New Hanover County, North Carolina
CountyPopulation: 231,214 (2023 estimate)
Located in North Carolina
County-level Census Bureau data covering income, housing, demographics, education, employment, and more. Counties are the primary administrative division in the U.S. and the most common unit for comparing local conditions across a state.
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023 (released December 2024).
Quick Facts — New Hanover County
- What is the median household income in New Hanover County?
- The median household income in New Hanover County is $89,772 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023).
- What is the poverty rate in New Hanover County?
- The poverty rate in New Hanover County is 3.8% (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What is the median home value in New Hanover County?
- $371,100 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What is the average rent in New Hanover County?
- The median gross rent in New Hanover County is $1,597 per month (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What percentage of New Hanover County residents have a college degree?
- 38.8% of adults in New Hanover County hold a bachelor's degree or higher (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
Population
60,615
Median Income
$89,772
Median Home Value
$371,100
Poverty Rate
3.8%
Unemployment (ACS 2023)
3.5%
Median Age
38.0 yrs
Since 2019
Median Income:
+$16,777 (+23%)
Home Value:
+$145,700 (+64.6%)
Poverty Rate:
-1.3 pp (-25.5%)
Bachelor's+:
+3.9 pp (+11.2%)
Unemployment:
-0.7 pp (-16.7%)
Demographics
Total Population
60,615
Median Age
38.0
Female
50.4%
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino 6.2%
White (non-Hisp.) 73.3%
Black 11.1%
Asian 3.9%
Two or More 6.6%
Other 1.6%
Asian Subgroups (% of total pop.)
Indian
1.1%
Filipino
0.6%
Chinese
0.4%
Japanese
0.4%
Korean
0.2%
Hispanic Subgroups (% of total pop.)
Mexican
3.7%
Cuban
0.5%
Puerto Rican
0.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Income & Poverty
Median Household Income
$89,772
±$5,939
+$19,868 vs. state
Per Capita Income
$110,551
Median Family Income
$110,113
Poverty Rate
3.8%
-5.6 pp vs. state
Child Poverty Rate
5.4%
Working-Age Poverty Rate
—
SNAP Recipients
4.4%
Social Security Income
—
Retirement Income
20.2%
Household Income Distribution
< $10k
1.9%
$10–15k
1.9%
$15–25k
3.1%
$25–35k
4.3%
$35–50k
9.5%
$50–75k
18.6%
$75–100k
15.7%
$100–150k
22.0%
$150–200k
11.7%
$200k+
11.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Housing
Total Housing Units
24,548
Owner-Occupied
68.2%
Renter-Occupied
31.8%
Vacancy Rate
8.3%
Median Home Value
$371,100
+$111,700 vs. state
Median Gross Rent
$1,597
Owner Cost Burden (30%+)
16.0%
Renter Cost Burden (30%+)
35.4%
Home Value Distribution
< $50k
0.3%
$50–100k
0.7%
$100–200k
1.9%
$200–300k
27.2%
$300–500k
41.9%
$500k–$1M
22.8%
$1M+
2.1%
Gross Rent Distribution
< $500
0.9%
$500–1k
11.1%
$1–1.5k
30.6%
$1.5–2k
38.2%
$2–2.5k
14.8%
$2.5–3.5k
2.8%
$3.5k+
1.6%
Vehicle Availability
No vehicle
2.1%
1 vehicle
27.3%
2 vehicles
38.6%
3+
32.0%
Housing Type
Single-fam. det.
73.2%
Single-fam. att.
3.4%
2–4 units
1.1%
5–19 units
5.1%
20+ units
10.2%
Mobile home
1.2%
Housing Age
Pre-1940
0.5%
1940–1969
1.6%
1970–1999
9.5%
2000–2009
19.5%
2010+
23.7%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Education
High School or Higher
94.5%
Bachelor's or Higher
38.8%
+4.1 pp vs. state
Graduate Degree
13.8%
Some College / Associate
21.3%
Less Than High School
2.4%
Enrolled in School
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Employment
Labor Force Participation
70.4%
Unemployment Rate
3.5%
-1.3 pp vs. state
Work from Home
14.6%
Self-Employed
5.5%
Government Workers
15.0%
Private For-Profit
79.5%
Industry
Edu/Health
24.6%
Prof. Services
11.7%
Manufacturing
10.6%
Retail
10.2%
Finance
9.0%
Arts/Entmt.
7.9%
Transportation
7.3%
Construction
5.0%
Public Admin
3.8%
Wholesale
3.1%
Information
2.4%
Agriculture
0.6%
Occupation
Management
47.5%
Sales
20.4%
Production
14.3%
Food Prep
12.1%
Construction
5.8%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Commute
Median Travel Time
27.9 min
Drove Alone
74.3%
Carpool
9.2%
Public Transit
0.3%
Work from Home
14.6%
Walked
1.1%
Bicycle
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Households & Families
Total Households
22,515
Avg. Household Size
2.00
Avg. Family Size
—
Married-Couple Households
56.7%
Single-Mother Households
—
Single-Father Households
—
Living Alone
—
Households with Children
23.6%
Multigenerational
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Age Distribution
Under 5
4.7%
5–9
6.7%
10–14
6.5%
15–19
6.5%
20–24
8.0%
25–34
13.8%
35–44
14.5%
45–54
13.0%
55–64
7.2%
65–74
5.8%
75–84
8.3%
85+
3.5%
Under 18: 22.4%
Working age (18–64): 77.6%
65 and over: 13.2%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Social Characteristics
Immigration
Foreign Born
7.0%
Naturalized Citizen
47.5%
Speaks English Less Than Very Well
4.2%
Foreign-Born Origin
Latin America
43.3%
Asia
29.8%
Europe
7.9%
Africa
6.9%
Veterans & Disability
Veteran
6.8%
With a Disability
12.6%
Cognitive Difficulty
—
Ambulatory Difficulty
—
Health Insurance
Insured
95.6%
Uninsured
4.4%
Employer Insurance
—
Medicaid
—
Medicare
—
Technology & Mobility
Broadband Internet
95.4%
Has a Computer
97.5%
Same House 1 Year Ago
83.0%
Moved from Abroad
0.8%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Compare New Hanover County
Compare to another county →Where People Move From (IRS Migration Data)
Top origins of people who moved to New Hanover County in 2023, by number of tax returns filed (IRS SOI Migration Data).
| Origin | Tax Returns | People (est.) |
|---|---|---|
| Other flows - South | 1,357 | 2,119 |
| Other flows - Northeast | 860 | 1,311 |
| Brunswick County | 750 | 1,201 |
| Wake County | 681 | 1,015 |
| Other flows - Midwest | 589 | 965 |
| Pender County | 490 | 796 |
| Other flows - West | 459 | 769 |
| Mecklenburg County | 282 | 432 |
| Onslow County | 237 | 372 |
| Guilford County | 141 | 197 |