HomeNorth CarolinaHenderson County
Henderson County, North Carolina: commercial real estate data.
Henderson County, North Carolina has a population of 118,484 across 373 square miles, up 3.8 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $6.37 bn in 2024, 3,085 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 117 7(a) approvals worth $83.8 m.
127 sourced county values · tier FULL · 12 sections
Henderson County
How many people live in Henderson County
- Population118,484
- Households51,067
- Average household size2.32
- Median household income$68,187
- Median age47.5
- Median gross rent$1,187 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$351,400
- Home value to household income5.2 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income20.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher36.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree13.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over88,826
- Population under 1822,143
- Share under 1818.7 percent
- Population 65 and over31,376
- Share 65 and over26.5 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6464,965
- Civilian labor force56,608
- Unemployment rate3.5 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over58.8 percent
- Rank by population among North Carolina counties25th of 100
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents540th
Henderson County is the 25th largest of 100 North Carolina counties by population. A median home costs 5.2 times median household income, which is a stretched ownership market and usually shows up as rental demand. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 26.5 percent against 18.7 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.
Henderson County
Is Henderson County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base3.84 percent
- Census 2020 base population116,304
- Births, 20241,080
- Deaths, 20241,566
- Natural change, 2024-486
- Net domestic migration, 20241,200
- Net international migration, 2024471
- Total net migration, 20241,671
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20245,413
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents716th
The county has grown 3.84 percent 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.
Henderson County
Where people moving to Henderson County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving4,146
- People arriving, from those returns7,234
- Adjusted gross income arriving$395.1 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$95,308
- Largest single originHenderson County Non-migrants (44,933 households)
- Largest single destination (44,933 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Henderson County Non-migrants | 44,933 | 87,495 | $3.57 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 1,713 | 3,034 | $198.0 m |
| Buncombe County | 1,141 | 2,032 | $86.6 m |
| Other flows - South | 964 | 1,729 | $110.8 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 333 | 553 | $24.0 m |
| Other flows - West | 289 | 520 | $34.9 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 231 | 400 | $20.6 m |
| Other flows - Northeast | 229 | 385 | $31.6 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Henderson 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.
Henderson County
What the Henderson County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$6.37 bn
- County GDP, 2023$5.98 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20246.5 percent
- GDP change over five years46.6 percent
- Rank by GDP among North Carolina counties25th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents621st
- GDP per resident$53,778
Output grew 6.5 percent in the latest year and 46.6 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.
Henderson County
Who employs people in Henderson County
- Covered employment, annual average44,207
- Establishments reporting4,120
- Average annual pay$54,106
- Average weekly wage$1,041
- Sector 62, employment6,644
- Sector 62, average annual pay$59,545
- Sector 31-33, employment5,807
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$67,344
- Sector 44-45, employment5,634
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$40,158
- Sector 72, employment4,161
- Sector 72, average annual pay$26,910
- Sector 23, employment2,717
- Sector 56, employment2,413
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 6,644 | 446 | $59,545 |
| Sector 31-33 | 5,807 | 153 | $67,344 |
| Sector 44-45 | 5,634 | 408 | $40,158 |
| Sector 72 | 4,161 | 282 | $26,910 |
| Sector 23 | 2,717 | 539 | $62,677 |
| Sector 56 | 2,413 | 315 | $48,508 |
| Sector 48-49 | 1,920 | 92 | $50,539 |
| Sector 42 | 1,794 | 215 | $67,750 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 6,644 jobs, 15.0 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.
Henderson County
What businesses operate in Henderson County
- Establishments, all industries3,085
- Employment at those establishments38,824
- Annual payroll$1.90 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents26.0
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.
