New Hanover County, North Carolina Demographics 2026

Name: New Hanover County, North Carolina Demographics
Creator: U.S. Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

New Hanover County, North Carolina has a population of 235,229, the 10th most populous county in North Carolina. The median household income is $75,166 and the median home value is $387,800. The poverty rate is 12.3%.

Data vintage: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates · refreshed July 2026 · Methodology & source notes

New Hanover County Quick Facts

Population 235,229

Median Household Income $75,166

Median Home Value $387,800

Poverty Rate 12.3%

Unemployment Rate 4.5%

Median Age 39.9 years

Homeownership Rate 61.4%

Affordability Ratio 5.2x

Bachelor's Degree+ 45.4%

High School Graduation 94.0%

Cities/Places 18

Population 235,229 10th of 100

Median Income $75,166 4% higher than state

Poverty Rate 12.3%

Unemployment 4.5%

How New Hanover County Changed

Change from the 2019–2023 ACS period to 2020–2024. These are rolling five-year estimates, not year-over-year measurements.

Metric	2019–2023	2020–2024	Change
Population	231,214	235,229	+1.7%
Median household income	$72,892	$75,166	+3.1%
Median home value	$353,700	$387,800	+9.6%

Median Household Income

New Hanover

$75,166

$72,388

National

$80,734

Median Home Value

New Hanover

$387,800

$288,900

National

$332,700

Economy & Housing

Household Income Distribution

Under $25K 15.0%

$25K-$50K 17.7%

$50K-$100K 29.5%

$100K+ 37.8%

Detailed income brackets

Under $10K

4.9%

$10K-$15K

2.7%

$15K-$20K

3.0%

$20K-$25K

4.5%

$25K-$30K

3.3%

$30K-$35K

3.3%

$35K-$40K

3.5%

$40K-$45K

3.4%

$45K-$50K

4.2%

$50K-$60K

7.5%

$60K-$75K

9.7%

$75K-$100K

12.3%

$100K-$125K

10.3%

$125K-$150K

7.0%

$150K-$200K

9.2%

$200K+

11.4%

Employment

4.5% Unemployment Rate State: 4.7%|National: 5.2%

65.7% Labor Force Participation

Housing Overview

Owner 61.4%

Renter 38.6%

Affordability Index Expensive

5.2x home value to income ratio

Median gross rent $1,417/mo 22.6% of median household income annually

People & Demographics

Age Distribution

Under 18

17.9%

18-34

25.4%

35-54

24.8%

55-74

24.2%

75+

7.7%

Race & Ethnicity

Diversity Index

Moderate Diversity

Moderate diversity with one or two groups making up the majority.

State average: 58 | National average: 61

Education

Educational Attainment (Adults 25+)

Cities & Places in New Hanover County

City	Population	Median Income	Poverty	Home Value
Wilmington	120,805	$66,738	16.0%	$383,800
Murraysville	16,339	$81,167	4.5%	$320,700
Myrtle Grove	12,637	$113,463	6.2%	$439,100
Kings Grant	9,003	$62,232	14.7%	$300,700
Ogden	8,249	$121,338	4.8%	$463,700
Porters Neck	7,654	$119,979	3.8%	$569,700
Carolina Beach	6,745	$94,398	6.0%	$566,200
Silver Lake	6,563	$76,756	9.7%	$325,500
Wrightsboro	6,287	$78,450	10.7%	$255,700
Northchase	5,896	$59,375	22.3%	$318,400
Skippers Corner	3,792	$72,297	28.3%	$247,500
Bayshore	2,949	$94,632	3.8%	$525,800
Wrightsville Beach	2,665	$151,563	4.0%	$1,168,700
Kure Beach	2,466	$104,149	3.9%	$735,100
Sea Breeze	1,849	$69,942	6.5%	$405,100
Castle Hayne	897	$53,056	25.5%	$377,900
Hightsville	397	$31,402	0.0%	$228,000
Blue Clay Farms	94	$118,875	0.0%	$470,000

Explore North Carolina Rankings

Cities by Population All cities ranked by size Richest Cities Ranked by median income Most Educated By bachelor's degree rate Most Affordable By housing affordability

Population Overview

New Hanover County is located in North Carolina with a total population of 235,229. It is the 10th most populous county out of 100 in North Carolina. The county encompasses 18 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in New Hanover County is 39.9 years. This is 2% higher than the state median of 39.1 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in New Hanover County is $75,166. This is 4% higher than the state median of $72,388. It is also 7% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 12.3%. This is 6% lower than the state poverty rate of 13.0%. The unemployment rate is 4.5%. This is 5% lower than the state rate of 4.7%. The median home value is $387,800. Housing costs are 34% higher than the state median of $288,900. The home-value-to-income ratio is 5.2x. 61.4% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 8% lower than the state average of 66.6%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in New Hanover County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 74.7% of the population. Black or African American residents account for 10.8%. The Asian population (1.4%) is well below the state average of 3.3%.

Education

45.4% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This places New Hanover County in the top 10% of all counties in the state for educational attainment. This is 27% higher than the state rate of 35.6%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 94.0%. Notably, 16.0% of adults hold a graduate or professional degree, indicating a highly educated workforce.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for New Hanover County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates, with comparisons drawn against North Carolina and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the population of New Hanover County, North Carolina?

New Hanover County has a population of 235,229, making it the 10th most populous county in North Carolina.

What is the median income in New Hanover County?

The median household income in New Hanover County is $75,166 with a poverty rate of 12.3%.

How many cities are in New Hanover County, North Carolina?

New Hanover County contains 18 Census-designated places.