2024 change than births over deaths, so demand here follows people arriving rather than families forming.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Craven County
Where people moving to Craven County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving4,211
- People arriving, from those returns7,866
- Adjusted gross income arriving$263.6 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$62,608
- Largest single originCraven County Non-migrants (37,094 households)
- Largest single destination (37,094 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Craven County Non-migrants | 37,094 | 74,273 | $2.72 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 2,158 | 3,907 | $145.6 m |
| Other flows - South | 1,001 | 1,800 | $66.5 m |
| Other flows - Northeast | 525 | 940 | $38.4 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 357 | 642 | $19.7 m |
| Other flows - West | 339 | 637 | $22.2 m |
| Carteret County | 314 | 575 | $17.6 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 293 | 530 | $18.4 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Craven 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.
Craven County
What the Craven County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$6.91 bn
- County GDP, 2023$6.48 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20246.6 percent
- GDP change over five years31.9 percent
- Rank by GDP among North Carolina counties23rd
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents592nd
- GDP per resident$67,367
Output grew 6.6 percent in the latest year and 31.9 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.
Craven County
Who employs people in Craven County
- Covered employment, annual average40,890
- Establishments reporting2,740
- Average annual pay$55,634
- Average weekly wage$1,070
- Sector 44-45, employment5,379
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$34,866
- Sector 62, employment4,613
- Sector 62, average annual pay$55,647
- Sector 72, employment4,222
- Sector 72, average annual pay$21,335
- Sector 31-33, employment3,682
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$69,730
- Sector 54, employment2,039
- Sector 56, employment1,551
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 44-45 | 5,379 | 377 | $34,866 |
| Sector 62 | 4,613 | 291 | $55,647 |
| Sector 72 | 4,222 | 261 | $21,335 |
| Sector 31-33 | 3,682 | 74 | $69,730 |
| Sector 54 | 2,039 | 335 | $80,553 |
| Sector 56 | 1,551 | 182 | $40,409 |
| Sector 23 | 1,419 | 248 | $59,856 |
| Sector 81 | 799 | 228 | $36,689 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 5,379 jobs, 13.2 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.
Craven County
What businesses operate in Craven County
- Establishments, all industries2,224
- Employment at those establishments30,858
- Annual payroll$1.50 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents21.7
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.
Craven County
What is being built in Craven County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024485
- Declared construction value permitted$108.7 m
- Single family units authorised466
- Multifamily units authorised19
- Multifamily share of units3.9 percent
- Average declared value per unit$224,035
- Units authorised per 1,000 households11.3
Multifamily is 3.9 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Craven County
How much SBA lending happens in Craven County
- 7(a) approvals recorded61
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$50.5 m
- Average 7(a) approval$827,439
- Median 7(a) approval$500,000
- 10th percentile approval$100,000
- 90th percentile approval$2,110,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)1,006
- Jobs per approval16.5
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active26
- Distinct industries receiving approvals36
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer27.9 percent
- Loans on real estate terms17
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter41
- Franchise loans14
- Franchise share of approvals23.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countHotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (6)
- Most active lenderLive Oak Banking Company (8)
- 504 approvals recorded6
- 504 gross approval dollars$3.7 m
- Average 504 approval$612,833
- Median 504 approval$615,000
- Distinct CDCs active3
- 504 jobs per approval10.8
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved17.7
- Most active CDCBusiness Expansion Funding Corporation (4)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals91.0 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$54.2 m
The average approval of $827,439 sits well above the median of $500,000, 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. Only 27.9 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
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.
Craven County
Do SBA loans in Craven County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded8
- Paid in full8
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure42
- Status: Cancelled8
- Status: Paid in full8
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed3
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 8 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.
Craven County
Which parts of Craven County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending5
- New Bern, approvals40
- HAVELOCK, approvals16
- VANCEBORO, approvals3
- COVE CITY, approvals1
- Bridgeton,, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| New Bern | 40 | $33,031,900 |
| HAVELOCK | 16 | $16,408,500 |
| VANCEBORO | 3 | $334,000 |
| COVE CITY | 1 | $103,500 |
| Bridgeton, | 1 | $595,900 |
New Bern accounts for 40 approvals against 16 in HAVELOCK. 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.
Craven County
How big is Craven County
- Land area709 sq mi
- Rank by land area among North Carolina counties15th of 100
- Width, east to west46.4 mi
- Height, north to south42.6 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land145
- Establishments per square mile3.14
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.
Craven County
What hazards affect Craven County
- EPA radon zone predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/LZone 3
- Communities in the NFIP Community Status Book9
- Of those, participating in the NFIP9
- 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 7
- Communities carrying a CRS class4
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 7, 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 Craven 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 Craven County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population102,612
- Households42,871
- Average household size2.39
- Median household income$65,873
- Median age38.8
Common questions
Craven County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Craven County, North Carolina?
102,612, in 42,871 households, ranking 28th of 100 North Carolina counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Craven County growing?
The population has grown 3.41 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 1,282 births against 1,261 deaths, with net migration of 807. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Craven County?
$65,873. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $231,600, which is 3.5 times income, and median gross rent is $1,110 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Craven County?
2,224 establishments, employing 30,858 people with an annual payroll of $1.50 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Craven County?
Average annual pay is $55,634, or $1,070 a week, across 40,890 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Craven County?
61 7(a) approvals totalling $50.5 m since FY2020, across 26 lenders, with a median approval of $500,000, plus 6 504 approvals worth $3.7 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Craven County?
485 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $108.7 m. Multifamily was 3.9 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Craven 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 Craven County come from?
The largest single origin is Craven County Non-migrants, with 37,094 households. Arriving households report an average income of $62,608 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 Craven 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 Craven 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.