Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Cleveland’s average trip to work is 30 minutes, above both North Carolina’s towns (24 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes). Cleveland’s trail density is 1.1 miles per square mile, above both the North Carolina town median (0.2) and the median of U.S. towns (0.4). Cleveland has 4 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Knox Farm Historic District and Third Creek Presbyterian Church and Cemetery. Cleveland has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Where Cleveland beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 198 in 1900, 846 in 2020. The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 2004 and 3 maps from 1893 on.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Cleveland, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Cleveland.
Most working residents leave Cleveland for work: only 5% work in town. 17% of residents live below the poverty line in Cleveland. The top destinations are Salisbury (15%), Charlotte (10%) and Mooresville (8%).
| Cleveland | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 17% | 13% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $59,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 5.2% | 6.8% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Its public schools are run by the Rowan-Salisbury Schools. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Rowan ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 611 | C |
NCES · EDFacts
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 71% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Cleveland has mild winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 88°, January nights drop to 29° and about 4 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
14 crimes were reported in Cleveland in 2025: 14 property and 0 violent. In a town this small, a few incidents move the numbers a lot, so rates aren't shown.
Cleveland is small, so we show counts rather than rates.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Cleveland beats the North Carolina average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 7. 18% of Cleveland adults smoke cigarettes.
| Cleveland | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 14% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 36% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 13% | 12% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 17% | 17% |
| What stands out | Cleveland | NC |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 18.1% | 13.9% |
| More smokers | 17.5% | 13.5% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 10% | 8.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The typical Cleveland home is worth about $312,000, up 0.9% in a year, 6% below the North Carolina typical home. Cleveland’s median rent is $739 a month.
| Cleveland | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $739 a month | $1,085 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 79% | 67% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Cleveland Recreation Park | 0.8 mi | 15 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
5 within 15 miles of the center of Cleveland
About 5 of every 100 Cleveland residents are enrolled in college, about the same as North Carolina.
Where Cleveland’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Town in North Carolina, United States
Cleveland is a town in the Cleveland Township of Rowan County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2020 census, Cleveland had a population of 846.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Cleveland has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
2 notable people were born here, including James Allen Graham and Keshun Sherrill.
