HomeNorth CarolinaMcDowell County
McDowell County, North Carolina: commercial real estate data.
McDowell County, North Carolina has a population of 44,817 across 441 square miles, up 1.5 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $2.77 bn in 2024, 822 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 17 7(a) approvals worth $6.1 m.
112 sourced county values · tier FULL · 12 sections
McDowell County
How many people live in McDowell County
- Population44,817
- Households18,638
- Average household size2.40
- Median household income$57,168
- Median age44.3
- Median gross rent$806 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$171,100
- Home value to household income3.0 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income16.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher18.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree5.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over32,913
- Population under 188,692
- Share under 1819.4 percent
- Population 65 and over9,401
- Share 65 and over21.0 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6426,724
- Civilian labor force20,208
- Unemployment rate4.1 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over55.9 percent
- Rank by population among North Carolina counties56th of 100
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1105th
McDowell County is the 56th 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 21.0 percent against 19.4 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.
McDowell County
Is McDowell County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base1.54 percent
- Census 2020 base population44,583
- Births, 2024379
- Deaths, 2024646
- Natural change, 2024-267
- Net domestic migration, 2024414
- Net international migration, 2024156
- Total net migration, 2024570
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20241,472
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1316th
The county has grown 1.54 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.
McDowell County
Where people moving to McDowell County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving1,076
- People arriving, from those returns1,932
- Adjusted gross income arriving$77.3 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$71,824
- Largest single originMcDowell County Non-migrants (15,873 households)
- Largest single destination (15,873 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| McDowell County Non-migrants | 15,873 | 31,930 | $901.6 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 343 | 612 | $27.7 m |
| Buncombe County | 272 | 475 | $21.5 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 211 | 370 | $14.9 m |
| Other flows - South | 211 | 381 | $15.6 m |
| Burke County | 102 | 189 | $3.9 m |
| Other flows - Northeast | 50 | 94 | $4.6 m |
| Other flows - West | 48 | 80 | $4.8 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is McDowell 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.
McDowell County
What the McDowell County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$2.77 bn
- County GDP, 2023$2.57 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20247.6 percent
- GDP change over five years34.1 percent
- Rank by GDP among North Carolina counties48th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1037th
- GDP per resident$61,733
Output grew 7.6 percent in the latest year and 34.1 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.
McDowell County
Who employs people in McDowell County
- Covered employment, annual average15,350
- Establishments reporting970
- Average annual pay$47,365
- Average weekly wage$911
- Sector 31-33, employment4,994
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$56,360
- Sector 44-45, employment2,251
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$31,771
- Sector 72, employment1,200
- Sector 72, average annual pay$21,356
- Sector 23, employment692
- Sector 23, average annual pay$56,197
- Sector 56, employment595
- Sector 81, employment449
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 4,994 | 52 | $56,360 |
| Sector 44-45 | 2,251 | 142 | $31,771 |
| Sector 72 | 1,200 | 94 | $21,356 |
| Sector 23 | 692 | 124 | $56,197 |
| Sector 56 | 595 | 74 | $38,755 |
| Sector 81 | 449 | 75 | $42,760 |
| Sector 42 | 216 | 40 | $59,958 |
| Sector 52 | 202 | 43 | $74,347 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 4,994 jobs, 32.5 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.
McDowell County
What businesses operate in McDowell County
- Establishments, all industries822
- Employment at those establishments13,495
- Annual payroll$630.6 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents18.3
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.
McDowell County
What is being built in McDowell County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024175
- Declared construction value permitted$86.4 m
- Single family units authorised175
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$493,727
- Units authorised per 1,000 households9.4
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
McDowell County
How much SBA lending happens in McDowell County
- 7(a) approvals recorded17
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$6.1 m
- Average 7(a) approval$357,029
- Median 7(a) approval$241,000
- 10th percentile approval$7,500
- 90th percentile approval$1,470,000
- Largest single approval$1,570,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)143
- Jobs per approval8.4
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active10
- Distinct industries receiving approvals15
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer17.6 percent
- Loans on real estate terms3
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter12
- Franchise loans1
- Franchise share of approvals5.9 percent
- Leading industry by approval countWineries (2)
- Most active lenderWells Fargo Bank National Association (5)
The average approval of $357,029 sits well above the median of $241,000, 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 17.6 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.
McDowell County
Do SBA loans in McDowell County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded5
- Paid in full5
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full5
- Status: Cancelled1
- Status: Exempt from disclosure11
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.
McDowell County
Which parts of McDowell County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending3
- MARION, approvals9
- OLD FORT, approvals5
- NEBO, approvals3
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| MARION | 9 | $2,720,000 |
| OLD FORT | 5 | $1,631,000 |
| NEBO | 3 | $1,718,500 |
MARION accounts for 9 approvals against 5 in OLD FORT. 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.
McDowell County
How big is McDowell County
- Land area441 sq mi
- Rank by land area among North Carolina counties55th of 100
- Width, east to west26.2 mi
- Height, north to south30 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land102
- Establishments per square mile1.86
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.
McDowell County
What hazards affect McDowell County
- EPA radon zone predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/LZone 2
- Communities in the NFIP Community Status Book3
- Of those, participating in the NFIP3
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
The EPA places the county in radon zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 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.
- No 504 approvals recorded in this county in the FOIA release covering FY2010 onward.
- 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 McDowell 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 McDowell County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population44,817
- Households18,638
- Average household size2.40
- Median household income$57,168
- Median age44.3
Common questions
McDowell County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in McDowell County, North Carolina?
44,817, in 18,638 households, ranking 56th of 100 North Carolina counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is McDowell County growing?
The population has grown 1.54 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 379 births against 646 deaths, with net migration of 570. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in McDowell County?
$57,168. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $171,100, which is 3.0 times income, and median gross rent is $806 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in McDowell County?
822 establishments, employing 13,495 people with an annual payroll of $630.6 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 McDowell County?
Average annual pay is $47,365, or $911 a week, across 15,350 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in McDowell County?
17 7(a) approvals totalling $6.1 m since FY2020, across 10 lenders, with a median approval of $241,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in McDowell County?
175 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $86.4 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for McDowell 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 McDowell County come from?
The largest single origin is McDowell County Non-migrants, with 15,873 households. Arriving households report an average income of $71,824 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 McDowell 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 McDowell 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.