New Hanover County, North Carolina Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
New Hanover 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.
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B
Health Around averageHealthier than 91% of counties in North Carolina
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C
Income Below averageWealthier than 82% of counties in North Carolina
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B
Education Around averageBetter educated than 94% of counties in North Carolina
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | New Hanover County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 235,214 | 10,724,323 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 714.6 | 199.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 1.13% | 0.97% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 38.9 | 37.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 104,855 | 4,279,225 | 130,235,071 |
Population in New Hanover County grew by 24.9% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 235,214 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in New Hanover County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 23.7% of residents. That is 1.8 points above North Carolina as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 55,698 23.7% +1.8 pts
- Millennials 29–44 48,606 20.7% -0.7 pts
- Gen X 45–60 48,505 20.6% on par
- Boomers 61–79 43,043 18.3% +1.3 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 52.3% of the people living in New Hanover County and men 47.7%.
- Women 52.3% North Carolina 51.1%
- Men 47.7% North Carolina 48.9%
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100% of everyone living in New Hanover County
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Economy
New Hanover County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | New Hanover County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $75,172 | $72,438 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.87% | 5.20% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.5% | 4.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in New Hanover County is about 4% higher than in North Carolina.
Housing
| Metric | New Hanover County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $340,966 | $278,288 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,417 | $1,227 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 61.4% | 66.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in New Hanover County is about 20.1 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,417 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in New Hanover County spend about 36 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 150 hours, about 6.3 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | New Hanover County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 18.0 | 21.9 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 36.0 | 43.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 150 | 182 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,656 | $5,645 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 19.4% | 16.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 9,465 | 8,330 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,865 | 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 New Hanover County is 18 minutes, shorter than the 22 minutes 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
New Hanover County has a education index of B, which means it is quite educated.
| Metric | New Hanover County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 39.1% | 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
New Hanover County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | New Hanover County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.8 | 77.1 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 13.0% | 16.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 16.7% | 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).
New Hanover County, NC Compared With Nearby Counties
New Hanover County, NC is the largest of the 6 counties compared here, 235,214 residents against a local median of 65,530. The measure that sets New Hanover County, NC apart most is median home price: $340,966, 61% above the local median of $211,539.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 18.0 min against a local median of 23.0 min, 22% below it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is commute, and at 22% below the local median it puts New Hanover County, NC at the better end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $246,166 on median home price, so New Hanover County, NC sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. New Hanover County, NC has the highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Hanover County, NC | 235,214 | $75,172 #3/6 | $340,966 #1/6 | 18.0 min #1/6 |
| Pender County, NC | 65,530 | $80,638 | $211,539 | 30.3 min |
| Brunswick County, NC | 152,554 | $77,075 | $286,445 | 22.1 min |
| Onslow County, NC | 207,702 | $68,395 | $327,237 | 20.1 min |
| Duplin County, NC | 49,292 | $55,498 | $96,951 | 23.0 min |
| Columbus County, NC | 50,166 | $49,633 | $81,071 | 25.4 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about New Hanover County, North Carolina.
How big is New Hanover County, North Carolina by population?
About 235,214 people live in New Hanover County, North Carolina, in 104,855 households of 2.2 people on average. The median age is 38.9, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 2 years.
Is New Hanover County, North Carolina urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, New Hanover County, North Carolina has 715 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 8.3 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in New Hanover County, North Carolina?
The median home costs 4.5 times the median household income ($340,966 against $75,172), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,417 a month takes about 23% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
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