Lawndale, North Carolina Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 739, Lawndale's ACS estimates come from a small number of survey responses and carry wide margins of error. Individual percentages below — particularly rates that round to 0% or 100% — are approximations, not precise measurements. See data.census.gov for the published margins of error.

Population Overview

Lawndale is a small community located in North Carolina, within Cleveland County. The total population is 739. It ranks as the 519th most populous out of 772 Census-designated places in North Carolina.

Age Demographics

The median age in Lawndale is 34.3 years. This is 12% lower than the state median of 39.1 years. With 31.3% of the population under 18, Lawndale has a notably young demographic profile, suggesting a family-oriented community.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Lawndale is $39,250. This is 46% lower than the state median of $72,388. It is also 51% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 23.3%. This is 79% higher than the state poverty rate of 13.0%. With more than one in five residents living below the poverty line, economic hardship is a significant challenge for the community. The unemployment rate is 6.3%. This is 33% higher than the state rate of 4.7%. The median home value is $116,800. Housing costs are 60% lower than the state median of $288,900. The home-value-to-income ratio is 3.0x. 71.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 7% higher than the state average of 66.6%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Lawndale is White (non-Hispanic), making up 60.0% of the population. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 19.5%. The Hispanic or Latino population is significantly higher than the state average (19.5% vs 11.3%). The Asian population (0.8%) is well below the state average of 3.3%.

Education

10.1% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 72% lower than the state rate of 35.6%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 88.5%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Lawndale, North Carolina is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates. The ACS collects data from approximately 3.5 million households annually and pools five years of responses so that even small communities can be measured, though the margin of error widens as the population falls. Comparisons are made against North Carolina state averages and national averages calculated from the same dataset. Rankings reflect the city's position among all 772 Census-designated places in North Carolina. Read more about how these figures are produced on our methodology page, or visit data.census.gov for official data.