Cleveland County, North Carolina
Located in North Carolina, Cleveland County has a population of 100,991 residents and a median age of 41.3 years, making it the #614 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 16.6%. The median home value is $200,000, and the median household income is $58,534, which is 22% below the national median.
Demographics
Cleveland County has a population of 100,991, making it the #614 most populous county in the US. The median age is 41.3 years, which is 6.2% above the national median.
Population Trend
Rankings →Year-over-Year Population Growth
Age & Sex Distribution
Race & Ethnicity
Nativity
Geographic Mobility (Past Year)
Economy
The median household income in Cleveland County is $58,534, ranking #2,221 out of 3,222 counties — 22.1% below the national median. The poverty rate is 16.6% and unemployment stands at 5.2%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Cleveland County is $200,000 (-29.1% vs national). Renters pay a median of $914/mo and the homeownership rate is 70.9%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Cleveland County, 22.0% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 34.9% below the national average, ranking #1,664 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Cleveland County is 72.0 years. 20.9% of adults report poor or fair health and 11.0% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
20.6% of adults in Cleveland County smoke , 37.8% are obese , and 18.4% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 27.3 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Cleveland County is 7.5 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 17.1 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 23.8 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
26.0% of children in Cleveland County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 8.0 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 27.8 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Infant Mortality Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Cleveland County is 68.3%. The mean commute time is 27.8 min, which is 0.7% above the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Cleveland County voted Republican with a margin of 35.0%. The vote was 32.2% Dem / 67.2% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 2.1 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Cleveland County, North Carolina
Cleveland County, North Carolina has a total population of 100,991, making it the 614th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Cleveland County is 41.3 years, which is 6.2% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Cleveland County is $58,534, which ranks #2,221 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 22.1% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 16.6%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 5.2%.
The median home value in Cleveland County is $200,000, 29.1% below the national median. Renters in Cleveland County pay a median gross rent of $914 per month. The homeownership rate is 70.9%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Cleveland County, 22.0% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 34.9% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 90.7% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 27.8 min.
Cleveland County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 70.6% of the population, followed by Black (non-Hispanic) (17.9%) and Two or More Races (5.3%).
All data for Cleveland County, North Carolina comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.