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COUNTY

Brunswick County

North Carolina · 174,702 residents (2025 est.) · 850.069 sq mi
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Part of the Wilmington metro area
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Notable rankings
#9Fastest growingof 3,135+27.8%#40Oldest by median ageof 3,14456.4#145Highest homeownership rateof 3,14484.6%
The short version

Brunswick County has roughly average household income, with a median household income of $77,024. The county has more than doubled in size since 2000, adding 79,425 residents. Median home value has more than tripled since 2000, reaching $349,800. With a median age of 56.4, the population is older than the US median of 38.9. It sits in the top 10% of US counties for household income.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 56.4
US median: 38.9
Average education
35% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 102%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
152,568
+109%since 2000
from 73,143 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Population density
179 / sq mi
+55%since 2009
from 116 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
56.4
+34%since 2000
from 42.2 in 2000
US average: 38.9

PEP 2025 EST:174,702 residents (Census Bureau Vintage 2025, released March 2026)

Population, 1990 – 2024
41K71K102K132K163K1990201020202024Brunswick County
2024153K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 53.6%(5,478)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 93.8%(5,744)
US avg: 6%
10 to 144.2%(6,335)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 193.8%(5,779)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 244%(6,079)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 349.1%(13,887)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 449.6%(14,599)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5410.1%(15,431)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6418.1%(27,632)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7422.1%(33,763)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 849.7%(14,843)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over2%(2,998)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$77,024
+18%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $35,888 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$45,985
+132%since 2000
from $19,857 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
51.2%
+26.5 ptssince 2009
from 24.7% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
9.2%
−3.3 ptssince 2000
from 12.6% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.439
Unchangedsince 2010
from 0.438 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information13%
US avg: 10.8%
Wholesale trade9.8%
US avg: 6.9%
Finance & insurance7.2%
US avg: 5.9%
Retail trade7.1%
US avg: 9.9%
Other services6.1%
US avg: 6.7%
Professional, scientific, technical4.3%
US avg: 5.1%
Public administration3.6%
US avg: 4.8%
Education & health services2.9%
US avg: 0.9%
Arts, entertainment, food2%
US avg: 1.9%
Transportation & warehousing1.8%
US avg: 2.2%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.9%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction0.9%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$349,800
+102%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $95,200 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,351
+39%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $535 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
84.6%
+2.4 ptssince 2000
from 82.2% in 2000
15.4% rent
Vacancy rate
30.2%
−8.6 ptssince 2009
from 38.9% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Owner cost-burdened
22.1%
−4.4 ptssince 2009
from 26.5% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
44.9%
+2.5 ptssince 2009
from 42.4% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
4.5
+10%since 2009
from 4.1 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index: median home value divided by median household income. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
82
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
RELATED:See current rent listings in Brunswick County on RentDataNow
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic81.1%(59,354)
Black14.3%(10,459)
Hispanic / Latino2.7%(1,960)
Asian0.3%(192)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic80.8%(123,338)
Black8.3%(12,620)
Hispanic / Latino5.6%(8,583)
Asian0.7%(1,002)
Other4.6%(7,025)
Diversity Score
42
+7%since 2009
from 39 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
36
−7%since 2020
from 39 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican2.7%(4,182)
Puerto Rican0.6%(970)
Dominican0.4%(552)
Peruvian0.3%(447)
Colombian0.2%(324)
Honduran0.2%(292)
Spaniard0.2%(284)
Cuban0.1%(162)
Guatemalan0.1%(155)
Nicaraguan0.1%(94)
+ 8 more hispanic origin groups with data
Asian origin
Asian Indian0.3%(416)
Filipino0.1%(212)
Chinese0.1%(129)
Nepalese0%(66)
Japanese0%(55)
Korean0%(37)
Taiwanese0%(36)
Thai0%(28)
Okinawan0%(17)
Laotian0%(10)
Kazakh0%(7)
+ 1 more asian origin group with data
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0%(34)
Ancestry
English16%(24,387)
Irish15%(22,864)
German13.8%(21,120)
Italian6.9%(10,452)
American6.1%(9,313)
Scottish3.2%(4,887)
Polish2.8%(4,275)
Scotch-Irish2.3%(3,568)
French2.3%(3,450)
Welsh0.8%(1,202)
Swedish0.7%(1,012)
+ 39 more ancestry groups with data
Dutch0.7%(1,001)
British0.6%(976)
Norwegian0.5%(761)
Hungarian0.5%(703)
Russian0.5%(701)
Czech0.3%(459)
Greek0.3%(427)
Lithuanian0.3%(409)
Austrian0.3%(405)
Arab0.3%(390)
Slovak0.3%(383)
West Indian0.3%(382)
Danish0.2%(308)
Ukrainian0.2%(279)
Swiss0.2%(266)
Portuguese0.2%(261)
Canadian0.1%(227)
Romanian0.1%(205)
Lebanese0.1%(193)
Serbian0.1%(156)
Jamaican0.1%(151)
Finnish0.1%(133)
Belgian0.1%(115)
Armenian0.1%(98)
Brazilian0.1%(95)
Iranian0.1%(89)
Palestinian0.1%(88)
Latvian0%(69)
Slovene0%(58)
Turkish0%(58)
Nigerian0%(46)
Egyptian0%(37)
Croatian0%(33)
Moroccan0%(32)
Haitian0%(24)
Syrian0%(20)
Guyanese0%(14)
RANKED:Largest English population · Largest Irish population · Largest German population · Largest Italian population · Largest American population
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
34.7%
+18.6 ptssince 2000
from 16.1% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
93.5%
+15.2 ptssince 2000
from 78.3% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
12.7%
+7.6 ptssince 2000
from 5.1% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
25.7 min
+56%since 2000
from 16.4 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
74.5%
−3.7 ptssince 2009
from 78.2% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
7.8%
−6.5 ptssince 2009
from 14.3% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.6%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 0.8% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
14.7%
+11.4 ptssince 2009
from 3.4% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
0.9%
−0.9 ptssince 2009
from 1.8% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.0%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 0.2% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
2.4%
−2.7 ptssince 2009
from 5.1% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
4.7%
−7.6 ptssince 2011
from 12.3% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
49.1%
−6.9 ptssince 2011
from 56.0% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Self-employed
13.2%
+2.5 ptssince 2009
from 10.7% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
38.4%
−20.8 ptssince 2009
from 59.2% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
48.1%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 48.6% in 2009
Female
51.9%
+0.5 ptssince 2009
from 51.4% in 2009
Foreign born
3.6%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 3.4% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
10.8%
−37.3 ptssince 2009
from 48.1% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
15.6%
+0.3 ptssince 2012
from 15.3% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
7.5%
−77.0 ptssince 2013
from 84.5% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
93.3%
+15.7 ptssince 2017
from 77.6% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
English only at home
95.0%
+0.9 ptssince 2016
from 94.1% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
3.6%
−0.3 ptssince 2016
from 3.9% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married21.6%(13,845)
Married66.3%(42,562)
Widowed4%(2,559)
Divorced8.2%(5,276)
Women 15+
Never married17.5%(12,387)
Married59.7%(42,214)
Widowed10.5%(7,441)
Divorced12.3%(8,727)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Drill deeper

