Brunswick County, North Carolina Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Brunswick County, NC Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
-
B
Health Around averageHealthier than 76% of counties in North Carolina
-
C
Income Below averageWealthier than 81% of counties in North Carolina
-
C
Education Below averageBetter educated than 82% of counties in North Carolina
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Brunswick County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 152,554 | 10,724,323 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 145.2 | 199.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 3.17% | 0.97% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 56.9 | 37.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 69,119 | 4,279,225 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Brunswick County grew by 54.5% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 152,554 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Brunswick County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 32.2% of residents. That is 15.2 points above North Carolina as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 21,737 14.2% -7.6 pts
- Millennials 29–44 25,123 16.5% -4.9 pts
- Gen X 45–60 33,181 21.8% +1.2 pts
- Boomers 61–79 49,139 32.2% +15.2 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below North Carolina, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 51.7% of the people living in Brunswick County and men 48.3%.
- Women 51.7% North Carolina 51.1%
- Men 48.3% North Carolina 48.9%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Brunswick County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Brunswick County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Brunswick County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $77,075 | $72,438 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.75% | 5.20% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.6% | 4.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Brunswick County is about 6% higher than in North Carolina.
Housing
| Metric | Brunswick County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $286,445 | $278,288 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,351 | $1,227 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 84.6% | 66.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Brunswick County is about 17.7 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,351 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Brunswick County spend about 44 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 184 hours, about 7.7 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Brunswick County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 22.1 | 21.9 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 44.1 | 43.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 184 | 182 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,697 | $5,645 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 14.7% | 16.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 8,802 | 8,330 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,344 | 1,609 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
North Carolina:
Macon County (17.2 min), Watauga County (17.2 min), Dare County (17.4 min).
Slowest:
Gates County (35.9 min), Currituck County (33.9 min), Tyrrell County (33.6 min).
The average commute time in Brunswick County is about the same as in North Carolina.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Brunswick County has a education index of C, which means it is somewhat educated.
| Metric | Brunswick County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 31.0% | 31.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.19 | 2.44 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
North Carolina:
Orange County (0.5), Wake County (0.4), Durham County (0.4).
Lowest:
Hyde County (0.2), Greene County (0.2), Tyrrell County (0.2).
Health
Brunswick County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Brunswick County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.1 | 77.1 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 13.7% | 16.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 17.3% | 20.7% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
North Carolina:
Orange County (0.8), Wake County (0.8), Watauga County (0.8).
Lowest:
Robeson County (0.8), Lenoir County (0.8), Halifax County (0.8).
Brunswick County, NC Compared With Nearby Counties
Brunswick County, NC is the 3rd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 152,554 residents against a local median of 65,530. Brunswick County, NC's median home price, at $286,445, runs 35% above the $211,539 typical of the counties around it.
Median household income tells the same story from another angle: $77,075 against a local median of $66,773, 15% above it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is median household income, and at 15% above the local median it puts Brunswick County, NC at the better end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $259,894 on median home price, so Brunswick County, NC sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Brunswick County, NC has the 2nd highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brunswick County, NC | 152,554 | $77,075 #2/6 | $286,445 #2/6 | 22.1 min #3/6 |
| New Hanover County, NC | 235,214 | $75,172 | $340,966 | 18.0 min |
| Columbus County, NC | 50,166 | $49,633 | $81,071 | 25.4 min |
| Pender County, NC | 65,530 | $80,638 | $211,539 | 30.3 min |
| Bladen County, NC | 29,571 | $41,756 | $121,527 | 23.7 min |
| Horry County, SC | 382,931 | $66,773 | $259,566 | 20.9 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Brunswick County, North Carolina.
How many people live in Brunswick County, North Carolina?
About 152,554 people live in Brunswick County, North Carolina, in 69,119 households of 2.2 people on average. The median age is 56.9, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 20 years.
Is Brunswick County, North Carolina urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Brunswick County, North Carolina has 145 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 1.7 times the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Brunswick County, North Carolina?
The median home costs 3.7 times the median household income ($286,445 against $77,075), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,351 a month takes about 21% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Analyze any area in the US
Get local demographics for any address, aggregated by drive time or radius, on the interactive map.
Explore the map →