HomeNorth CarolinaRobeson County
Robeson County, North Carolina: commercial real estate data.
Robeson County, North Carolina has a population of 116,902 across 949 square miles, up 1.8 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $5.04 bn in 2024, 1,787 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 39 7(a) approvals worth $31.1 m.
125 sourced county values · tier FULL · 12 sections
Robeson County
How many people live in Robeson County
- Population116,902
- Households43,134
- Average household size2.71
- Median household income$41,978
- Median age36.4
- Median gross rent$805 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$94,500
- Home value to household income2.3 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income23.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher14.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree5.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over74,911
- Population under 1830,188
- Share under 1825.8 percent
- Population 65 and over18,753
- Share 65 and over16.0 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6467,961
- Civilian labor force45,696
- Unemployment rate6.0 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over52.7 percent
- Rank by population among North Carolina counties26th of 100
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents544th
Robeson County is the 26th largest of 100 North Carolina counties by population. A median home costs 2.3 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 25.8 percent against 16.0 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Robeson County
Is Robeson County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base1.80 percent
- Census 2020 base population116,524
- Births, 20241,847
- Deaths, 20241,676
- Natural change, 2024171
- Net domestic migration, 2024240
- Net international migration, 2024503
- Total net migration, 2024743
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20241,122
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1240th
The county has grown 1.80 percent since the 2020 census base. Migration contributed more to 2024 change than births over deaths, so demand here follows people arriving rather than families forming.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Robeson County
Where people moving to Robeson County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving1,922
- People arriving, from those returns3,787
- Adjusted gross income arriving$69.6 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$36,190
- Largest single originRobeson County Non-migrants (39,394 households)
- Largest single destination (39,394 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Robeson County Non-migrants | 39,394 | 82,591 | $1.81 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 641 | 1,261 | $26.4 m |
| Cumberland County | 421 | 872 | $14.3 m |
| Other flows - South | 360 | 706 | $13.6 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 246 | 449 | $9.2 m |
| Hoke County | 146 | 300 | $4.5 m |
| Other flows - Northeast | 137 | 289 | $5.4 m |
| Bladen County | 90 | 204 | $2.9 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Robeson 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.
Robeson County
What the Robeson County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$5.04 bn
- County GDP, 2023$4.92 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20242.6 percent
- GDP change over five years24.0 percent
- Rank by GDP among North Carolina counties30th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents715th
- GDP per resident$43,153
Output grew 2.6 percent in the latest year and 24.0 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.
Robeson County
Who employs people in Robeson County
- Covered employment, annual average38,484
- Establishments reporting2,176
- Average annual pay$45,957
- Average weekly wage$884
- Sector 62, employment7,501
- Sector 62, average annual pay$44,144
- Sector 31-33, employment7,283
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$55,556
- Sector 44-45, employment4,927
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$32,781
- Sector 56, employment1,604
- Sector 56, average annual pay$38,526
- Sector 23, employment1,199
- Sector 42, employment982
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 7,501 | 360 | $44,144 |
| Sector 31-33 | 7,283 | 88 | $55,556 |
| Sector 44-45 | 4,927 | 411 | $32,781 |
| Sector 56 | 1,604 | 99 | $38,526 |
| Sector 23 | 1,199 | 176 | $52,905 |
| Sector 42 | 982 | 72 | $58,667 |
| Sector 52 | 780 | 100 | $57,321 |
| Sector 48-49 | 764 | 73 | $50,325 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 7,501 jobs, 19.5 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job exceeds median household income, which usually means single earner households and a wage base that can carry rent.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Robeson County
What businesses operate in Robeson County
- Establishments, all industries1,787
- Employment at those establishments31,788
- Annual payroll$1.34 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents15.3
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.
Robeson County
What is being built in Robeson County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024337
- Declared construction value permitted$59.9 m
- Single family units authorised335
- Multifamily units authorised2
- Multifamily share of units0.6 percent
- Average declared value per unit$177,654
- Units authorised per 1,000 households7.8
Multifamily is 0.6 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Robeson County
How much SBA lending happens in Robeson County
- 7(a) approvals recorded39
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$31.1 m
- Average 7(a) approval$798,041
- Median 7(a) approval$426,500
- 10th percentile approval$87,500
- 90th percentile approval$2,170,500
- Largest single approval$3,704,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)633
- Jobs per approval16.2
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active18
- Distinct industries receiving approvals22
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer28.2 percent
- Loans on real estate terms11
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter20
- Franchise loans3
- Franchise share of approvals7.7 percent
- Leading industry by approval countHotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (6)
- Most active lenderFirst Financial Bank (6)
- 504 approvals recorded5
- 504 gross approval dollars$2.7 m
- Average 504 approval$530,400
- Median 504 approval$529,000
- Distinct CDCs active2
- 504 jobs per approval10.6
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved20.0
- Most active CDCBusiness Expansion Funding Corporation (3)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals88.6 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$33.8 m
The average approval of $798,041 sits well above the median of $426,500, 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 28.2 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.
Robeson County
Do SBA loans in Robeson County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded5
- Paid in full5
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure25
- Status: Cancelled9
- Status: Paid in full5
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.
Robeson County
Which parts of Robeson County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending9
- LUMBERTON, approvals17
- PEMBROKE, approvals5
- Maxton, approvals4
- RED SPRINGS, approvals3
- SAINT PAULS, approvals3
- FAIRMONT, approvals3
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| LUMBERTON | 17 | $12,969,200 |
| PEMBROKE | 5 | $2,886,000 |
| Maxton | 4 | $5,889,500 |
| RED SPRINGS | 3 | $3,679,000 |
| SAINT PAULS | 3 | $2,530,500 |
| FAIRMONT | 3 | $2,308,000 |
| Parkton | 2 | $133,700 |
| Fayetteville | 1 | $301,200 |
LUMBERTON accounts for 17 approvals against 5 in PEMBROKE. 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.
Robeson County
How big is Robeson County
- Land area949 sq mi
- Rank by land area among North Carolina counties1st of 100
- Width, east to west37.4 mi
- Height, north to south45.2 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land123
- Establishments per square mile1.88
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.
Robeson County
What hazards affect Robeson County
- EPA radon zone predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/LZone 3
- Communities in the NFIP Community Status Book15
- Of those, participating in the NFIP10
- NFIP participation rate66.7 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 Robeson 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 Robeson County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population116,902
- Households43,134
- Average household size2.71
- Median household income$41,978
- Median age36.4
Common questions
Robeson County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Robeson County, North Carolina?
116,902, in 43,134 households, ranking 26th of 100 North Carolina counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Robeson County growing?
The population has grown 1.80 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 1,847 births against 1,676 deaths, with net migration of 743. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Robeson County?
$41,978. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $94,500, which is 2.3 times income, and median gross rent is $805 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Robeson County?
1,787 establishments, employing 31,788 people with an annual payroll of $1.34 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 Robeson County?
Average annual pay is $45,957, or $884 a week, across 38,484 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Robeson County?
39 7(a) approvals totalling $31.1 m since FY2020, across 18 lenders, with a median approval of $426,500, plus 5 504 approvals worth $2.7 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Robeson County?
337 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $59.9 m. Multifamily was 0.6 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Robeson 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 Robeson County come from?
The largest single origin is Robeson County Non-migrants, with 39,394 households. Arriving households report an average income of $36,190 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 Robeson 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 Robeson 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.