Town · North Carolina
Belwood, North Carolina
Belwood, town, in Cleveland County, North Carolina. Belwood had 876 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 2.5% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 857 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 893 (±372). GEOID 3704960.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
876
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 857 · ACS 2020-2024: 893 ±372
Median household income
$51,299
±$2,391 (90% margin)
North Carolina: $72,388
Median home value
$214,500
±$22,193 (90% margin)
North Carolina: $288,900
Median gross rent
$860
±$276 (90% margin)
North Carolina: $1,228
Where is Belwood and what county is it in?
Belwood is a town in Cleveland County, North Carolina. It covers 12.3 square miles of land, 70 residents per square mile in 2020.
Belwood is in the Shelby-Kings Mountain, NC micropolitan statistical area (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Belwood, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 876 people lived in Belwood on July 1, 2025, up 2.5% since 2020, slower than North Carolina (+7.2%). The 2020 Census counted 857 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 893 (±372).
| Measure | Belwood | Cleveland County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 893 ±372 | 100,991 | no clear change |
| Households | 368 ±122 | 38,850 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.43 ±0.39 | 2.55 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 421 ±128 | 44,304 | no clear change |
Belwood's population since 2000
From 962 in 2000 to 876 in 2025: down 8.9%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Belwood as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Belwood?
The median resident of Belwood is 46.9 years old; 24.0% are under 18 and 19.1% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 89.6%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 7.6%.
| Measure | Belwood | Cleveland County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 46.9 ±2.7 | 41.3 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 24.0% ±8.3 pts | 22.3% | – |
| 65 years and over | 19.1% ±8.5 pts | 18.8% | – |
| Male | 50.2% ±5.8 pts | 48.3% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 7.6% ±8.8 pts | 4.7% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 89.6% ±9.7 pts | 70.6% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 1.0% ±1.4 pts | 17.9% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.4% ±0.6 pts | 0.9% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±4.6 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±4.6 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 1.3% ±1.7 pts | 5.3% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±4.6 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 2.1% ±2.3 pts | 3.1% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 5.6% ±7.0 pts | 5.1% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 8.4% ±4.8 pts | 7.3% | – |
| With a disability | 13.7% ±6.5 pts | 16.8% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 8.1% ±5.0 pts | 9.3% | −8.8 pts |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 90.0% ±6.8 pts | 88.4% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 17.0% ±8.4 pts | 22.0% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 4.0% ±3.0 pts | 8.0% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 98.2% ±2.1 pts | 90.7% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.0% ±4.7 pts | 2.0% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Belwood earn?
Half of Belwood's 368 households earn less than $51,299 a year (±$2,391), against $58,534 in Cleveland County and $72,388 in North Carolina. In 2015-2019 it was $53,939 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart.
| Measure | Belwood | Cleveland County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $51,299 ±$2,391 | $58,534 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $69,670 ±$13,126 | $76,018 | – |
| Per capita income | $29,123 ±$5,898 | $30,294 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 14.8% ±11.8 pts | 16.6% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 36.4% ±28.8 pts | 25.0% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 7.6% ±5.7 pts | 21.3% | – |
| Households with a computer | 91.0% ±5.0 pts | 91.3% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 81.5% ±7.7 pts | 85.0% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Belwood?
Owners occupy 78.3% of Belwood's occupied homes and renters 21.7%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $214,500 by its owner (±$22,193). The median renter pays $860 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Belwood | Cleveland County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $214,500 ±$22,193 | $200,000 | +$96,600 |
| Median gross rent | $860 ±$276 | $914 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 34.3% ±23.4 pts | 40.9% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,107 ±$42 | $1,257 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 78.3% ±10.1 pts | 70.9% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 21.7% ±10.1 pts | 29.1% | – |
| Housing units | 421 ±128 | 44,304 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±13.7 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±37.9 pts | 4.3% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 65.3% ±12.5 pts | 69.7% | – |
| Mobile homes | 33.7% ±12.1 pts | 18.2% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 1.7% ±1.9 pts | 1.7% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 5.0% ±5.5 pts | 5.2% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 6.2% ±3.9 pts | 6.4% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 20.1% ±22.9 pts | 5.0% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How do people in Belwood work and get to work?
91.9% of Belwood's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 38.5 minutes.
| Measure | Belwood | Cleveland County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 51.9% ±7.9 pts | 58.7% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 1.7% ±2.2 pts | 5.2% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 91.9% ±5.6 pts | 82.2% | – |
| Carpooled | 3.5% ±3.7 pts | 9.1% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±11.6 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Walked | 0.0% ±11.6 pts | 1.3% | – |
| Worked from home | 4.1% ±3.3 pts | 6.8% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 38.5 min ±3.9 | 25.3 min | +8.3 min |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Belwood?
No census tract lies mostly in Belwood; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9501.01Cleveland County | 4,875 | $51,206 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Belwood) · Census block assignment files
How does Belwood compare with other places in North Carolina?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Belwood is the 10,857th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 349th-most populous of 549 in North Carolina.
Belwood is not ranked by income or the other survey measures: those rankings include places of 1,000 or more residents (2020 Census) with a reliable estimate.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 349th | 549 |
Belwood's figures with every place in North Carolina (CSV)
Every place in North Carolina, sortable · Compare Belwood with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Belwood?
25 of the 57 figures for Belwood on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Belwood are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Belwood.