HomeNorth CarolinaMitchell County
Mitchell County, North Carolina: commercial real estate data.
Mitchell County, North Carolina has a population of 14,992 across 221 square miles, up 0.9 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $681.3 m in 2024, 371 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 3 7(a) approvals worth $2.4 m.
116 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Mitchell County
How many people live in Mitchell County
- Population14,992
- Households6,587
- Average household size2.28
- Median household income$57,602
- Median age48.0
- Median gross rent$813 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$220,100
- Home value to household income3.8 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income16.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher24.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree9.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over11,218
- Population under 182,637
- Share under 1817.6 percent
- Population 65 and over3,891
- Share 65 and over26.0 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 648,464
- Civilian labor force7,152
- Unemployment rate6.5 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over57.9 percent
- Rank by population among North Carolina counties87th of 100
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents2163rd
Mitchell County is the 87th largest of 100 North Carolina counties by population. A median home costs 3.8 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 26.0 percent against 17.6 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.
Mitchell County
Is Mitchell County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base0.90 percent
- Census 2020 base population14,896
- Births, 202494
- Deaths, 2024249
- Natural change, 2024-155
- Net domestic migration, 2024158
- Net international migration, 202422
- Total net migration, 2024180
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024682
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1515th
The county has grown 0.90 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.
Mitchell County
Where people moving to Mitchell County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving386
- People arriving, from those returns693
- Adjusted gross income arriving$21.6 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$55,992
- Largest single originMitchell County Non-migrants (5,169 households)
- Largest single destination (5,169 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mitchell County Non-migrants | 5,169 | 10,551 | $302.5 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 124 | 203 | $7.8 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 120 | 215 | $7.4 m |
| Other flows - South | 103 | 168 | $6.0 m |
| Yancey County | 69 | 143 | $3.2 m |
| Avery County | 38 | 76 | $1.7 m |
| Buncombe County | 35 | 56 | $1.5 m |
| Other flows - Northeast | 21 | 35 | $1.8 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Mitchell 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.
Mitchell County
What the Mitchell County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$681.3 m
- County GDP, 2023$828.3 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 2024-17.7 percent
- GDP change over five years19.5 percent
- Rank by GDP among North Carolina counties84th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents2171st
- GDP per resident$45,444
Output grew -17.7 percent in the latest year and 19.5 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.
Mitchell County
Who employs people in Mitchell County
- Covered employment, annual average5,085
- Establishments reporting447
- Average annual pay$48,859
- Average weekly wage$940
- Sector 62, employment862
- Sector 62, average annual pay$50,868
- Sector 44-45, employment756
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$30,283
- Sector 81, employment305
- Sector 81, average annual pay$35,592
- Sector 23, employment223
- Sector 23, average annual pay$48,514
- Sector 48-49, employment203
- Sector 42, employment187
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 862 | 49 | $50,868 |
| Sector 44-45 | 756 | 59 | $30,283 |
| Sector 81 | 305 | 36 | $35,592 |
| Sector 23 | 223 | 45 | $48,514 |
| Sector 48-49 | 203 | 17 | $54,648 |
| Sector 42 | 187 | 21 | $56,464 |
| Sector 56 | 175 | 26 | $39,099 |
| Sector 61 | 148 | 6 | $32,838 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 862 jobs, 17.0 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.
Mitchell County
What businesses operate in Mitchell County
- Establishments, all industries371
- Employment at those establishments4,297
- Annual payroll$200.6 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents24.7
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.
Mitchell County
What is being built in Mitchell County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202444
- Declared construction value permitted$13.9 m
- Single family units authorised44
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$316,989
- Units authorised per 1,000 households6.7
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Mitchell County
How much SBA lending happens in Mitchell County
- 7(a) approvals recorded3
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$2.4 m
- Average 7(a) approval$797,433
- Median 7(a) approval$867,300
- 10th percentile approval$250,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,275,000
- Largest single approval$1,275,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)18
- Jobs per approval6.0
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active3
- Distinct industries receiving approvals3
- Median 7(a) term257 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer66.7 percent
- Loans on real estate terms2
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter1
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFurniture Stores (1)
- Most active lenderHomeTrust Bank (1)
- 504 approvals recorded2
- 504 gross approval dollars$659,000
- Average 504 approval$329,500
- Median 504 approval$455,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval3.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved9.1
- Most active CDCBusiness Expansion Funding Corporation (2)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals60.0 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$3.1 m
The average approval of $797,433 sits close to the median of $867,300, so lending here is fairly evenly sized rather than driven by a few large deals. 66.7 percent of approvals run on real estate terms of 240 months or more, so this is a market where SBA credit is buying buildings, not just funding operations.
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.
Mitchell County
Do SBA loans in Mitchell County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded0
- Paid in full0
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure3
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 0 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.
Mitchell County
How big is Mitchell County
- Land area221 sq mi
- Rank by land area among North Carolina counties97th of 100
- Width, east to west24.3 mi
- Height, north to south23.1 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary3
- Residents per square mile of land68
- Establishments per square mile1.68
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.
Mitchell County
What hazards affect Mitchell County
- EPA radon zone predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/LZone 1
- 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 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 Mitchell 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 Mitchell County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population14,992
- Households6,587
- Average household size2.28
- Median household income$57,602
- Median age48.0
Common questions
Mitchell County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Mitchell County, North Carolina?
14,992, in 6,587 households, ranking 87th of 100 North Carolina counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Mitchell County growing?
The population has grown 0.90 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 94 births against 249 deaths, with net migration of 180. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Mitchell County?
$57,602. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $220,100, which is 3.8 times income, and median gross rent is $813 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Mitchell County?
371 establishments, employing 4,297 people with an annual payroll of $200.6 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 Mitchell County?
Average annual pay is $48,859, or $940 a week, across 5,085 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Mitchell County?
3 7(a) approvals totalling $2.4 m since FY2020, across 3 lenders, with a median approval of $867,300, plus 2 504 approvals worth $659,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Mitchell County?
44 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $13.9 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Mitchell 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 Mitchell County come from?
The largest single origin is Mitchell County Non-migrants, with 5,169 households. Arriving households report an average income of $55,992 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 Mitchell 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 Mitchell 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.