Map the Block › Places › North Carolina › Cleveland County
What are the crime rate and median income in Cleveland County, North Carolina?
Cleveland County averaged 4.5 reported violent crimes per 1,000 residents a year in 2021-2025, 17% higher than the North Carolina rate (3.8). Households here have a median income of $58,534 and the unemployment rate was 4.3% in August 2026. It is home to roughly 100,991 residents.
Last updated . Crime: FBI 2021-2025. Income and housing: Census ACS 2020-2024. Unemployment: BLS August 2026. Road work: October 11, 2026.
Also on the map: income · hazard risk · Superfund · dams
What is the crime rate in Cleveland County?
Over 2021-2025, the county's police agencies sent the FBI reports of about 440 violent and 1,413 property crimes per year. That is 4.5 violent crimes per 1,000 residents, 17% higher than the North Carolina rate (3.8), and 22% higher than the U.S. rate (3.7). Burglary, theft and car theft together come to 14.5 per 1,000 residents, compared with 20.0 across North Carolina. Aggravated assaults make up 78% of the violent total. CDC death records show about 7 homicide deaths a year in the county (7.5 per 100,000), a count that includes cases police may classify differently.
| Offense (yearly average, 2021-2025) | Cleveland County | Per 1,000 | North Carolina per 1,000 | U.S. per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 440 | 4.5 | 3.8 | 3.7 |
| Murder | 7 | 0.07 | 0.08 | 0.06 |
| Rape | 51 | 0.52 | 0.29 | 0.40 |
| Robbery | 38 | 0.39 | 0.51 | 0.62 |
| Aggravated assault | 344 | 3.5 | 3.0 | 2.6 |
| Property crime | 1,413 | 14.5 | 20.0 | 18.1 |
| Burglary | 333 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 2.4 |
| Larceny-theft | 923 | 9.5 | 14.2 | 13.0 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 157 | 1.6 | 2.2 | 2.6 |
Most crime never reaches the police, so these are reported crimes, a floor rather than the full count. In 2024 about half of violent crimes (48%) and about 3 in 10 property crimes (31%) were reported to police (U.S. Justice Department, National Crime Victimization Survey). Rates also depend on how completely each agency reports to the FBI. County figures add up the city police and sheriff reports in the county (3 agencies; 97% of residents covered).
What is the median household income in Cleveland County?
Median household income is $58,534, 19% lower than the statewide figure ($72,388). Owner-occupied homes have a median value of $200,000, and the median rent is $914 a month. 21.3% of households received SNAP benefits in the past year (state: 12.8%). The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 4.3% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 1,844 people out of work and looking.
| Census ACS 2020-2024 | Cleveland County | North Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 100,991 | 10,730,404 | 334,922,499 |
| Median household income | $58,534 | $72,388 | $80,734 |
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $200,000 | $288,900 | $332,700 |
| Median gross rent | $914 | $1,228 | $1,413 |
| Unemployment rate (2020-2024 average) | 5.2% | 4.7% | 5.2% |
| People below the poverty line | 16.6% | 13.0% | 12.5% |
| Households receiving SNAP (food stamps) | 21.3% | 12.8% | 12.1% |
| Adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher | 22.0% | 35.7% | 35.7% |
| Homeowner households | 70.9% | 66.6% | 65.2% |
| Median age | 41.3 | 39.1 | 38.9 |
| Households with broadband internet | 85.0% | 90.1% | 91.0% |
| People without health insurance | 9.3% | 9.9% | 8.4% |
What natural hazards and environmental sites are in Cleveland County?
Cleveland County carries a “Relatively Low” overall rating in FEMA's National Risk Index. No single hazard among floods, wildfire, tornadoes, heat waves, earthquakes and hurricanes is rated higher than “Relatively Moderate”. The index compares counties with each other and also weighs how vulnerable and resilient a community is, so it is a long-run estimate, not a forecast.
Superfund sites
1 Superfund site is on or proposed for EPA's National Priorities List in Cleveland County: Celanese Corp. (Shelby Fiber Operations). A listing means EPA is managing a long-term cleanup; it does not by itself mean anyone is exposed today.
High-hazard dams
Cleveland County has 14 dams classed as high hazard in the National Inventory of Dams. 1 is rated Poor or Unsatisfactory in condition, 13 Satisfactory or Fair. The two tallest are Cliffside Active Ash Basin Downstream Dam (120 ft) and Moss Lake Dam (99 ft). “High hazard” describes what lies downstream (people would probably die if the dam failed), not how likely the dam is to fail.
Industrial chemical releases
21 facilities in the county filed Toxics Release Inventory reports for 2024, together reporting 1,219,422 pounds of listed chemicals released on site. Reported releases are legal permitted amounts in most cases.
Disasters, air and water
Cleveland County was covered by 2 federal major disaster declarations from 2016 through 2025 (Tropical Storm 1, Severe Storm 1), not counting COVID-19. Of 7 community water systems, none had an open health-based drinking-water violation in EPA's records (September 2026). EPA puts the county in radon zone 2 (moderate). NHTSA counted 16 traffic deaths in the county in 2024, including 3 pedestrians.
Is there road construction in Cleveland County?
On October 11, 2026 the state transportation feed listed 1 highway work zone in Cleveland County (active that day). Where crews are working: US 74. The map's construction layer is refreshed every morning.
See today's work zones on the map →
How many schools, nursing homes and parks are in Cleveland County?
