HomeNorth CarolinaForsyth County
Forsyth County, North Carolina: commercial real estate data.
Forsyth County, North Carolina has a population of 389,977 across 408 square miles, up 4.1 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $34.37 bn in 2024, 9,141 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 257 7(a) approvals worth $205.0 m.
128 sourced county values · tier FULL · 12 sections
Forsyth County
How many people live in Forsyth County
- Population389,977
- Households159,925
- Average household size2.44
- Median household income$67,165
- Median age38.4
- Median gross rent$1,098 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$250,400
- Home value to household income3.7 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income19.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher38.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree15.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over262,936
- Population under 1888,343
- Share under 1822.7 percent
- Population 65 and over66,134
- Share 65 and over17.0 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64235,500
- Civilian labor force193,477
- Unemployment rate5.0 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over64.1 percent
- Rank by population among North Carolina counties4th of 100
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents191st
Forsyth County is the 4th largest of 100 North Carolina counties by population. A median home costs 3.7 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 22.7 percent against 17.0 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Forsyth County
Is Forsyth County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base4.06 percent
- Census 2020 base population382,606
- Births, 20244,559
- Deaths, 20244,032
- Natural change, 2024527
- Net domestic migration, 20241,330
- Net international migration, 20242,424
- Total net migration, 20243,754
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20248,090
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents678th
The county has grown 4.06 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.
Forsyth County
Where people moving to Forsyth County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving11,041
- People arriving, from those returns19,004
- Adjusted gross income arriving$722.9 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$65,470
- Largest single originForsyth County Non-migrants (140,382 households)
- Largest single destination (140,382 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forsyth County Non-migrants | 140,382 | 279,565 | $12.00 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 3,164 | 5,587 | $252.0 m |
| Guilford County | 1,677 | 2,887 | $91.6 m |
| Other flows - South | 1,501 | 2,616 | $108.8 m |
| Davidson County | 743 | 1,308 | $37.8 m |
| Other flows - Northeast | 653 | 1,147 | $47.2 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 555 | 973 | $58.7 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 465 | 751 | $24.2 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Forsyth 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.
Forsyth County
What the Forsyth County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$34.37 bn
- County GDP, 2023$33.18 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20243.6 percent
- GDP change over five years32.1 percent
- Rank by GDP among North Carolina counties5th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents174th
- GDP per resident$88,141
Output grew 3.6 percent in the latest year and 32.1 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.
Forsyth County
Who employs people in Forsyth County
- Covered employment, annual average192,587
- Establishments reporting11,366
- Average annual pay$66,257
- Average weekly wage$1,274
- Sector 62, employment43,109
- Sector 62, average annual pay$72,632
- Sector 44-45, employment22,366
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$40,661
- Sector 72, employment18,281
- Sector 72, average annual pay$24,473
- Sector 31-33, employment16,130
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$77,884
- Sector 56, employment12,537
- Sector 52, employment9,036
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 43,109 | 1,208 | $72,632 |
| Sector 44-45 | 22,366 | 1,370 | $40,661 |
| Sector 72 | 18,281 | 935 | $24,473 |
| Sector 31-33 | 16,130 | 349 | $77,884 |
| Sector 56 | 12,537 | 828 | $49,050 |
| Sector 52 | 9,036 | 674 | $113,589 |
| Sector 23 | 8,371 | 1,094 | $73,794 |
| Sector 54 | 8,356 | 1,524 | $85,432 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 43,109 jobs, 22.4 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.
Forsyth County
What businesses operate in Forsyth County
- Establishments, all industries9,141
- Employment at those establishments190,157
- Annual payroll$11.39 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents23.4
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.
