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COUNTY

Onslow County

North Carolina · 217,175 residents (2025 est.) · 762 sq mi
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The short version

Onslow County is a county of 207,906 people in North Carolina. This skews young, with a median age of 27.7. 57,551 more people live here than in 2000. About 26% of adults have finished a four-year degree. 4% of people here were born outside the United States. People stay put here: 79% were in the same home a year ago.

At a glance
Lower income
median household income $68,148, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 27.7
US median: 38.9
Less educated
26% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 66%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place

What stands out about Onslow County

What changed most since 1990

  • White share72.6% → 64.0% (−8.6 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
  • Homes owned by their occupants53.7% → 63.7% (+10.0 pts)US over the same years: +0.9 pts
  • Black share19.5% → 11.5% (−7.9 pts)US over the same years: +0.2 pts

Among the 100 counties in North Carolina

  • 26th in household income$68,148
  • 40th in share with a bachelor's degree26.0%
  • 44th in home value$236,400
  • 40th in diversity score68.7
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
207,906
+38%since 2000
from 150,355 in 2000
217,175 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
273 / sq mi
+38%since 2000
from 197 / sq mi in 2000
US average: 281
Median age
27.7
+11%since 2000
from 25.0 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
762 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
144K162K179K197K214K19902000201020202024Onslow County
2024208K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 58%(16,695)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 96.8%(14,082)
US avg: 6%
10 to 146.6%(13,651)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 197.8%(16,160)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 2415.9%(32,998)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3416.9%(35,075)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4411.8%(24,607)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 547.9%(16,424)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 648.2%(17,025)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 746.3%(13,170)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 843%(6,253)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over0.8%(1,766)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$68,148
+11%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $33,756 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$33,305
+124%since 2000
from $14,853 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
44.7%
+23.4 ptssince 2009
from 21.3% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
11.6%
−1.3 ptssince 2000
from 12.9% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.420
+5%since 2010
from 0.401 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information14.4%
US avg: 10.8%
Wholesale trade8.2%
US avg: 6.9%
Finance & insurance6.5%
US avg: 5.9%
Other services5.6%
US avg: 6.7%
Professional, scientific, technical5.3%
US avg: 5.1%
Retail trade5.1%
US avg: 9.9%
Public administration3.3%
US avg: 4.8%
Arts, entertainment, food1.6%
US avg: 1.9%
Transportation & warehousing1.5%
US avg: 2.2%
Education & health services1.2%
US avg: 0.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.6%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction0.5%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$236,400
+66%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $78,200 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,265
+34%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $518 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
63.7%
+5.6 ptssince 2000
from 58.1% in 2000
36.3% rent
Vacancy rate
13.8%
−0.8 ptssince 2009
from 14.7% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.48 people
Unchangedsince 2009
from 2.47 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
23.7%
−3.0 ptssince 2009
from 26.7% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
47.2%
+8.9 ptssince 2009
from 38.3% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
3.5
+14%since 2009
from 3.0 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
64
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic69.6%(104,600)
Black18.1%(27,162)
Hispanic / Latino7.2%(10,896)
Asian1.6%(2,454)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic64%(133,070)
Black11.5%(23,976)
Hispanic / Latino14%(29,152)
Asian1.8%(3,771)
Other8.6%(17,937)
Diversity Score
69
+17%since 2009
from 58 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
25
+2%since 2020
from 24 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
Mexican5.9%(12,250)
Puerto Rican3.4%(7,105)
Central American1.8%(3,668)
South American0.8%(1,677)
Dominican0.7%(1,536)
Salvadoran0.7%(1,455)
Spaniard0.5%(980)
Cuban0.4%(930)
Nicaraguan0.3%(707)
Colombian0.3%(606)
Guatemalan0.3%(542)
Honduran0.2%(465)
+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data
Panamanian0.2%(424)
Venezuelan0.1%(302)
Ecuadorian0.1%(290)
Chilean0.1%(173)
Peruvian0.1%(145)
Bolivian0%(65)
Argentine0%(35)
Uruguayan0%(17)
Asian origin
Filipino0.5%(1,020)
Asian Indian0.3%(605)
Korean0.3%(579)
Chinese0.2%(484)
Vietnamese0.2%(392)
Japanese0.2%(350)
Hmong0.1%(130)
Thai0%(71)
Okinawan0%(53)
Burmese0%(42)
+ 3 more asian origin groups with data
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0.1%(264)
Chamorro0%(92)
Tongan0%(1)
Ancestry
German13.2%(27,537)
English13.1%(27,290)
Irish13%(27,085)
Italian6.3%(13,068)
American4.6%(9,553)
Polish1.8%(3,799)
Scottish1.8%(3,782)
French1.7%(3,547)
Scotch-Irish1.2%(2,561)
Swedish0.8%(1,735)
Welsh0.7%(1,498)
+ 47 more ancestry groups with data
West Indian0.7%(1,497)
Dutch0.7%(1,427)
Norwegian0.7%(1,423)
French Canadian0.6%(1,266)
Portuguese0.4%(922)
Arab0.4%(904)
Greek0.4%(898)
British0.4%(845)
Russian0.4%(804)
Czech0.3%(680)
Hungarian0.3%(675)
Haitian0.3%(647)
Lebanese0.3%(606)
Jamaican0.3%(562)
Ukrainian0.3%(530)
Austrian0.2%(368)
Canadian0.2%(324)
Swiss0.2%(317)
Danish0.1%(254)
Nigerian0.1%(227)
Finnish0.1%(208)
Romanian0.1%(184)
Lithuanian0.1%(176)
Slovak0.1%(167)
Syrian0.1%(156)
Armenian0.1%(130)
Croatian0.1%(111)
Kenyan0%(89)
Turkish0%(77)
Belgian0%(71)
Ghanaian0%(64)
Latvian0%(48)
Brazilian0%(47)
Iranian0%(39)
Somali0%(30)
Barbadian0%(29)
Iraqi0%(23)
Guyanese0%(20)
Israeli0%(17)
Ethiopian0%(14)
Slovene0%(11)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
26.0%
+11.2 ptssince 2000
from 14.8% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
93.3%
+9.0 ptssince 2000
from 84.3% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
9.1%
+4.6 ptssince 2000
from 4.5% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
22.4 min
+55%since 2000
from 14.4 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
65.7%
+3.9 ptssince 2009
from 61.8% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
12.1%
−4.8 ptssince 2009
from 16.9% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.2%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 0.2% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
12.8%
+1.7 ptssince 2009
from 11.1% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
6.9%
−0.8 ptssince 2009
from 7.7% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.1%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 0.5% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
4.3%
−0.8 ptssince 2009
from 5.0% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
5.4%
−4.4 ptssince 2011
from 9.8% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
70.0%
−1.5 ptssince 2011
from 71.5% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
67.0%
+1.4 ptssince 2020
from 65.6% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
11.7%
+0.5 ptssince 2009
from 11.2% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
34.9%
+4.9 ptssince 2009
from 30.0% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
55.1%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 55.3% in 2009
Female
44.9%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 44.7% in 2009
Foreign born
4.2%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 4.1% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
21.4%
−2.6 ptssince 2009
from 24.0% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
17.1%
+2.8 ptssince 2012
from 14.3% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
9.5%
−5.2 ptssince 2013
from 14.7% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
92.8%
+9.5 ptssince 2017
from 83.3% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
97.2%
+2.1 ptssince 2020
from 95.1% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
78.7%
+5.1 ptssince 2020
from 73.6% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
89.6%
−0.7 ptssince 2016
from 90.3% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
7.3%
+1.1 ptssince 2016
from 6.2% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married39.8%(36,565)
Married51.9%(47,606)
Widowed1.8%(1,623)
Divorced6.6%(6,014)
Women 15+
Never married20.1%(14,383)
Married61%(43,753)
Widowed6.7%(4,813)
Divorced12.2%(8,721)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
9.5%
−5.2 ptssince 2013
from 14.7% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
36.6%
+2.8 ptssince 2020
from 33.8% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
11.1%
+0.7 ptssince 2020
from 10.4% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
14.8%
+1.2 ptssince 2020
from 13.6% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
21.3%
+2.4 ptssince 2020
from 18.9% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
8.3%
+1.3 ptssince 2020
from 7.0% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
70.2%
−2.4 ptssince 2020
from 72.6% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
38.9%
+4.0 ptssince 2020
from 34.9% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)61.3%(15,442)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)34.3%(8,644)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era15.1%(3,809)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War1%(259)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0%(9)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 25,185 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time

