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Person County, North Carolina: commercial real estate data.
Person County, North Carolina has a population of 39,542 across 392 square miles, up 2.7 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $2.10 bn in 2024, 725 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 22 7(a) approvals worth $13.3 m.
121 sourced county values · tier FULL · 12 sections
Person County
How many people live in Person County
- Population39,542
- Households16,063
- Average household size2.46
- Median household income$63,300
- Median age44.2
- Median gross rent$864 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$213,900
- Home value to household income3.4 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income16.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher19.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree6.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over28,089
- Population under 188,159
- Share under 1820.6 percent
- Population 65 and over8,418
- Share 65 and over21.3 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6422,965
- Civilian labor force19,614
- Unemployment rate5.6 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over62.5 percent
- Rank by population among North Carolina counties63rd of 100
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1221st
Person County is the 63rd largest of 100 North Carolina counties by population. A median home costs 3.4 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 21.3 percent against 20.6 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.
Person County
Is Person County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base2.71 percent
- Census 2020 base population39,085
- Births, 2024386
- Deaths, 2024550
- Natural change, 2024-164
- Net domestic migration, 2024357
- Net international migration, 2024117
- Total net migration, 2024474
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20241,220
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents948th
The county has grown 2.71 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.
Person County
Where people moving to Person County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving931
- People arriving, from those returns1,717
- Adjusted gross income arriving$53.7 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$57,640
- Largest single originPerson County Non-migrants (14,422 households)
- Largest single destination (14,422 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Person County Non-migrants | 14,422 | 28,774 | $905.3 m |
| Durham County | 246 | 495 | $14.3 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 225 | 387 | $11.3 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 129 | 211 | $6.1 m |
| Other flows - South | 128 | 217 | $6.2 m |
| Orange County | 94 | 198 | $5.9 m |
| Wake County | 83 | 142 | $7.9 m |
| Granville County | 49 | 100 | $2.1 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Person 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.
Person County
What the Person County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$2.10 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.90 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 202410.5 percent
- GDP change over five years34.0 percent
- Rank by GDP among North Carolina counties59th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1234th
- GDP per resident$53,165
Output grew 10.5 percent in the latest year and 34.0 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.
Person County
Who employs people in Person County
- Covered employment, annual average9,288
- Establishments reporting818
- Average annual pay$50,063
- Average weekly wage$963
- Sector 44-45, employment1,565
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$32,136
- Sector 62, employment1,217
- Sector 62, average annual pay$55,509
- Sector 31-33, employment1,174
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$66,924
- Sector 72, employment921
- Sector 72, average annual pay$19,882
- Sector 42, employment606
- Sector 23, employment528
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 44-45 | 1,565 | 129 | $32,136 |
| Sector 62 | 1,217 | 93 | $55,509 |
| Sector 31-33 | 1,174 | 32 | $66,924 |
| Sector 72 | 921 | 54 | $19,882 |
| Sector 42 | 606 | 25 | $51,378 |
| Sector 23 | 528 | 108 | $62,137 |
| Sector 81 | 295 | 72 | $41,928 |
| Sector 56 | 246 | 67 | $37,573 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 1,565 jobs, 16.8 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.
Person County
What businesses operate in Person County
- Establishments, all industries725
- Employment at those establishments8,458
- Annual payroll$371.7 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.
Person County
What is being built in Person County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024113
- Declared construction value permitted$35.4 m
- Single family units authorised113
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$313,185
- Units authorised per 1,000 households7.0
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Person County
How much SBA lending happens in Person County
- 7(a) approvals recorded22
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$13.3 m
- Average 7(a) approval$602,641
- Median 7(a) approval$200,000
- 10th percentile approval$50,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,066,400
- Largest single approval$3,826,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)296
- Jobs per approval13.5
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active13
- Distinct industries receiving approvals13
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer22.7 percent
- Loans on real estate terms5
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter15
- Franchise loans1
- Franchise share of approvals4.5 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFull-Service Restaurants (5)
- Most active lenderNortheast Bank (4)
- 504 approvals recorded3
- 504 gross approval dollars$1.3 m
- Average 504 approval$421,000
- Median 504 approval$378,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval5.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved11.9
- Most active CDCBusiness Expansion Funding Corporation (3)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals88.0 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$14.5 m
The average approval of $602,641 sits well above the median of $200,000, 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 22.7 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.
Person County
Do SBA loans in Person County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded3
- Paid in full3
- Charged off0
- Status: Cancelled7
- Status: Exempt from disclosure12
- Status: Paid in full3
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 3 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.
Person County
Which parts of Person County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending2
- ROXBORO, approvals18
- TIMBERLAKE, approvals4
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| ROXBORO | 18 | $9,309,200 |
| TIMBERLAKE | 4 | $3,948,900 |
ROXBORO accounts for 18 approvals against 4 in TIMBERLAKE. 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.
Person County
How big is Person County
- Land area392 sq mi
- Rank by land area among North Carolina counties65th of 100
- Width, east to west20 mi
- Height, north to south21.1 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary4
- Residents per square mile of land101
- Establishments per square mile1.85
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.
Person County
What hazards affect Person County
- EPA radon zone predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/LZone 3
- Communities in the NFIP Community Status Book2
- Of those, participating in the NFIP2
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
The EPA places the county in radon zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 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 Person 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 Person County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population39,542
- Households16,063
- Average household size2.46
- Median household income$63,300
- Median age44.2
Common questions
Person County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Person County, North Carolina?
39,542, in 16,063 households, ranking 63rd of 100 North Carolina counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Person County growing?
The population has grown 2.71 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 386 births against 550 deaths, with net migration of 474. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Person County?
$63,300. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $213,900, which is 3.4 times income, and median gross rent is $864 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Person County?
725 establishments, employing 8,458 people with an annual payroll of $371.7 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 Person County?
Average annual pay is $50,063, or $963 a week, across 9,288 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Person County?
22 7(a) approvals totalling $13.3 m since FY2020, across 13 lenders, with a median approval of $200,000, plus 3 504 approvals worth $1.3 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Person County?
113 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $35.4 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Person 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 Person County come from?
The largest single origin is Person County Non-migrants, with 14,422 households. Arriving households report an average income of $57,640 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 Person 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 Person 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.