Bald Head Island, North Carolina Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 190, Bald Head Island'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

Bald Head Island is a small community located in North Carolina, within Brunswick County. The total population is 190. It ranks as the 711th most populous out of 772 Census-designated places in North Carolina.

Age Demographics

The median age in Bald Head Island is 67.8 years. This is 73% higher than the state median of 39.1 years. Only 3.2% of residents are under 18, indicating fewer families with children.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Bald Head Island is $209,219. This is 189% higher than the state median of $72,388. It is also 159% higher than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 6.8%. This is 48% lower than the state poverty rate of 13.0%. The unemployment rate is 4.2%. This is 10% lower than the state rate of 4.7%. The median home value is $1,367,200. Housing costs are 373% higher than the state median of $288,900. The home-value-to-income ratio of 6.5x suggests that housing affordability is a significant concern for many residents. 98.1% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 47% higher than the state average of 66.6%.

Race & Ethnicity

Bald Head Island has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 98.4% of all residents. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 1.6%. The White (non-Hispanic) population is significantly higher than the state average (98.4% vs 60.0%). The Hispanic or Latino population (1.6%) is well below the state average of 11.3%.

Education

86.4% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This places Bald Head Island in the top 10% of all cities in the state for educational attainment. This is 142% higher than the state rate of 35.6%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. No surveyed resident aged 25 or older reported leaving school before earning a high school diploma, though a rate of exactly 100% reflects the limits of a small sample. Notably, 41.9% of adults hold a graduate or professional degree, indicating a highly educated workforce.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Bald Head Island, 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.