Attic Insulation in Cleveland County, NC

Cleveland County and Its Homes

Cleveland County grew 3 percent from 2020 to 2025, to 103,325 people by the Census Bureau's estimate, in about 44,300 housing units.

Its fifteen incorporated towns each have a page here: Shelby, Kings Mountain, Boiling Springs, Belwood, Grover, Kingstown, Fallston, Patterson Springs, Lawndale, Polkville, Lattimore, Waco, Casar, Mooresboro and Earl. About 45 percent of Cleveland County's housing units are inside town limits, the rest in unincorporated areas.

Front of the tan Cleveland County Courthouse with its entrance gables in Shelby — The Cleveland County Courthouse in Shelby, the county seat of Cleveland County, North Carolina Photo: DiscoA340, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; cropped and resized

Cleveland County at a Glance

Population: 103,325 (2025), 99,926 (2020)
Housing units: about 44,300
Median year built: 1979 (North Carolina: 1991)
Built before 1980: 51% (statewide: 34%)
Detached houses: 70%
Mobile homes: 18%
Owner-occupied: 71%
Heated with electricity: 74% (statewide: 65%)
Climate zone: 3 (2021 map), 4 (state code)
Towns with pages here: 15

Census Bureau estimates for Cleveland County (housing: 2020 to 2024).

Towns and Communities in Cleveland County

Shelby
23,309 people · median home 1970 · its own electric system
Kings Mountain
12,117 people · median home 1976 · its own electric system
Boiling Springs
4,799 people · median home 1994 · Duke Energy Carolinas
Belwood
876 people · power varies by address
Grover
810 people · Duke Energy Carolinas
Kingstown
668 people · median home 1974 · Duke Energy Carolinas
Fallston
635 people · Duke Energy Carolinas
Patterson Springs
590 people · median home 1974 · Duke Energy Carolinas
Lawndale
578 people · Duke Energy Carolinas
Polkville
516 people · power varies by address
Lattimore
468 people · Duke Energy Carolinas
Waco
316 people · Duke Energy Carolinas
Casar
309 people · power varies by address
Mooresboro
297 people · Duke Energy Carolinas
Earl
211 people · Duke Energy Carolinas

Unincorporated communities the Census Bureau maps in Cleveland County: Light Oak.

What We Do in Cleveland County

Attic Insulation in Cleveland County
Some 51 percent of Cleveland County housing units predate 1980; joists showing above their insulation mean more blown-in fiberglass is due, R-49 from bare.
Attic Insulation Removal in Cleveland County
Wet, moldy or animal-soiled insulation comes out of Cleveland County attics, and a mouse-soiled Cleveland County attic is sanitized and deodorized; in the 19 percent of homes built before 1960, vermiculite is ruled out first.
Air Sealing in Cleveland County
Some 74 percent of Cleveland County homes heat with electricity, often through attic ducts; their joints and the ceiling's gaps are sealed first.

Homes in Cleveland County

Half of Cleveland County's 44,300 housing units were built before 1979: 31 percent before 1970, 51 percent before 1980 (nearly all before the state's 1978 insulation rule) and 7 percent in 2010 or later (16 percent statewide). The largest share went up in the 1970s; fiberglass from those years may have settled, so check its depth against the joists. Among Cleveland County towns, the median home is oldest in Shelby (1970) and newest in Boiling Springs (1994).

Cleveland County by type: 70 percent detached houses, 11 percent in buildings of two or more homes and 18 percent mobile homes. In Cleveland County, 74 percent of homes heat with electricity and 19 percent with piped gas.

Cleveland County Homes by Year Built

Before 1940: about 2,840 units, 6% (±1)
1940s: about 2,040 units, 5% (±1)
1950s: about 3,750 units, 8% (±1)
1960s: about 5,070 units, 11% (±1)
1970s: about 8,950 units, 20% (±2)
1980s: about 5,790 units, 13% (±1)
1990s: about 7,260 units, 16% (±1)
2000s: about 5,540 units, 13% (±1)
2010s: about 2,300 units, 5% (±1)
2020 or later: about 760 units, 2% (±1)

Climate Across Cleveland County

NOAA 1991 to 2020 normals for Cleveland County towns, by station: Shelby 2 NW station (Shelby, Boiling Springs, Grover, Kingstown and 6 more): about 3,560 heating and 1,460 cooling degree days; Vale Ag 2 SW station (Belwood, Fallston and Casar): about 3,890 heating and 1,260 cooling degree days; Lincolnton 4 W station (Kings Mountain and Waco): about 3,330 heating and 1,470 cooling degree days.

Power and Gas in Cleveland County

The card lists Cleveland County's town utilities by the territory maps; a power bill confirms the one at an address.

Enbridge Gas North Carolina holds the Cleveland County gas franchise (NC Utilities Commission map), and 19 percent of Cleveland County homes heat with piped gas.

Who Supplies Power in Cleveland County

Duke Energy Carolinas: Boiling Springs, Grover, Kingstown, Fallston, Patterson Springs, Lawndale, Lattimore, Waco, Mooresboro and Earl; parts of Belwood, Polkville and Casar; homes near Shelby and Kings Mountain
Broad River Electric Cooperative: parts of Belwood, Polkville and Casar; homes near Boiling Springs, Grover, Kingstown, Fallston, Patterson Springs, Lawndale, Lattimore, Waco, Mooresboro and Earl
Rutherford EMC: parts of Belwood, Polkville and Casar; homes near Kings Mountain, Kingstown, Fallston, Lawndale and Waco
Shelby's own electric system: Shelby
Kings Mountain's own electric system: Kings Mountain

Energy Programs for Cleveland County Homes

Check each program's current terms for a Cleveland County home; some pay only through the utility's contractor network. Insulation Pros is an approved Duke Energy trade ally for Duke's rebate.

Programs for Cleveland County

Smart $aver Insulate and Seal (Duke Energy rebate; Boiling Springs, Grover, Kingstown, Fallston and more).
Home Energy House Call (Duke Energy home assessment; Boiling Springs, Grover, Kingstown, Fallston and more).
ElectriCities energy audits (ElectriCities member towns; Shelby and Kings Mountain).
Income-qualified Weatherization (Duke Energy income-qualified; Boiling Springs, Grover, Kingstown, Fallston and more).
ThermWise Weatherization Assistance (Enbridge Gas; Cleveland County gas customers): no-cost weatherization for gas customers, income-qualified.
Energy Saver North Carolina (statewide income-qualified; any Cleveland County address).
Weatherization Assistance Program (statewide income-qualified; any Cleveland County address).

Get Your Free Estimate

or call (336) 870-3893

Cleveland County Insulation FAQs

Do you serve all of Cleveland County?

Yes: Shelby, Kings Mountain, Boiling Springs, Belwood, Grover, Kingstown, Fallston, Patterson Springs and seven more towns, and every unincorporated Cleveland County address.

Which utilities offer insulation rebates in Cleveland County?

Duke Energy's Smart $aver Insulate and Seal (Boiling Springs, Grover, Kingstown, Fallston and more).

Does attic insulation in Cleveland County need a permit?

Ask Cleveland County Building Inspections before work starts. For an address in Shelby, Kings Mountain, Boiling Springs or another Cleveland County town, the town or city hall can tell you whether Cleveland County's office handles its permits.