Onslow County, decade by decade

Onslow County population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
YearPopulationMedian household incomeMedian home valueBachelor's degree+Diversity score
1990149,838$56,128$149,28413.4%54.0
2000150,355$61,492$142,45314.8%59.6
2010177,772$62,666$197,66017.7%61.3
2020204,576$62,493$196,83523.6%70.0
2024207,906$68,148$236,40026.0%68.7

Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.

Drill deeper

Places similar to Onslow County

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Pop 209,211
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Pop 208,774
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Pop 217,212
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Pop 208,466
Places similar to Onslow County
Head to head

Compare Onslow County to nearby counties

ONSLOW COUNTY VS
Jones County
Income$59,641−12%
Home value$130,300−45%
Population9,575−96%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ONSLOW COUNTY VS
Duplin County
Income$55,148−19%
Home value$137,400−42%
Population51,571−76%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ONSLOW COUNTY VS
Pender County
Income$80,396+18%
Home value$299,000+26%
Population72,111−67%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ONSLOW COUNTY VS
Lenoir County
Income$45,143−34%
Home value$120,500−49%
Population55,837−74%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Onslow County, North Carolina?

Onslow County, North Carolina has about 207,906 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

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

The typical household in Onslow County, North Carolina earns about $68,148 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Onslow County, North Carolina expensive?

In Onslow County, North Carolina, the median home is worth about $236,400, and the typical rent is about $1,265 a month.

How educated are people in Onslow County, North Carolina?

About 26.0% of adults age 25 and over in Onslow County, North Carolina hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

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

About 11.6% of people in Onslow County, North Carolina live below the federal poverty line.

Has Onslow County, North Carolina grown since 1990?

Yes, Onslow County, North Carolina has grown since 1990. The population has added about 58,068 residents, a change of about 39 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →