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EconPulse

Local economy signal dashboard

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PLACEThriving

China Grove, NC

Thriving overall. Federal Funds is the clearest support signal, while gdp / output needs the most attention. Housing reads as affordable for a median-income household.

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Overall score75out of 100
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67
69
93
69
95

Population

4,530

Data freshness

Unknown

GDP / Output

+4.0% YoY

67

$7.9B

Output changed +4.0% in 2024.

Vintage date unknown

State growth6.2%
U.S. growth5.3%

Jobs

Unemployment rate

69

3.5%

Unemployment is 3.5% for June 2026.

Vintage date unknown

State avg3.6%
U.S. avg4.2%

Population

+7.2% 5-year

93

4,530

Population moved +7.2% over the latest ACS window.

Vintage date unknown

State population10,730,404
U.S. population334,922,499

Housing

Rent share of income

69

22.0%

Median rent consumes 22.0% of median household income: Affordable.

Vintage date unknown

State rent$1.2K
U.S. rent$1.4K
HUD_API_TOKEN missing; ACS median gross rent is used as the housing affordability fallback.

Federal Funds

$7.4K per resident

95

$1.1B

$1.1B in federal obligations flowed here in FY2025.

Vintage date unknown

State total$129.5B
U.S. total$5.3T

Population and output

Trend Snapshot

Reported share

Industry Breakdown

FY2025

Federal Money

Federal obligations

$1.1B

$7.4K per resident in reported federal flow.

Top agencies

Dollars
1. Social Security Administration$834.3M
2. Department of Veterans Affairs$168.4M
3. Department of Education$26.8M

Top recipients

Dollars
1. C & C CONTRACTORS LLC$24.1M
2. ROWAN CABARRUS COMMUNITY COLLEGE$12.0M
3. LIVINGSTONE COLLEGE, INC.$11.4M

Affordable

Housing Affordability

22.0%

of median income

1BR estimate$814
2BR estimate$1,072
Median income$54,083
Median home value$225,800

ACS context

Quick Facts

Population

4,530

Median age

39.2

Bachelor's degree+

12.3%

Poverty rate

17.2%

Labor force participation

55.2%

Prime rate

6.8%

CPI YoY

+3.2%

U.S. GDP YoY

+6.5%

Sources and warnings

Data Provenance

Census ACS 5-year

2024

BLS LAUS / CPS

June 2026

BEA regional CAGDP1

2024

USAspending

FY2025

FRED

2026-07-30

HUD Fair Market Rent

Latest available

Data notes
  • HUD_API_TOKEN missing; ACS median gross rent is used as the housing affordability fallback.

5-year compound growth

Historical Trends

Population CAGR

+1.4%

GDP CAGR

+6.5%

Federal flow

5 years

Population (5 years)
20204,225
20214,395
20224,449
20234,487
20244,530
GDP (5 years)
2020$5.7B
2021$6.5B
2022$7.0B
2023$7.6B
2024$7.9B

2-year linear forecast

Predictive Outlook

Population forecast

20244,530
20254,628 *
20264,698 *

R² = 87.9% · * projected

GDP forecast

2024$7.9B
2025$8.6B *
2026$9.1B *

R² = 98.0% · * projected

Linear regression over available historical data. Projections are estimates based on past trends and do not account for policy changes, economic shocks, or other external factors.

housing affordability breakdown

Cost of Living

Median household income$54,083/yr
Median rent$993/mo
Rent share of income22.0%
Est. mortgage (30yr, 6.5%)$13,701/yr
Mortgage share of income25.3%

Rent data from Census ACS 5-year. Mortgage estimate assumes 20% down, 6.5% APR, 30-year fixed.

employment snapshot

Job Market

Unemployment rate3.5%
State avg3.6%
U.S. avg4.2%
Labor force participation55.2%
Poverty rate17.2%

Data from BLS LAUS / CPS. June 2026.

valuation snapshot

Real Estate

Median home value$225,800
Median monthly rent$993
Price-to-rent ratio18.9x

Moderate price-to-rent ratio — buying and renting are roughly balanced in this market.

composite score

Investment Climate

Investment climateStrong
Composite score75/100
Economic growth67/100
Labor market69/100
Population momentum93/100
Overall stability75/100

Composite score weighs economic growth, labor market health, population momentum, and overall stability. Not financial advice.

Location Context

China Grove town, North Carolina

City/Town

Part of

Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC

Nearby locations

Landis, NCEnochville, NCFaith, NCKannapolis, NCGranite Quarry, NC