HomeNorth CarolinaSwain County
Swain County, North Carolina: commercial real estate data.
Swain County, North Carolina has a population of 14,013 across 528 square miles, down 1.2 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $916.3 m in 2024, 382 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 16 7(a) approvals worth $7.6 m.
111 sourced county values · tier FULL · 12 sections
Swain County
How many people live in Swain County
- Population14,013
- Households6,013
- Average household size2.33
- Median household income$52,349
- Median age42.6
- Median gross rent$742 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$207,000
- Home value to household income4.0 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income17.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher21.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree10.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over9,916
- Population under 182,916
- Share under 1820.8 percent
- Population 65 and over2,789
- Share 65 and over19.9 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 648,308
- Civilian labor force6,560
- Unemployment rate7.6 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over59.1 percent
- Rank by population among North Carolina counties88th of 100
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents2225th
Swain County is the 88th largest of 100 North Carolina counties by population. A median home costs 4.0 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 20.8 percent against 19.9 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Swain County
Is Swain County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-1.20 percent
- Census 2020 base population14,115
- Births, 2024153
- Deaths, 2024279
- Natural change, 2024-126
- Net domestic migration, 2024126
- Net international migration, 202423
- Total net migration, 2024149
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024205
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2266th
The county has lost 1.20 percent of its population 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.
Swain County
Where people moving to Swain County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving401
- People arriving, from those returns727
- Adjusted gross income arriving$24.0 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$59,943
- Largest single originSwain County Non-migrants (6,421 households)
- Largest single destination (6,421 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Swain County Non-migrants | 6,421 | 12,110 | $346.0 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 182 | 349 | $14.1 m |
| Other flows - South | 138 | 261 | $11.4 m |
| Jackson County | 128 | 228 | $5.2 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 91 | 150 | $4.7 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 22 | 39 | $1.2 m |
| Other flows - West | 22 | 49 | $1.5 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Swain 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.
Swain County
What the Swain County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$916.3 m
- County GDP, 2023$879.3 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20244.2 percent
- GDP change over five years25.7 percent
- Rank by GDP among North Carolina counties77th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1907th
- GDP per resident$65,388
Output grew 4.2 percent in the latest year and 25.7 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.
Swain County
Who employs people in Swain County
- Covered employment, annual average11,309
- Establishments reporting515
- Average annual pay$46,512
- Average weekly wage$894
- Sector 72, employment875
- Sector 72, average annual pay$26,317
- Sector 71, employment748
- Sector 71, average annual pay$19,798
- Sector 44-45, employment646
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$29,145
- Sector 48-49, employment292
- Sector 48-49, average annual pay$31,161
- Sector 23, employment238
- Sector 56, employment136
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 72 | 875 | 91 | $26,317 |
| Sector 71 | 748 | 20 | $19,798 |
| Sector 44-45 | 646 | 90 | $29,145 |
| Sector 48-49 | 292 | 8 | $31,161 |
| Sector 23 | 238 | 56 | $53,462 |
| Sector 56 | 136 | 30 | $36,776 |
| Sector 53 | 86 | 21 | $33,056 |
| Sector 52 | 55 | 12 | $44,463 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 875 jobs, 7.7 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.
Swain County
What businesses operate in Swain County
- Establishments, all industries382
- Employment at those establishments3,724
- Annual payroll$156.7 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents27.3
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.
Swain County
What is being built in Swain County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202477
- Declared construction value permitted$25.5 m
- Single family units authorised73
- Multifamily units authorised4
- Multifamily share of units5.2 percent
- Average declared value per unit$331,028
- Units authorised per 1,000 households12.8
Multifamily is 5.2 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Swain County
How much SBA lending happens in Swain County
- 7(a) approvals recorded16
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$7.6 m
- Average 7(a) approval$472,131
- Median 7(a) approval$200,000
- 10th percentile approval$30,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,953,000
- Largest single approval$1,957,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)126
- Jobs per approval7.9
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active11
- Distinct industries receiving approvals13
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer31.3 percent
- Loans on real estate terms5
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter11
- Franchise loans2
- Franchise share of approvals12.5 percent
- Leading industry by approval countRV (Recreational Vehicle) Parks and Campgrounds (2)
- Most active lenderTD Bank, National Association (3)
The average approval of $472,131 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. 31.3 percent of approvals run on real estate terms of 240 months or more, so this is a market where SBA credit is buying buildings, not just funding operations.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Swain County
Do SBA loans in Swain County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded4
- Paid in full4
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full4
- Status: Exempt from disclosure11
- Status: Cancelled1
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.
Swain County
Which parts of Swain County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending2
- BRYSON CITY, approvals10
- Cherokee, approvals6
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| BRYSON CITY | 10 | $6,988,900 |
| Cherokee | 6 | $565,200 |
BRYSON CITY accounts for 10 approvals against 6 in Cherokee. 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.
Swain County
How big is Swain County
- Land area528 sq mi
- Rank by land area among North Carolina counties37th of 100
- Width, east to west43.4 mi
- Height, north to south28.8 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary4
- Residents per square mile of land27
- Establishments per square mile0.72
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.
Swain County
What hazards affect Swain County
- EPA radon zone predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/LZone 2
- Communities in the NFIP Community Status Book3
- Of those, participating in the NFIP3
- NFIP participation rate100.0 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.
- No 504 approvals recorded in this county in the FOIA release covering FY2010 onward.
- 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 Swain 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 Swain County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population14,013
- Households6,013
- Average household size2.33
- Median household income$52,349
- Median age42.6
Common questions
Swain County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Swain County, North Carolina?
14,013, in 6,013 households, ranking 88th of 100 North Carolina counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Swain County growing?
The population has fallen 1.20 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 153 births against 279 deaths, with net migration of 149. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Swain County?
$52,349. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $207,000, which is 4.0 times income, and median gross rent is $742 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Swain County?
382 establishments, employing 3,724 people with an annual payroll of $156.7 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 Swain County?
Average annual pay is $46,512, or $894 a week, across 11,309 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Swain County?
16 7(a) approvals totalling $7.6 m since FY2020, across 11 lenders, with a median approval of $200,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Swain County?
77 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $25.5 m. Multifamily was 5.2 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Swain 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 Swain County come from?
The largest single origin is Swain County Non-migrants, with 6,421 households. Arriving households report an average income of $59,943 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 Swain 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 Swain 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.