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Pop 175,259
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Head to head

Compare Brunswick County to nearby counties

BRUNSWICK COUNTY VS
New Hanover County
Income$75,166−2%
Home value$387,800+11%
Population245,959+41%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BRUNSWICK COUNTY VS
Columbus County
Income$49,442−36%
Home value$146,000−58%
Population50,487−71%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BRUNSWICK COUNTY VS
Pender County
Income$80,396+4%
Home value$299,000−15%
Population72,111−59%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BRUNSWICK COUNTY VS
Bladen County
Income$42,422−45%
Home value$135,100−61%
Population30,007−83%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Brunswick County, North Carolina?

Brunswick County, North Carolina has about 152,568 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Brunswick County, North Carolina?

The typical household in Brunswick County, North Carolina earns about $77,024 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Brunswick County, North Carolina expensive?

In Brunswick County, North Carolina, the median home is worth about $349,800, and the typical rent is about $1,351 a month.

How educated are people in Brunswick County, North Carolina?

About 34.7% of adults age 25 and over in Brunswick County, North Carolina hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Brunswick County, North Carolina?

About 9.2% of people in Brunswick County, North Carolina live below the federal poverty line.

Has Brunswick County, North Carolina grown since 1990?

Yes, Brunswick County, North Carolina has grown since 1990. The population has added about 101,583 residents, a change of about 199 percent over that period.

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Explore from here

44 census tracts (top 20 by population)
Census Tract 202.05Census Tract 203.04Census Tract 202.01Census Tract 201.05Census Tract 202.04Census Tract 201.02Census Tract 206.02Census Tract 206.01Census Tract 205.16Census Tract 206.03Census Tract 205.15Census Tract 201.08Census Tract 205.18Census Tract 204.05Census Tract 205.10Census Tract 201.06Census Tract 201.07Census Tract 205.05Census Tract 203.05Census Tract 205.14
12 ZIP codes
ZIP 28451ZIP 28461ZIP 28467ZIP 28462ZIP 28470ZIP 28469ZIP 28422ZIP 28465ZIP 28479ZIP 28468ZIP 28420ZIP 28452
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Rankings
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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →