HomeNorth CarolinaPender County
Pender County, North Carolina: commercial real estate data.
Pender County, North Carolina has a population of 65,550 across 870 square miles, up 16.4 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $2.52 bn in 2024, 1,499 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 58 7(a) approvals worth $41.2 m.
126 sourced county values · tier FULL · 12 sections
Pender County
How many people live in Pender County
- Population65,550
- Households25,291
- Average household size2.59
- Median household income$80,396
- Median age41.6
- Median gross rent$1,106 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$299,000
- Home value to household income3.7 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income16.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher30.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree10.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over46,364
- Population under 1814,710
- Share under 1822.4 percent
- Population 65 and over11,932
- Share 65 and over18.2 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6438,908
- Civilian labor force31,476
- Unemployment rate4.8 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over61.9 percent
- Rank by population among North Carolina counties42nd of 100
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents837th
Pender County is the 42nd 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 22.4 percent against 18.2 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Pender County
Is Pender County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base16.39 percent
- Census 2020 base population60,211
- Births, 2024687
- Deaths, 2024752
- Natural change, 2024-65
- Net domestic migration, 20241,599
- Net international migration, 2024188
- Total net migration, 20241,787
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20249,275
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents42nd
The county has grown 16.39 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.
Pender County
Where people moving to Pender County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving2,979
- People arriving, from those returns6,209
- Adjusted gross income arriving$283.3 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$95,111
- Largest single originPender County Non-migrants (21,518 households)
- Largest single destination (21,518 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pender County Non-migrants | 21,518 | 46,573 | $1.77 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 1,072 | 2,419 | $108.4 m |
| New Hanover County | 790 | 1,513 | $61.4 m |
| Other flows - South | 440 | 1,008 | $41.8 m |
| Other flows - Northeast | 338 | 750 | $37.0 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 323 | 612 | $33.6 m |
| Onslow County | 302 | 606 | $23.9 m |
| Other flows - West | 160 | 375 | $17.1 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Pender 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.
Pender County
What the Pender County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$2.52 bn
- County GDP, 2023$2.33 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20248.1 percent
- GDP change over five years55.7 percent
- Rank by GDP among North Carolina counties52nd
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1101st
- GDP per resident$38,389
Output grew 8.1 percent in the latest year and 55.7 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.
Pender County
Who employs people in Pender County
- Covered employment, annual average14,704
- Establishments reporting1,964
- Average annual pay$47,159
- Average weekly wage$907
- Sector 44-45, employment2,104
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$32,747
- Sector 72, employment1,946
- Sector 72, average annual pay$20,908
- Sector 62, employment1,585
- Sector 62, average annual pay$49,869
- Sector 23, employment1,274
- Sector 23, average annual pay$58,463
- Sector 31-33, employment687
- Sector 54, employment650
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 44-45 | 2,104 | 192 | $32,747 |
| Sector 72 | 1,946 | 142 | $20,908 |
| Sector 62 | 1,585 | 176 | $49,869 |
| Sector 23 | 1,274 | 312 | $58,463 |
| Sector 31-33 | 687 | 45 | $53,248 |
| Sector 54 | 650 | 263 | $77,887 |
| Sector 81 | 537 | 151 | $35,896 |
| Sector 11 | 497 | 42 | $35,688 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 2,104 jobs, 14.3 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.
Pender County
What businesses operate in Pender County
- Establishments, all industries1,499
- Employment at those establishments11,591
- Annual payroll$451.3 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents22.9
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.
Pender County
What is being built in Pender County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024944
- Declared construction value permitted$259.3 m
- Single family units authorised868
- Multifamily units authorised76
- Multifamily share of units8.1 percent
- Average declared value per unit$274,649
- Units authorised per 1,000 households37.3
Multifamily is 8.1 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Pender County
How much SBA lending happens in Pender County
- 7(a) approvals recorded58
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$41.2 m
- Average 7(a) approval$711,181
- Median 7(a) approval$350,000
- 10th percentile approval$25,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,822,400
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)979
- Jobs per approval16.9
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active26
- Distinct industries receiving approvals37
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer24.1 percent
- Loans on real estate terms14
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter37
- Franchise loans8
- Franchise share of approvals13.8 percent
- Leading industry by approval countResidential Remodelers (4)
- Most active lenderTD Bank, National Association (10)
- 504 approvals recorded2
- 504 gross approval dollars$1.0 m
- Average 504 approval$521,000
- Median 504 approval$870,000
- Distinct CDCs active2
- 504 jobs per approval1.5
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved2.9
- Most active CDCFlorida Business Development Corporation (1)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals96.7 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$42.3 m
The average approval of $711,181 sits well above the median of $350,000, 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 24.1 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.
Pender County
Do SBA loans in Pender County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded8
- Paid in full8
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full8
- Status: Exempt from disclosure43
- Status: Cancelled5
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed2
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 8 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.
Pender County
Which parts of Pender County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending5
- Hampstead, approvals37
- BURGAW, approvals8
- Surf City, approvals8
- ROCKY POINT, approvals3
- HOLLY RIDGE, approvals2
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Hampstead | 37 | $22,225,900 |
| BURGAW | 8 | $6,157,500 |
| Surf City | 8 | $4,486,100 |
| ROCKY POINT | 3 | $5,350,000 |
| HOLLY RIDGE | 2 | $3,029,000 |
Hampstead accounts for 37 approvals against 8 in BURGAW. 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.
Pender County
How big is Pender County
- Land area870 sq mi
- Rank by land area among North Carolina counties5th of 100
- Width, east to west42.1 mi
- Height, north to south29.6 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary7
- Residents per square mile of land75
- Establishments per square mile1.72
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.
Pender County
What hazards affect Pender County
- EPA radon zone predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/LZone 3
- Communities in the NFIP Community Status Book8
- Of those, participating in the NFIP8
- 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 6
- Communities carrying a CRS class2
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 6, 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 Pender 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 Pender County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population65,550
- Households25,291
- Average household size2.59
- Median household income$80,396
- Median age41.6
Common questions
Pender County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Pender County, North Carolina?
65,550, in 25,291 households, ranking 42nd of 100 North Carolina counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Pender County growing?
The population has grown 16.39 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 687 births against 752 deaths, with net migration of 1,787. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Pender County?
$80,396. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $299,000, which is 3.7 times income, and median gross rent is $1,106 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Pender County?
1,499 establishments, employing 11,591 people with an annual payroll of $451.3 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 Pender County?
Average annual pay is $47,159, or $907 a week, across 14,704 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Pender County?
58 7(a) approvals totalling $41.2 m since FY2020, across 26 lenders, with a median approval of $350,000, plus 2 504 approvals worth $1.0 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Pender County?
944 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $259.3 m. Multifamily was 8.1 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Pender 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 Pender County come from?
The largest single origin is Pender County Non-migrants, with 21,518 households. Arriving households report an average income of $95,111 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 Pender 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 Pender 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.