HomeNorth CarolinaSampson County
Sampson County, North Carolina: commercial real estate data.
Sampson County, North Carolina has a population of 59,470 across 945 square miles, up 2.3 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $2.55 bn in 2024, 1,014 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 21 7(a) approvals worth $20.6 m.
127 sourced county values · tier FULL · 12 sections
Sampson County
How many people live in Sampson County
- Population59,470
- Households21,607
- Average household size2.75
- Median household income$52,432
- Median age39.7
- Median gross rent$834 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$150,700
- Home value to household income2.9 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income19.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher16.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree4.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over39,810
- Population under 1814,584
- Share under 1824.5 percent
- Population 65 and over10,793
- Share 65 and over18.1 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6434,093
- Civilian labor force26,136
- Unemployment rate5.3 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over58.2 percent
- Rank by population among North Carolina counties47th of 100
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents903rd
Sampson County is the 47th largest of 100 North Carolina counties by population. A median home costs 2.9 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 24.5 percent against 18.1 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Sampson County
Is Sampson County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base2.32 percent
- Census 2020 base population59,037
- Births, 2024832
- Deaths, 2024814
- Natural change, 202418
- Net domestic migration, 2024315
- Net international migration, 2024328
- Total net migration, 2024643
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024637
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1069th
The county has grown 2.32 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.
Sampson County
Where people moving to Sampson County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving1,150
- People arriving, from those returns2,335
- Adjusted gross income arriving$50.8 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$44,167
- Largest single originSampson County Non-migrants (20,787 households)
- Largest single destination (20,787 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sampson County Non-migrants | 20,787 | 44,067 | $1.18 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 309 | 620 | $14.9 m |
| Other flows - South | 187 | 367 | $9.1 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 166 | 329 | $7.6 m |
| Cumberland County | 152 | 289 | $6.0 m |
| Harnett County | 127 | 285 | $5.9 m |
| Johnston County | 109 | 255 | $5.7 m |
| Duplin County | 72 | 173 | $2.7 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Sampson 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.
Sampson County
What the Sampson County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$2.55 bn
- County GDP, 2023$2.34 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20249.0 percent
- GDP change over five years38.7 percent
- Rank by GDP among North Carolina counties51st
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1094th
- GDP per resident$42,849
Output grew 9.0 percent in the latest year and 38.7 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.
Sampson County
Who employs people in Sampson County
- Covered employment, annual average17,090
- Establishments reporting1,258
- Average annual pay$49,873
- Average weekly wage$959
- Sector 31-33, employment2,886
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$69,929
- Sector 44-45, employment2,291
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$33,243
- Sector 62, employment1,526
- Sector 62, average annual pay$43,769
- Sector 72, employment1,255
- Sector 72, average annual pay$19,028
- Sector 56, employment788
- Sector 23, employment625
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 2,886 | 62 | $69,929 |
| Sector 44-45 | 2,291 | 187 | $33,243 |
| Sector 62 | 1,526 | 118 | $43,769 |
| Sector 72 | 1,255 | 93 | $19,028 |
| Sector 56 | 788 | 60 | $39,187 |
| Sector 23 | 625 | 124 | $52,934 |
| Sector 42 | 490 | 47 | $72,458 |
| Sector 81 | 418 | 98 | $43,298 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 2,886 jobs, 16.9 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.
Sampson County
What businesses operate in Sampson County
- Establishments, all industries1,014
- Employment at those establishments12,611
- Annual payroll$607.6 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents17.1
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.
Sampson County
What is being built in Sampson County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024189
- Declared construction value permitted$42.8 m
- Single family units authorised189
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$226,332
- Units authorised per 1,000 households8.7
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Sampson County
How much SBA lending happens in Sampson County
- 7(a) approvals recorded21
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$20.6 m
- Average 7(a) approval$979,548
- Median 7(a) approval$249,800
- 10th percentile approval$50,000
- 90th percentile approval$2,455,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)183
- Jobs per approval8.7
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active13
- Distinct industries receiving approvals13
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer14.3 percent
- Loans on real estate terms3
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter16
- Franchise loans5
- Franchise share of approvals23.8 percent
- Leading industry by approval countBroilers and Other Meat Type Chicken Production (4)
- Most active lenderThe Huntington National Bank (3)
- 504 approvals recorded2
- 504 gross approval dollars$5.5 m
- Average 504 approval$2,740,500
- Median 504 approval$3,824,000
- Distinct CDCs active2
- 504 jobs per approval20.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved7.3
- Most active CDCBusiness Expansion Funding Corporation (1)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals91.3 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$26.1 m
The average approval of $979,548 sits well above the median of $249,800, 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 14.3 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.
Sampson County
Do SBA loans in Sampson County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded4
- Paid in full4
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure12
- Status: Cancelled4
- Status: Paid in full4
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed1
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 4 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.
Sampson County
Which parts of Sampson County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending6
- Clinton, approvals15
- NEWTON GROVE, approvals2
- AUTRYVILLE, approvals1
- FAISON, approvals1
- DUNN, approvals1
- Harrells, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Clinton | 15 | $16,111,500 |
| NEWTON GROVE | 2 | $4,123,000 |
| AUTRYVILLE | 1 | $200,000 |
| FAISON | 1 | $36,000 |
| DUNN | 1 | $40,000 |
| Harrells | 1 | $60,000 |
Clinton accounts for 15 approvals against 2 in NEWTON GROVE. 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.
Sampson County
How big is Sampson County
- Land area945 sq mi
- Rank by land area among North Carolina counties2nd of 100
- Width, east to west31.6 mi
- Height, north to south52.6 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary7
- Residents per square mile of land63
- Establishments per square mile1.07
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.
Sampson County
What hazards affect Sampson County
- EPA radon zone predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/LZone 3
- Communities in the NFIP Community Status Book9
- Of those, participating in the NFIP8
- NFIP participation rate88.9 percent
- Best Community Rating System class in the county A lower CRS class is a larger flood insurance premium discount.Class 8
- 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 8, 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 Sampson 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 Sampson County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population59,470
- Households21,607
- Average household size2.75
- Median household income$52,432
- Median age39.7
Common questions
Sampson County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Sampson County, North Carolina?
59,470, in 21,607 households, ranking 47th of 100 North Carolina counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Sampson County growing?
The population has grown 2.32 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 832 births against 814 deaths, with net migration of 643. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Sampson County?
$52,432. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $150,700, which is 2.9 times income, and median gross rent is $834 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Sampson County?
1,014 establishments, employing 12,611 people with an annual payroll of $607.6 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 Sampson County?
Average annual pay is $49,873, or $959 a week, across 17,090 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Sampson County?
21 7(a) approvals totalling $20.6 m since FY2020, across 13 lenders, with a median approval of $249,800, plus 2 504 approvals worth $5.5 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Sampson County?
189 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $42.8 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Sampson 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 Sampson County come from?
The largest single origin is Sampson County Non-migrants, with 20,787 households. Arriving households report an average income of $44,167 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 Sampson 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 Sampson 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.