Onslow County, North Carolina Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Onslow 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 95% of counties in North Carolina
-
C
Income Below average
-
D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Onslow County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 207,702 | 10,724,323 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 229.4 | 199.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 1.43% | 0.97% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 25.8 | 37.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 75,264 | 4,279,225 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Onslow County grew by 25.3% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 207,702 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Onslow County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 35.6% of residents. That is 13.7 points above North Carolina as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 73,873 35.6% +13.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 43,059 20.7% -0.7 pts
- Gen X 45–60 27,060 13.0% -7.5 pts
- Boomers 61–79 21,155 10.2% -6.8 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 44.5% of the people living in Onslow County and men 55.5%.
- Women 44.5% North Carolina 51.1%
- Men 55.5% North Carolina 48.9%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Onslow County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Onslow County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Onslow County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $68,395 | $72,438 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.89% | 5.20% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.5% | 4.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Onslow County is about 6% lower than in North Carolina.
Housing
| Metric | Onslow County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $327,237 | $278,288 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,265 | $1,227 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 63.7% | 66.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Onslow County is about 21.6 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,265 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Onslow County spend about 40 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 167 hours, about 7.0 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Onslow County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 20.1 | 21.9 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 40.2 | 43.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 167 | 182 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,190 | $5,645 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 12.8% | 16.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 6,570 | 8,330 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,927 | 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 Onslow County is 20 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
Onslow County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Onslow County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 19.2% | 31.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.48 | 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
Onslow County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Onslow County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.0 | 77.1 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 12.4% | 16.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 18.7% | 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).
Onslow County, NC Compared With Nearby Counties
Onslow County, NC is the largest of the 5 counties compared here, 207,702 residents against a local median of 60,206. Where Onslow County, NC breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 173% above the local median of $119,677 at $327,237.
The counties themselves spread $133,442 on median home price, so Onslow County, NC sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Onslow County, NC has the highest median home price of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Onslow County, NC | 207,702 | $68,395 #2/5 | $327,237 #1/5 | 20.1 min #3/5 |
| Pender County, NC | 65,530 | $80,638 | $211,539 | 30.3 min |
| Craven County, NC | 102,613 | $65,003 | $78,096 | 17.8 min |
| Duplin County, NC | 49,292 | $55,498 | $96,951 | 23.0 min |
| Lenoir County, NC | 54,882 | $45,135 | $142,404 | 18.7 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Onslow County, North Carolina.
How many people live in Onslow County, North Carolina?
About 207,702 people live in Onslow County, North Carolina, in 75,264 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 25.8, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 11 years.
Is Onslow County, North Carolina mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Onslow County, North Carolina has 229 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 2.7 times the U.S. average of 86.
Is Onslow County, North Carolina an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 4.8 times the median household income ($327,237 against $68,395), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,265 a month takes about 22% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Onslow County, North Carolina?
Unemployment in Onslow County, North Carolina is only 3.5%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How common is a college degree in Onslow County, North Carolina?
19.2% of adults in Onslow County, North Carolina hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 5), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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 →