Forsyth County
What is being built in Forsyth County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20243,846
- Declared construction value permitted$1.19 bn
- Single family units authorised2,540
- Multifamily units authorised1,306
- Multifamily share of units34.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$309,029
- Units authorised per 1,000 households24.0
Multifamily is 34.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Forsyth County
How much SBA lending happens in Forsyth County
- 7(a) approvals recorded257
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$205.0 m
- Average 7(a) approval$797,707
- Median 7(a) approval$320,000
- 10th percentile approval$40,000
- 90th percentile approval$2,536,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)3,879
- Jobs per approval15.1
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active63
- Distinct industries receiving approvals119
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer17.1 percent
- Loans on real estate terms44
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter191
- Franchise loans73
- Franchise share of approvals28.4 percent
- Leading industry by approval countHotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (14)
- Most active lenderLive Oak Banking Company (24)
- 504 approvals recorded43
- 504 gross approval dollars$35.6 m
- Average 504 approval$828,070
- Median 504 approval$568,000
- Distinct CDCs active4
- 504 jobs per approval14.2
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved17.1
- Most active CDCBusiness Expansion Funding Corporation (25)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals85.7 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$240.6 m
The average approval of $797,707 sits well above the median of $320,000, 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 17.1 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.
Forsyth County
Do SBA loans in Forsyth County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded44
- Paid in full40
- Charged off4
- Charge off rate on resolved loans9.1 percent
- Status: Exempt from disclosure172
- Status: Paid in full40
- Status: Cancelled25
- Status: Charged off4
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed16
Of the 44 loans that have reached a final outcome, 9.1 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.
Forsyth County
Which parts of Forsyth County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending11
- WINSTON SALEM, approvals161
- KERNERSVILLE, approvals42
- CLEMMONS, approvals21
- WINSTON-SALEM, approvals9
- LEWISVILLE, approvals8
- BELEWS CREEK, approvals5
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| WINSTON SALEM | 161 | $132,326,900 |
| KERNERSVILLE | 42 | $37,270,300 |
| CLEMMONS | 21 | $17,769,100 |
| WINSTON-SALEM | 9 | $5,175,000 |
| LEWISVILLE | 8 | $3,904,500 |
| BELEWS CREEK | 5 | $1,639,000 |
| Pfafftown | 4 | $4,168,600 |
| Rural Hall | 3 | $1,599,900 |
WINSTON SALEM accounts for 161 approvals against 42 in KERNERSVILLE. 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.
Forsyth County
How big is Forsyth County
- Land area408 sq mi
- Rank by land area among North Carolina counties60th of 100
- Width, east to west26.9 mi
- Height, north to south19.9 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land956
- Establishments per square mile22.40
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.
Forsyth County
What hazards affect Forsyth County
- EPA radon zone predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/LZone 2
- 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 class2
The EPA places the county in radon zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 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 Forsyth 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 Forsyth County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population389,977
- Households159,925
- Average household size2.44
- Median household income$67,165
- Median age38.4
Common questions
Forsyth County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Forsyth County, North Carolina?
389,977, in 159,925 households, ranking 4th of 100 North Carolina counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Forsyth County growing?
The population has grown 4.06 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 4,559 births against 4,032 deaths, with net migration of 3,754. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Forsyth County?
$67,165. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $250,400, which is 3.7 times income, and median gross rent is $1,098 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Forsyth County?
9,141 establishments, employing 190,157 people with an annual payroll of $11.39 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 Forsyth County?
Average annual pay is $66,257, or $1,274 a week, across 192,587 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Forsyth County?
257 7(a) approvals totalling $205.0 m since FY2020, across 63 lenders, with a median approval of $320,000, plus 43 504 approvals worth $35.6 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Forsyth County get paid back?
Of the 44 loans that have reached a final outcome, 40 were paid in full and 4 charged off, a charge off rate of 9.1 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Forsyth County?
3,846 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $1.19 bn. Multifamily was 34.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Forsyth County?
Zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Forsyth County come from?
The largest single origin is Forsyth County Non-migrants, with 140,382 households. Arriving households report an average income of $65,470 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 Forsyth 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 Forsyth 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.