HomeNorth CarolinaCumberland County
Cumberland County, North Carolina: commercial real estate data.
Cumberland County, North Carolina has a population of 338,545 across 652 square miles, up 1.1 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $24.44 bn in 2024, 5,947 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 180 7(a) approvals worth $157.5 m.
129 sourced county values · tier FULL · 12 sections
Cumberland County
How many people live in Cumberland County
- Population338,545
- Households129,758
- Average household size2.61
- Median household income$61,291
- Median age32.0
- Median gross rent$1,222 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$199,200
- Home value to household income3.3 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income23.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher27.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree10.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over210,772
- Population under 1885,028
- Share under 1825.1 percent
- Population 65 and over44,031
- Share 65 and over13.0 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64209,486
- Civilian labor force135,672
- Unemployment rate7.6 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over53.5 percent
- Rank by population among North Carolina counties5th of 100
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents217th
Cumberland County is the 5th largest of 100 North Carolina counties by population. A median home costs 3.3 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 25.1 percent against 13.0 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Cumberland County
Is Cumberland County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base1.11 percent
- Census 2020 base population334,730
- Births, 20245,278
- Deaths, 20243,197
- Natural change, 20242,081
- Net domestic migration, 2024-4,213
- Net international migration, 20242,166
- Total net migration, 2024-2,047
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-12,497
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1442nd
The county has grown 1.11 percent since the 2020 census base. Births exceeded deaths in 2024 but more people left than arrived, so the population is being sustained internally rather than attracting.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Cumberland County
Where people moving to Cumberland County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving13,981
- People arriving, from those returns27,393
- Adjusted gross income arriving$661.7 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$47,329
- Largest single originCumberland County Non-migrants (109,430 households)
- Largest single destination (109,430 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cumberland County Non-migrants | 109,430 | 225,016 | $6.57 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 4,142 | 7,620 | $193.0 m |
| Other flows - South | 1,941 | 3,746 | $91.6 m |
| Other flows - Northeast | 823 | 1,479 | $37.8 m |
| Harnett County | 791 | 1,686 | $36.7 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 784 | 1,385 | $37.0 m |
| Hoke County | 707 | 1,496 | $33.1 m |
| Other flows - West | 594 | 1,010 | $26.6 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Cumberland 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.
Cumberland County
What the Cumberland County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$24.44 bn
- County GDP, 2023$23.14 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20245.6 percent
- GDP change over five years30.5 percent
- Rank by GDP among North Carolina counties6th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents223rd
- GDP per resident$72,205
Output grew 5.6 percent in the latest year and 30.5 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.
Cumberland County
Who employs people in Cumberland County
- Covered employment, annual average122,995
- Establishments reporting7,402
- Average annual pay$55,785
- Average weekly wage$1,073
- Sector 44-45, employment16,126
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$34,948
- Sector 72, employment14,526
- Sector 72, average annual pay$20,289
- Sector 62, employment13,428
- Sector 62, average annual pay$49,346
- Sector 54, employment6,550
- Sector 54, average annual pay$78,030
- Sector 31-33, employment6,046
- Sector 23, employment5,504
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 44-45 | 16,126 | 1,082 | $34,948 |
| Sector 72 | 14,526 | 826 | $20,289 |
| Sector 62 | 13,428 | 997 | $49,346 |
| Sector 54 | 6,550 | 890 | $78,030 |
| Sector 31-33 | 6,046 | 117 | $80,777 |
| Sector 23 | 5,504 | 587 | $71,107 |
| Sector 48-49 | 5,028 | 242 | $50,759 |
| Sector 81 | 3,698 | 606 | $46,924 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 16,126 jobs, 13.1 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.
Cumberland County
What businesses operate in Cumberland County
- Establishments, all industries5,947
- Employment at those establishments98,142
- Annual payroll$4.49 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents17.6
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.
Cumberland County
What is being built in Cumberland County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20241,230
- Declared construction value permitted$283.6 m
- Single family units authorised1,030
- Multifamily units authorised200
- Multifamily share of units16.3 percent
- Average declared value per unit$230,607
- Units authorised per 1,000 households9.5
Multifamily is 16.3 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Cumberland County
How much SBA lending happens in Cumberland County
- 7(a) approvals recorded180
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$157.5 m
- Average 7(a) approval$875,192
- Median 7(a) approval$365,000
- 10th percentile approval$25,000
- 90th percentile approval$2,792,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)2,408
- Jobs per approval13.4
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active60
- Distinct industries receiving approvals84
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer25.6 percent
- Loans on real estate terms46
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter110
- Franchise loans59
- Franchise share of approvals32.8 percent
- Leading industry by approval countHotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (21)
- Most active lenderNortheast Bank (12)
- 504 approvals recorded23
- 504 gross approval dollars$14.3 m
- Average 504 approval$623,739
- Median 504 approval$493,000
- Distinct CDCs active5
- 504 jobs per approval11.7
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved18.7
- Most active CDCBusiness Expansion Funding Corporation (17)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals88.7 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$171.9 m
The average approval of $875,192 sits well above the median of $365,000, 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 25.6 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.
Cumberland County
Do SBA loans in Cumberland County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded27
- Paid in full24
- Charged off3
- Charge off rate on resolved loans11.1 percent
- Status: Cancelled24
- Status: Exempt from disclosure118
- Status: Paid in full24
- Status: Charged off3
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed11
Of the 27 loans that have reached a final outcome, 11.1 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Cumberland County
Which parts of Cumberland County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending9
- FAYETTEVILLE, approvals152
- HOPE MILLS, approvals14
- Spring Lake, approvals7
- EAST FAYETTEVILLE, approvals2
- WADE, approvals1
- STEDMAN, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| FAYETTEVILLE | 152 | $129,408,000 |
| HOPE MILLS | 14 | $15,165,200 |
| Spring Lake | 7 | $7,455,300 |
| EAST FAYETTEVILLE | 2 | $1,276,000 |
| WADE | 1 | $258,000 |
| STEDMAN | 1 | $3,132,000 |
| CARY | 1 | $70,000 |
| FORT LIBERTY | 1 | $700,000 |
FAYETTEVILLE accounts for 152 approvals against 14 in HOPE MILLS. 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.
Cumberland County
How big is Cumberland County
- Land area652 sq mi
- Rank by land area among North Carolina counties21st of 100
- Width, east to west34.2 mi
- Height, north to south29.3 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land519
- Establishments per square mile9.12
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.
Cumberland County
What hazards affect Cumberland County
- EPA radon zone predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/LZone 3
- Communities in the NFIP Community Status Book10
- Of those, participating in the NFIP10
- 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 8
- 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 8, 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 Cumberland 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 Cumberland County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population338,545
- Households129,758
- Average household size2.61
- Median household income$61,291
- Median age32.0
Common questions
Cumberland County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Cumberland County, North Carolina?
338,545, in 129,758 households, ranking 5th of 100 North Carolina counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Cumberland County growing?
The population has grown 1.11 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 5,278 births against 3,197 deaths, with net migration of -2,047. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Cumberland County?
$61,291. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $199,200, which is 3.3 times income, and median gross rent is $1,222 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Cumberland County?
5,947 establishments, employing 98,142 people with an annual payroll of $4.49 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 Cumberland County?
Average annual pay is $55,785, or $1,073 a week, across 122,995 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Cumberland County?
180 7(a) approvals totalling $157.5 m since FY2020, across 60 lenders, with a median approval of $365,000, plus 23 504 approvals worth $14.3 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Cumberland County get paid back?
Of the 27 loans that have reached a final outcome, 24 were paid in full and 3 charged off, a charge off rate of 11.1 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Cumberland County?
1,230 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $283.6 m. Multifamily was 16.3 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Cumberland 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 Cumberland County come from?
The largest single origin is Cumberland County Non-migrants, with 109,430 households. Arriving households report an average income of $47,329 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 Cumberland 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 Cumberland 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.