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Retreat presenters: Caswell County’s aging population and commuter workforce shape development challenge
Summary
Presenters at the Jan. 25 retreat said Caswell County’s population is older than most North Carolina counties, most residents commute out of county to work, and household incomes trail state averages — trends the board should weigh in economic development and workforce planning.
Presenters at a Jan. 25 Caswell County retreat told commissioners that the county’s population and workforce profile will complicate efforts to attract employers and retain young people.
Jonna Sharp, presenting county demographic data provided by Association of County Commissioners staffer Denise Canada, said Caswell’s median age is 45.2 — higher than most North Carolina counties — and that the county’s population pyramid shows a narrow base with relatively few children and more residents in their 60s. “You have a much, much more predominant older population,” Sharp said.
The facilitators also highlighted a striking commuting pattern: only about 10% of Caswell residents work inside the county. Presenters said most residents commute to neighboring North Carolina counties or into Virginia, which makes Caswell a “bedroom community” and reduces local economic activity such as grocery and retail spending.
Sharp and co-presenter John (NCACC staff) told the board that Caswell’s per capita income and median earnings lag state averages and that the county’s tax base depends heavily on residential property (about 95% of the county’s tax base, presenters said), with relatively little commercial or industrial valuation.
That mix has consequences for county services and tax policy, they said. Facilitators noted the county’s low per-capita tax base and recommended that commissioners consider infrastructure investments — especially water and sewer — to attract employers that provide wage-paying jobs for working-age residents.
Commissioners and staff discussed whether recent local building permits reflected in-migration of retirees or families; presenters said permit counts have risen (802 permits in 2024) but that data on the age profile of new residents is not yet conclusive.
The presenters recommended targeted economic development strategies that account for limited local workforce, low educational attainment rates beyond high school and the county’s residential-heavy property tax base. They flagged vocational and community-college apprenticeships, strengthening school-to-work pipelines and considering water/sewer investments as ways to broaden the county’s employment base.
The retreat did not adopt new economic development policy during the session.