Cleveland County has 29 public schools (2024-25) and 3 private schools (2023-24) in federal school lists. 4 nursing homes are certified by Medicare or Medicaid here; star ratings for each are on the map and on Medicare's Care Compare. USGS mapping shows 19 fire or EMS stations and 5 police or sheriff stations.
Gun shops, liquor stores and Planned Parenthood in Cleveland County
Gun shops
11 gun shops with a public storefront are on the map in Cleveland County, plus 12 more licensed dealers without a public storefront (not shown). 5 of them are pawnshops licensed to sell guns. On the ATF list: American Tactical & Pawn INC (Shelby), Carolina Firearm Coatings (Shelby), Diamond Pawn (Shelby), Dunham's Sports (Shelby), Electric Motor Repair Center (Shelby), First Cash Pawn (Shelby), Foothills Public Shooting Complex Of Cleveland Co (Cherryville), Jack's Pawn & Gun (Kings Mountain) and 3 more.
Liquor stores
5 liquor stores are on the map in Cleveland County: ABC Liquor Store (Shelby), Kings Mountain ABC Store (Kings Mountain), Lincoln County ABC Store (Lawndale), Shelby Abc Store (Shelby) and Trackside Wine & Spirits (Kings Mountain). North Carolina has no complete public liquor licence list we can use, so this count also draws on OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps and may miss some stores or include closed ones.
Planned Parenthood
There is no Planned Parenthood health center in Cleveland County on the map.
See them on the map: gun shops · liquor stores →
Sources: ATF licensee list (Sept 2026); state liquor licence lists, OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps (non-official; partial in some states); HHS Title X directory and CMS NPPES.
Common questions
What is the crime rate in Cleveland County?
Cleveland County averaged 440 reported violent crimes a year in 2021-2025, or 4.5 per 1,000 residents, 17% higher than the North Carolina rate (3.8). The property-crime rate was 14.5 per 1,000 (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting).
What is the median household income in Cleveland County?
$58,534 (Census American Community Survey, 2020-2024 average), compared with $72,388 for North Carolina and $80,734 nationally.
What is the unemployment rate in Cleveland County?
The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 4.3% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 1,844 people out of work and looking.
What natural hazards affect Cleveland County?
Cleveland County carries a “Relatively Low” overall rating in FEMA's National Risk Index. No single hazard among floods, wildfire, tornadoes, heat waves, earthquakes and hurricanes is rated higher than “Relatively Moderate”.
Are there Superfund sites in Cleveland County?
1 Superfund site is on or proposed for EPA's National Priorities List in Cleveland County: Celanese Corp. (Shelby Fiber Operations).
Is there road construction in Cleveland County right now?
On October 11, 2026 the state transportation feed listed 1 highway work zone in Cleveland County (active that day). Where crews are working: US 74.
How many nursing homes are in Cleveland County?
4 Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing homes (CMS provider data, September 2026).
How does Cleveland County compare with neighboring counties?
| County | Population | Violent crimes per 1,000 (2021-25) | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burke County | 87,795 | 2.4 | $58,592 |
| Cherokee County, SC | 56,647 | 2.9 | $50,288 |
| Gaston County | 234,881 | 4.3 | $67,478 |
| Lincoln County | 92,716 | 1.6 | $80,016 |
| Rutherford County | 64,930 | 2.3 | $51,410 |
| York County, SC | 293,673 | 2.8 | $89,095 |
More: North Carolina statewide numbers · Sex-offender registry search (U.S. Justice Department, NSOPW)
Where do these numbers come from?
- Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting 2021-2025 (agency level, Return A), averaged and summed by county by Map the Block; Census population; state and national rates: FBI estimated crimes 2021-2025.
- Income, housing, education: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year, table B19013 (median household income) and related tables.
- Monthly unemployment: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS), county data, not seasonally adjusted. Public domain.
- Hazards: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), county scores; disasters: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
- Superfund: U.S. EPA, Superfund site boundaries and NPL status (October 2026). Dams: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Inventory of Dams (public map service, October 2026). Chemical releases: U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory, reporting year 2024 (basic data file).
- Air and water: U.S. EPA AirData, annual AQI by county 2024; EPA Air Quality Design Values 2023-2025 (June 2026); U.S. EPA SDWIS via ECHO drinking-water download (September 30, 2026). Traffic deaths: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2024; Census population.
- Work zones: State departments of transportation, via the U.S. DOT Work Zone Data Exchange (WZDx) and state 511 feeds; refreshed every morning (snapshot October 11, 2026).
- Schools: National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE public school locations 2024-25; budgets: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2024; National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE Private School geocodes (Private School Survey 2023-24). Nursing homes: U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Nursing Home Provider Information and Penalties (September 2026). Stations: U.S. Geological Survey, National Structures Dataset (Fire Stations/EMS Stations), October 2026 pull.
- Parks: USGS Protected Areas Database of the U.S. (PAD-US 4.1); state park agencies' open data (CA, NY, PA, TN, TX, FL, NJ, KY, HI, UT, MT and others); OpenStreetMap contributors for some hours, phones, fees and camping; U.S. National Park Service: unit boundaries (Land Resources Division), Acreage Report (Sept 30, 2026), park pages on nps.gov (hours, fees), Visitor Use Statistics (2025).
Map the Block shows public statistics about places, not people, and does not rate or rank neighborhoods as places to live. Figures are as published by each source; check the source before relying on a number.
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