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Wilson County, North Carolina: commercial real estate data.
Wilson County, North Carolina has a population of 79,290 across 368 square miles, up 0.9 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $5.17 bn in 2024, 1,818 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 42 7(a) approvals worth $29.1 m.
127 sourced county values · tier FULL · 12 sections
Wilson County
How many people live in Wilson County
- Population79,290
- Households33,068
- Average household size2.40
- Median household income$56,423
- Median age40.6
- Median gross rent$953 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$186,000
- Home value to household income3.3 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income20.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher21.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree8.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over54,277
- Population under 1818,060
- Share under 1822.8 percent
- Population 65 and over15,296
- Share 65 and over19.3 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6445,934
- Civilian labor force36,364
- Unemployment rate5.6 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over59.4 percent
- Rank by population among North Carolina counties36th of 100
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents734th
Wilson County is the 36th largest of 100 North Carolina counties by population. A median home costs 3.3 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 22.8 percent against 19.3 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Wilson County
Is Wilson County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base0.87 percent
- Census 2020 base population79,269
- Births, 2024902
- Deaths, 20241,030
- Natural change, 2024-128
- Net domestic migration, 2024297
- Net international migration, 2024183
- Total net migration, 2024480
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20241,104
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1525th
The county has grown 0.87 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.
Wilson County
Where people moving to Wilson County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving1,944
- People arriving, from those returns3,632
- Adjusted gross income arriving$92.3 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$47,465
- Largest single originWilson County Non-migrants (28,423 households)
- Largest single destination (28,423 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wilson County Non-migrants | 28,423 | 57,280 | $1.78 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 542 | 998 | $28.1 m |
| Wake County | 312 | 585 | $16.0 m |
| Other flows - South | 279 | 509 | $15.3 m |
| Nash County | 271 | 540 | $12.8 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 245 | 418 | $11.2 m |
| Johnston County | 166 | 363 | $8.8 m |
| Other flows - Northeast | 140 | 263 | $6.5 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Wilson 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.
Wilson County
What the Wilson County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$5.17 bn
- County GDP, 2023$4.93 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20244.7 percent
- GDP change over five years27.1 percent
- Rank by GDP among North Carolina counties29th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents703rd
- GDP per resident$65,156
Output grew 4.7 percent in the latest year and 27.1 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.
Wilson County
Who employs people in Wilson County
- Covered employment, annual average35,117
- Establishments reporting2,155
- Average annual pay$54,643
- Average weekly wage$1,051
- Sector 31-33, employment6,875
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$74,679
- Sector 62, employment4,196
- Sector 62, average annual pay$48,096
- Sector 44-45, employment4,065
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$35,719
- Sector 72, employment3,247
- Sector 72, average annual pay$21,153
- Sector 23, employment3,156
- Sector 56, employment1,553
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 6,875 | 81 | $74,679 |
| Sector 62 | 4,196 | 238 | $48,096 |
| Sector 44-45 | 4,065 | 315 | $35,719 |
| Sector 72 | 3,247 | 182 | $21,153 |
| Sector 23 | 3,156 | 228 | $70,783 |
| Sector 56 | 1,553 | 149 | $46,649 |
| Sector 52 | 1,546 | 101 | $75,607 |
| Sector 42 | 1,260 | 136 | $67,358 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 6,875 jobs, 19.6 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.
Wilson County
What businesses operate in Wilson County
- Establishments, all industries1,818
- Employment at those establishments32,253
- Annual payroll$1.63 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents22.9
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.
Wilson County
What is being built in Wilson County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024580
- Declared construction value permitted$108.1 m
- Single family units authorised398
- Multifamily units authorised182
- Multifamily share of units31.4 percent
- Average declared value per unit$186,421
- Units authorised per 1,000 households17.5
Multifamily is 31.4 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Wilson County
How much SBA lending happens in Wilson County
- 7(a) approvals recorded42
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$29.1 m
- Average 7(a) approval$692,624
- Median 7(a) approval$497,500
- 10th percentile approval$50,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,758,600
- Largest single approval$3,714,600
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)598
- Jobs per approval14.2
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active27
- Distinct industries receiving approvals27
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer33.3 percent
- Loans on real estate terms14
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter25
- Franchise loans9
- Franchise share of approvals21.4 percent
- Leading industry by approval countPlumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors (6)
- Most active lenderReadycap Lending, LLC (4)
- 504 approvals recorded7
- 504 gross approval dollars$7.5 m
- Average 504 approval$1,067,857
- Median 504 approval$1,158,000
- Distinct CDCs active2
- 504 jobs per approval7.9
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved7.4
- Most active CDCBusiness Expansion Funding Corporation (5)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals85.7 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$36.6 m
The average approval of $692,624 sits close to the median of $497,500, so lending here is fairly evenly sized rather than driven by a few large deals. 33.3 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. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Wilson County
Do SBA loans in Wilson County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded4
- Paid in full4
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full4
- Status: Exempt from disclosure31
- Status: Cancelled6
- 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.
Wilson County
Which parts of Wilson County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending7
- WILSON, approvals36
- LUCAMA, approvals1
- BLACK CREEK, approvals1
- STANTONSBURG, approvals1
- WALSTONBURG, approvals1
- FOUNTAIN, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| WILSON | 36 | $25,401,300 |
| LUCAMA | 1 | $609,500 |
| BLACK CREEK | 1 | $734,000 |
| STANTONSBURG | 1 | $540,000 |
| WALSTONBURG | 1 | $1,212,000 |
| FOUNTAIN | 1 | $25,000 |
| BAILEY | 1 | $568,400 |
WILSON accounts for 36 approvals against 1 in LUCAMA. 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.
Wilson County
How big is Wilson County
- Land area368 sq mi
- Rank by land area among North Carolina counties71st of 100
- Width, east to west29.8 mi
- Height, north to south19.6 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land215
- Establishments per square mile4.94
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.
Wilson County
What hazards affect Wilson County
- EPA radon zone predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/LZone 3
- Communities in the NFIP Community Status Book10
- Of those, participating in the NFIP10
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Best Community Rating System class in the county A lower CRS class is a larger flood insurance premium discount.Class 5
- Communities carrying a CRS class1
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 5, 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 Wilson 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 Wilson County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population79,290
- Households33,068
- Average household size2.40
- Median household income$56,423
- Median age40.6
Common questions
Wilson County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Wilson County, North Carolina?
79,290, in 33,068 households, ranking 36th of 100 North Carolina counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Wilson County growing?
The population has grown 0.87 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 902 births against 1,030 deaths, with net migration of 480. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Wilson County?
$56,423. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $186,000, which is 3.3 times income, and median gross rent is $953 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Wilson County?
1,818 establishments, employing 32,253 people with an annual payroll of $1.63 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 Wilson County?
Average annual pay is $54,643, or $1,051 a week, across 35,117 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Wilson County?
42 7(a) approvals totalling $29.1 m since FY2020, across 27 lenders, with a median approval of $497,500, plus 7 504 approvals worth $7.5 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Wilson County?
580 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $108.1 m. Multifamily was 31.4 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Wilson 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 Wilson County come from?
The largest single origin is Wilson County Non-migrants, with 28,423 households. Arriving households report an average income of $47,465 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 Wilson 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 Wilson 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.