Cleveland County
County
Cleveland County Courthouse
Seal Logo
Motto(s):  "Live, Work and Play in Cleveland County"
Location within the U.S. state of North Carolina
North Carolina's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 35°20′N 81°34′W / 35.33°N 81.56°W / 35.33; -81.56
Country	United States
State	North Carolina
Founded	1841
Named for	Benjamin Cleveland
Seat	Shelby
Largest community	Shelby
Area
• Total	468.18 sq mi (1,212.6 km2)
• Land	464.25 sq mi (1,202.4 km2)
• Water	3.93 sq mi (10.2 km2)  0.84%
Population  (2020)
• Total	99,519
• Estimate  (2023)	101,378
• Density	214.37/sq mi (82.77/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	10th
Website	www.clevelandcounty.com

Cleveland County is a county located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains and the western Piedmont, on the southern border of the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 99,519.^[1] Its county seat is Shelby.^[2] Cleveland County comprises the Shelby-Kings Mountain, NC Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC Combined Statistical Area.^[3]

History

The county was formed in 1841 from parts of Lincoln and Rutherford counties. It was named for Benjamin Cleveland, a colonel in the American Revolutionary War, who took part in Patriot victory at the Battle of King's Mountain. From 1841 to 1887 "Cleaveland" was the spelling used; the present spelling was adopted in 1887.^[4]

Geography

Interactive map of Cleveland County

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 468.18 square miles (1,212.6 km²), of which 464.25 square miles (1,202.4 km²) is land and 3.93 square miles (10.2 km²) (0.84%) is water.^[5]

Cleveland County is part of the South Mountains, a sub-range of the Blueridge Mountains that runs through the county's northwest corner.^[6] In the south east corner of the county is Crowders & Kings Mountains, part of a small narrow ridge that sits above the very near surrounding area. They are part of a very old remnant of The Appalachians and used to be much larger.^[7] Overall Cleveland County is very hilly, and even mountainous in certain parts, though not to the extreme as counties to the west or north.

State and local protected areas

• Broad River Greenway
• City of Shelby Hanna Park
• Fallen Heroes Memorial at Raper-Roark Park
• John H. Moss Lake Recreation Park
• Kings Mountain Gateway Trail
• South Mountains Game Lands (part)^[8]

Major water bodies

• Benson Creek
• Broad River
• Buffalo Creek
• Hickory Creek^[9]
• Hilton Creek
• Kings Mountain Reservoir
• Little Buffalo Creek
• Little Persimmon Creek
• Persimmon Creek
• Suck Creek

Adjacent counties

• Burke County – north
• Lincoln County – east
• Gaston County – east
• York County, South Carolina – south
• Cherokee County, South Carolina – south
• Rutherford County – west

Major highways

• I-85
• US 29
• US 74
• 
  US 74 Bus. (Kings Mountain)
• 
  US 74 Bus. (Shelby)
• 
  US 74 Bus. (to Rutherford County)
• 
  US 74 Byp. (Shelby Bypass)
• NC 10
• NC 18
• NC 27
• NC 150
• NC 161
• NC 180
• NC 182
• NC 198
• NC 216
• NC 226

Major infrastructure

• Shelby–Cleveland County Regional Airport

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 99,519 people, 30,599 households, and 21,410 families residing in the county.

2010 census

At the 2010 census,^[16] there were 98,078 people, 37,046 households, and 27,006 families residing in the county. The population density was 207 people per square mile (80 people/km²). There were 40,317 housing units at an average density of 87 units per square mile (34 units/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 74% White, 21% Black or African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.69% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.68% from other races, and 0.72% from two or more races. Of any race, 3% of the population were Hispanic or Latino.

There were 37,046 households, out of which 32.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.00% were married couples living together, 13.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.10% were non-families. 23.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 2.98.

In the county, the age distribution of the population shows 25.20% under the age of 18, 8.80% from 18 to 24, 28.80% from 25 to 44, 23.70% from 45 to 64, and 13.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 92.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.60 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $35,283, and the median income for a family was $41,733. Males had a median income of $30,882 versus $21,995 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,395. About 10.10% of families and 13.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.90% of those under age 18 and 14.00% of those age 65 or over.

Government and politics

Cleveland is a typical "Solid South" county in its voting patterns. It was Democratic until 1968 when the county voted for American Independent Party candidate George Wallace. In 1972, the county voted overwhelmingly for Richard Nixon, and since then, Cleveland has become a Republican stronghold. The last Democrat to carry Cleveland County was Jimmy Carter in 1980.