Town · North Carolina
Cleveland, North Carolina
Cleveland, town, in Rowan County, North Carolina. Cleveland had 902 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 5.3% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 846 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 1,080 (±280). GEOID 3713000.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
902
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 846 · ACS 2020-2024: 1,080 ±280
Median household income
$58,750
±$12,288 (90% margin)
North Carolina: $72,388
Median home value
$242,600
±$29,245 (90% margin)
North Carolina: $288,900
Median gross rent
$739
±$150 (90% margin)
North Carolina: $1,228
Where is Cleveland and what county is it in?
Cleveland is a town in Rowan County, North Carolina. It covers 1.6 square miles of land, 546 residents per square mile in 2020.
Cleveland is in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 11 counties (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 Cleveland, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 902 people lived in Cleveland on July 1, 2025, up 5.3% since 2020, slower than North Carolina (+7.2%). The 2020 Census counted 846 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 1,080 (±280).
| Measure | Cleveland | Rowan County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 1,080 ±280 | 149,875 | no clear change |
| Households | 424 ±113 | 58,899 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.55 ±0.46 | 2.48 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 495 ±125 | 64,975 | no clear change |
Cleveland's population since 2000
From 808 in 2000 to 902 in 2025: up 11.6%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Cleveland 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 Cleveland?
The median resident of Cleveland is 37.0 years old; 23.2% are under 18 and 14.9% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 68.1%, then non-Hispanic Black residents at 18.6%.
| Measure | Cleveland | Rowan County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 37.0 ±10.7 | 40.4 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 23.2% ±8.3 pts | 22.2% | – |
| 65 years and over | 14.9% ±8.7 pts | 17.7% | – |
| Male | 47.4% ±5.1 pts | 49.5% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 10.9% ±9.3 pts | 11.9% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 68.1% ±12.2 pts | 67.8% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 18.6% ±10.9 pts | 15.5% | no clear change |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.6% ±0.7 pts | 0.8% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.9 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.9 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 1.9% ±1.6 pts | 3.7% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.9 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 2.4% ±2.5 pts | 6.3% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 5.6% ±7.5 pts | 10.9% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 9.0% ±4.7 pts | 7.2% | – |
| With a disability | 15.0% ±7.6 pts | 15.4% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 11.6% ±4.7 pts | 9.3% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 93.1% ±4.7 pts | 88.9% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 24.2% ±7.6 pts | 23.3% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 4.2% ±2.8 pts | 7.3% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 90.8% ±5.5 pts | 89.3% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.7% ±0.9 pts | 1.3% | – |
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 Cleveland earn?
Half of Cleveland's 424 households earn less than $58,750 a year (±$12,288), against $65,725 in Rowan County and $72,388 in North Carolina. In 2015-2019 it was $66,457 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 17.2% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Cleveland | Rowan County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $58,750 ±$12,288 | $65,725 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $74,304 ±$14,739 | $84,650 | – |
| Per capita income | $30,351 ±$4,619 | $33,667 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 17.2% ±9.9 pts | 16.0% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 41.7% ±22.6 pts | 23.3% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 13.2% ±8.0 pts | 16.0% | – |
| Households with a computer | 99.1% ±1.3 pts | 94.3% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 85.6% ±16.1 pts | 90.2% | – |
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 Cleveland?
Owners occupy 79.0% of Cleveland's occupied homes and renters 21.0%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $242,600 by its owner (±$29,245). The median renter pays $739 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Cleveland | Rowan County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $242,600 ±$29,245 | $238,400 | +$94,794 |
| Median gross rent | $739 ±$150 | $1,013 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 37.1% ±25.1 pts | 37.8% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,481 ±$163 | $1,429 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 79.0% ±10.7 pts | 72.3% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 21.0% ±10.7 pts | 27.7% | – |
| Housing units | 495 ±125 | 64,975 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 4.7% ±4.9 pts | 1.4% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 8.2% ±12.4 pts | 4.4% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 80.4% ±10.0 pts | 71.8% | – |
| Mobile homes | 10.1% ±7.6 pts | 15.4% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 1.0% ±2.5 pts | 2.0% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 3.6% ±3.4 pts | 7.9% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 10.1% ±7.0 pts | 10.5% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 3.3% ±5.2 pts | 6.5% | – |
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 Cleveland work and get to work?
67.5% of Cleveland's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 29.9 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 11.2%.
| Measure | Cleveland | Rowan County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 62.2% ±9.8 pts | 60.0% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 11.2% ±6.6 pts | 5.3% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 67.5% ±11.1 pts | 78.0% | – |
| Carpooled | 23.1% ±10.0 pts | 10.2% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±8.7 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Walked | 0.0% ±8.7 pts | 0.9% | – |
| Worked from home | 9.5% ±11.1 pts | 8.4% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 29.9 min ±4.2 | 26.2 min | no clear change |
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 Cleveland?
No census tract lies mostly in Cleveland; 2 tracts reach into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 519.04Rowan County | 3,653 | $68,788 |
| Tract 519.01Rowan County | 4,986 | $80,381 |
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 Cleveland) · Census block assignment files
How does Cleveland compare with other places in North Carolina?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Cleveland is the 10,733rd-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 347th-most populous of 549 in North Carolina.
Cleveland 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 | 347th | 549 |
Cleveland's figures with every place in North Carolina (CSV)
Every place in North Carolina, sortable · Compare Cleveland 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 Cleveland?
21 of the 57 figures for Cleveland 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 Cleveland 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 Cleveland.