HomeNorth CarolinaSurry County
Surry County, North Carolina: commercial real estate data.
Surry County, North Carolina has a population of 71,425 across 532 square miles, up 0.3 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $3.54 bn in 2024, 1,661 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 90 7(a) approvals worth $41.1 m.
128 sourced county values · tier FULL · 12 sections
Surry County
How many people live in Surry County
- Population71,425
- Households29,869
- Average household size2.39
- Median household income$55,656
- Median age43.8
- Median gross rent$761 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$177,600
- Home value to household income3.2 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income16.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher20.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree7.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over50,797
- Population under 1815,042
- Share under 1821.1 percent
- Population 65 and over14,747
- Share 65 and over20.6 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6441,636
- Civilian labor force33,191
- Unemployment rate4.4 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over58.9 percent
- Rank by population among North Carolina counties38th of 100
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents779th
Surry County is the 38th largest of 100 North Carolina counties by population. A median home costs 3.2 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 21.1 percent against 20.6 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Surry County
Is Surry County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base0.26 percent
- Census 2020 base population71,364
- Births, 2024743
- Deaths, 20241,093
- Natural change, 2024-350
- Net domestic migration, 2024342
- Net international migration, 202498
- Total net migration, 2024440
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20241,459
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1734th
The county has grown 0.26 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.
Surry County
Where people moving to Surry County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving1,470
- People arriving, from those returns2,780
- Adjusted gross income arriving$83.8 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$57,041
- Largest single originSurry County Non-migrants (25,271 households)
- Largest single destination (25,271 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Surry County Non-migrants | 25,271 | 52,132 | $1.65 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 474 | 908 | $29.0 m |
| Other flows - South | 272 | 516 | $14.8 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 212 | 380 | $12.5 m |
| Forsyth County | 193 | 341 | $12.8 m |
| Stokes County | 121 | 213 | $5.9 m |
| Wilkes County | 116 | 240 | $4.6 m |
| Yadkin County | 110 | 238 | $4.3 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Surry 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.
Surry County
What the Surry County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$3.54 bn
- County GDP, 2023$3.40 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20244.0 percent
- GDP change over five years36.7 percent
- Rank by GDP among North Carolina counties39th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents886th
- GDP per resident$49,563
Output grew 4.0 percent in the latest year and 36.7 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.
Surry County
Who employs people in Surry County
- Covered employment, annual average29,147
- Establishments reporting2,028
- Average annual pay$49,330
- Average weekly wage$949
- Sector 44-45, employment4,130
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$34,206
- Sector 31-33, employment4,015
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$51,998
- Sector 23, employment3,256
- Sector 23, average annual pay$71,490
- Sector 72, employment2,772
- Sector 72, average annual pay$19,953
- Sector 48-49, employment1,387
- Sector 56, employment1,120
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 44-45 | 4,130 | 328 | $34,206 |
| Sector 31-33 | 4,015 | 112 | $51,998 |
| Sector 23 | 3,256 | 229 | $71,490 |
| Sector 72 | 2,772 | 161 | $19,953 |
| Sector 48-49 | 1,387 | 79 | $56,455 |
| Sector 56 | 1,120 | 114 | $40,099 |
| Sector 42 | 1,029 | 80 | $59,830 |
| Sector 54 | 905 | 150 | $76,540 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 4,130 jobs, 14.2 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.
Surry County
What businesses operate in Surry County
- Establishments, all industries1,661
- Employment at those establishments32,143
- Annual payroll$1.79 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents23.3
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.
Surry County
What is being built in Surry County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024243
- Declared construction value permitted$53.6 m
- Single family units authorised241
- Multifamily units authorised2
- Multifamily share of units0.8 percent
- Average declared value per unit$220,534
- Units authorised per 1,000 households8.1
Multifamily is 0.8 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Surry County
How much SBA lending happens in Surry County
- 7(a) approvals recorded90
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$41.1 m
- Average 7(a) approval$456,392
- Median 7(a) approval$200,000
- 10th percentile approval$36,200
- 90th percentile approval$1,200,000
- Largest single approval$4,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)721
- Jobs per approval8.0
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active17
- Distinct industries receiving approvals54
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer21.1 percent
- Loans on real estate terms19
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter64
- Franchise loans7
- Franchise share of approvals7.8 percent
- Leading industry by approval countLandscaping Services (5)
- Most active lenderFirst Community Bank (67)
- 504 approvals recorded5
- 504 gross approval dollars$3.5 m
- Average 504 approval$705,000
- Median 504 approval$592,000
- Distinct CDCs active2
- 504 jobs per approval23.6
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved33.5
- Most active CDCBusiness Expansion Funding Corporation (3)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals94.7 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$44.6 m
The average approval of $456,392 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 21.1 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.
Surry County
Do SBA loans in Surry County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded23
- Paid in full21
- Charged off2
- Charge off rate on resolved loans8.7 percent
- Status: Paid in full21
- Status: Exempt from disclosure55
- Status: Cancelled7
- Status: Charged off2
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed5
Of the 23 loans that have reached a final outcome, 8.7 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Surry County
Which parts of Surry County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending8
- Mount Airy, approvals57
- Elkin, approvals15
- Pilot Mountain, approvals6
- DOBSON, approvals5
- STATE ROAD, approvals2
- LOWGAP, approvals2
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Mount Airy | 57 | $27,851,800 |
| Elkin | 15 | $7,944,400 |
| Pilot Mountain | 6 | $2,528,800 |
| DOBSON | 5 | $921,200 |
| STATE ROAD | 2 | $49,200 |
| LOWGAP | 2 | $182,500 |
| ARARAT | 2 | $1,492,900 |
| WESTFIELD | 1 | $104,500 |
Mount Airy accounts for 57 approvals against 15 in Elkin. 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.
Surry County
How big is Surry County
- Land area532 sq mi
- Rank by land area among North Carolina counties35th of 100
- Width, east to west29.7 mi
- Height, north to south22.5 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land134
- Establishments per square mile3.12
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.
Surry County
What hazards affect Surry County
- EPA radon zone predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/LZone 2
- Communities in the NFIP Community Status Book5
- Of those, participating in the NFIP4
- NFIP participation rate80.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
The EPA places the county in radon zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 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 Surry 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 Surry County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population71,425
- Households29,869
- Average household size2.39
- Median household income$55,656
- Median age43.8
Common questions
Surry County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Surry County, North Carolina?
71,425, in 29,869 households, ranking 38th of 100 North Carolina counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Surry County growing?
The population has grown 0.26 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 743 births against 1,093 deaths, with net migration of 440. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Surry County?
$55,656. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $177,600, which is 3.2 times income, and median gross rent is $761 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Surry County?
1,661 establishments, employing 32,143 people with an annual payroll of $1.79 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 Surry County?
Average annual pay is $49,330, or $949 a week, across 29,147 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Surry County?
90 7(a) approvals totalling $41.1 m since FY2020, across 17 lenders, with a median approval of $200,000, plus 5 504 approvals worth $3.5 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Surry County get paid back?
Of the 23 loans that have reached a final outcome, 21 were paid in full and 2 charged off, a charge off rate of 8.7 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Surry County?
243 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $53.6 m. Multifamily was 0.8 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Surry County?
Zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 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 Surry County come from?
The largest single origin is Surry County Non-migrants, with 25,271 households. Arriving households report an average income of $57,041 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 Surry 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 Surry 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.