Town · North Carolina
Lawndale, North Carolina
Lawndale, town, in Cleveland County, North Carolina. Lawndale had 578 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 2.1% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 570 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 739 (±269). GEOID 3737260.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
578
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 570 · ACS 2020-2024: 739 ±269
Median household income
$39,250
±$15,973 (90% margin)
North Carolina: $72,388
Median home value
$116,800
±$33,991 (90% margin)
North Carolina: $288,900
Median gross rent
$880
±$75 (90% margin)
North Carolina: $1,228
Where is Lawndale and what county is it in?
Lawndale is a town in Cleveland County, North Carolina. It covers 0.8 square miles of land, 706 residents per square mile in 2020.
Lawndale 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 Lawndale, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 578 people lived in Lawndale on July 1, 2025, up 2.1% since 2020, slower than North Carolina (+7.2%). The 2020 Census counted 570 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 739 (±269).
| Measure | Lawndale | Cleveland County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 739 ±269 | 100,991 | no clear change |
| Households | 269 ±71 | 38,850 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.75 ±0.56 | 2.55 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 308 ±76 | 44,304 | no clear change |
Lawndale's population since 2000
From 642 in 2000 to 578 in 2025: down 10.0%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Lawndale 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 Lawndale?
The median resident of Lawndale is 34.3 years old; 31.3% are under 18 and 9.6% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 59.9%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 19.5%.
| Measure | Lawndale | Cleveland County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 34.3 ±7.4 | 41.3 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 31.3% ±9.3 pts | 22.3% | – |
| 65 years and over | 9.6% ±6.2 pts | 18.8% | – |
| Male | 45.3% ±9.9 pts | 48.3% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 19.5% ±19.0 pts | 4.7% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 59.9% ±17.6 pts | 70.6% | −29.3 pts |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 12.9% ±9.5 pts | 17.9% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.8% ±1.6 pts | 0.9% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±5.6 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±5.6 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 6.9% ±7.9 pts | 5.3% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±5.6 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.4% ±0.6 pts | 3.1% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 19.2% ±19.0 pts | 5.1% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 3.3% ±2.5 pts | 7.3% | – |
| With a disability | 10.1% ±6.6 pts | 16.8% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 13.1% ±10.4 pts | 9.3% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 88.5% ±8.1 pts | 88.4% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 10.1% ±8.0 pts | 22.0% | – |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 1.4% ±1.7 pts | 8.0% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 88.7% ±8.7 pts | 90.7% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 6.5% ±8.4 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 Lawndale earn?
Half of Lawndale's 269 households earn less than $39,250 a year (±$15,973), against $58,534 in Cleveland County and $72,388 in North Carolina. In 2015-2019 it was $42,497 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 23.3% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Lawndale | Cleveland County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $39,250 ±$15,973 | $58,534 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $55,575 ±$17,609 | $76,018 | – |
| Per capita income | $20,620 ±$6,825 | $30,294 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 23.3% ±14.3 pts | 16.6% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 41.1% ±28.5 pts | 25.0% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 22.7% ±10.7 pts | 21.3% | – |
| Households with a computer | 78.8% ±12.4 pts | 91.3% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 78.4% ±13.2 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 Lawndale?
Owners occupy 71.0% of Lawndale's occupied homes and renters 29.0%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $116,800 by its owner (±$33,991). The median renter pays $880 a month including utilities, and 54.5% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Lawndale | Cleveland County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $116,800 ±$33,991 | $200,000 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $880 ±$75 | $914 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 54.5% ±27.8 pts | 40.9% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $900 ±$263 | $1,257 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 71.0% ±12.1 pts | 70.9% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 29.0% ±12.1 pts | 29.1% | – |
| Housing units | 308 ±76 | 44,304 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±19.8 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±38.4 pts | 4.3% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 69.8% ±12.9 pts | 69.7% | – |
| Mobile homes | 24.7% ±12.2 pts | 18.2% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±12.9 pts | 1.7% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 0.6% ±1.3 pts | 5.2% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 20.5% ±8.0 pts | 6.4% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 1.5% ±2.0 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 Lawndale work and get to work?
88.5% of Lawndale's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 28.6 minutes.
| Measure | Lawndale | Cleveland County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 52.7% ±14.4 pts | 58.7% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 6.3% ±6.2 pts | 5.2% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 88.5% ±8.2 pts | 82.2% | – |
| Carpooled | 10.3% ±7.9 pts | 9.1% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±14.9 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Walked | 1.1% ±1.7 pts | 1.3% | – |
| Worked from home | 0.0% ±14.9 pts | 6.8% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 28.6 min ±5.7 | 25.3 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 Lawndale?
No census tract lies mostly in Lawndale; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9502Cleveland County | 4,530 | $58,204 |
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 Lawndale) · Census block assignment files
How does Lawndale compare with other places in North Carolina?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Lawndale is the 12,617th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 408th-most populous of 549 in North Carolina.
Lawndale 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 | 408th | 549 |
Lawndale's figures with every place in North Carolina (CSV)
Every place in North Carolina, sortable · Compare Lawndale 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 Lawndale?
25 of the 57 figures for Lawndale 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 Lawndale 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 Lawndale.