Henderson County
What is being built in Henderson County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20241,610
- Declared construction value permitted$468.0 m
- Single family units authorised988
- Multifamily units authorised622
- Multifamily share of units38.6 percent
- Average declared value per unit$290,667
- Units authorised per 1,000 households31.5
Multifamily is 38.6 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Henderson County
How much SBA lending happens in Henderson County
- 7(a) approvals recorded117
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$83.8 m
- Average 7(a) approval$716,010
- Median 7(a) approval$290,000
- 10th percentile approval$50,000
- 90th percentile approval$2,250,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)1,726
- Jobs per approval14.8
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active45
- Distinct industries receiving approvals67
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer12.8 percent
- Loans on real estate terms15
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter91
- Franchise loans13
- Franchise share of approvals11.1 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFull-Service Restaurants (6)
- Most active lenderTD Bank, National Association (15)
- 504 approvals recorded17
- 504 gross approval dollars$7.9 m
- Average 504 approval$463,176
- Median 504 approval$389,000
- Distinct CDCs active3
- 504 jobs per approval6.4
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved13.7
- Most active CDCBusiness Expansion Funding Corporation (13)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals87.3 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$91.6 m
The average approval of $716,010 sits well above the median of $290,000, 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 12.8 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.
Henderson County
Do SBA loans in Henderson County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded28
- Paid in full28
- Charged off0
- Charge off rate on resolved loans0.0 percent
- Status: Paid in full28
- Status: Exempt from disclosure64
- Status: Cancelled21
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed4
Of the 28 loans that have reached a final outcome, 0.0 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.
Henderson County
Which parts of Henderson County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending9
- HENDERSONVILLE, approvals58
- Fletcher, approvals29
- MILLS RIVER, approvals9
- FLAT ROCK, approvals6
- Etowah, approvals5
- ZIRCONIA, approvals4
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| HENDERSONVILLE | 58 | $34,703,300 |
| Fletcher | 29 | $19,404,600 |
| MILLS RIVER | 9 | $17,705,800 |
| FLAT ROCK | 6 | $6,623,200 |
| Etowah | 5 | $3,101,500 |
| ZIRCONIA | 4 | $1,149,600 |
| PENROSE | 4 | $665,200 |
| ANDERSON | 1 | $330,000 |
HENDERSONVILLE accounts for 58 approvals against 29 in Fletcher. 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.
Henderson County
How big is Henderson County
- Land area373 sq mi
- Rank by land area among North Carolina counties70th of 100
- Width, east to west27.3 mi
- Height, north to south22.2 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land318
- Establishments per square mile8.27
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.
Henderson County
What hazards affect Henderson County
- EPA radon zone predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/LZone 1
- Communities in the NFIP Community Status Book7
- Of those, participating in the NFIP6
- NFIP participation rate85.7 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
The EPA places the county in radon zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/L.
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 Henderson 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 Henderson County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population118,484
- Households51,067
- Average household size2.32
- Median household income$68,187
- Median age47.5
Common questions
Henderson County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Henderson County, North Carolina?
118,484, in 51,067 households, ranking 25th of 100 North Carolina counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Henderson County growing?
The population has grown 3.84 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 1,080 births against 1,566 deaths, with net migration of 1,671. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Henderson County?
$68,187. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $351,400, which is 5.2 times income, and median gross rent is $1,187 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Henderson County?
3,085 establishments, employing 38,824 people with an annual payroll of $1.90 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 Henderson County?
Average annual pay is $54,106, or $1,041 a week, across 44,207 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Henderson County?
117 7(a) approvals totalling $83.8 m since FY2020, across 45 lenders, with a median approval of $290,000, plus 17 504 approvals worth $7.9 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Henderson County get paid back?
Of the 28 loans that have reached a final outcome, 28 were paid in full and 0 charged off, a charge off rate of 0.0 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Henderson County?
1,610 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $468.0 m. Multifamily was 38.6 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Henderson County?
Zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 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 Henderson County come from?
The largest single origin is Henderson County Non-migrants, with 44,933 households. Arriving households report an average income of $95,308 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 Henderson 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 Henderson 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.