Brunswick County, North Carolina

County in NC, US

By Neilsberg Research

Last updated May 1, 2026

Key Indicators

A quick look at key numbers

Population

152,568

Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates

Median Age

56.4

years ∙ half population younger than 56.4, half older

Diversity Index

33.5%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

3.6%

foreign-born population

96.4%Native

3.6% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

Brunswick County is a county in North Carolina, United States.

Location

County in NC, US

Co-ordinates

DEC34.038754° N, 78.227765° W

DMS34° 02′ 19.51″ N, 78° 13′ 39.95″ W

Population Density & area

179.5/sq mi (69.29/km²)

Total Area

1,049 sq mi (2,719 km²)

Land Area

850 sq mi (2,202 km²) · 81%

Water Area

199 sq mi (517 km²) · 19%

Demographics & Living

Who lives here, how households are formed, and community composition

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

48.1% male

Male 48.1%

Female 51.9%

males per 100 females

Brunswick County 92.6

North Carolina 95.6

United States 98

Nativity

3.6%

foreign-born population

96.4%Native

3.6% Foreign-born

% Foreign-born

Brunswick County 3.6%

North Carolina 9.1%

United States 14.1%

Age Distribution

How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

56.4

years ∙ half population younger than 56.4, half older

Brunswick County

56.4

North Carolina

39.1

United States

38.9

Dependency ratio

91.8

dependents per 100 working-age adults

Brunswick County 91.8

North Carolina 63.8

United States 64.4

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group

Median age

	Brunswick County	North Carolina	United States
Age Group
Children (Under 18)	14%	21.8%	22%
Working age (18-64)	52.2%	61%	60.8%
Senior (65+)	33.8%	17.2%	17.2%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio	91.8	63.8	64.4
Child dependency ratio	26.9	35.6	36.1
Old-age dependency ratio	64.9	28.2	28.3

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White

80.8%

Black

8.3%

Asian

0.7%

Hispanic

5.6%

Other

4.6%

Note: White, Black, and Asian refer to individuals belonging to a single race and not of Hispanic origin. Hispanics may be of any race.

Diversity Index

33.5%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Brunswick County 33.5%

North Carolina 58.4%

United States 61.4%

Note: The Diversity Index (DI), based on the Blau Index, measures the probability that two randomly selected individuals differ in race and ethnicity. Values range from 0 (no diversity) to 1 (high diversity) and are shown as percentages.

RACIAL & ETHNIC COMPOSITION

Race & Ethnicity

Percentage of Brunswick County population

	Brunswick County	North Carolina	United States
Hispanic or Latino	5.6%	11.3%	19.3%
Mexican	2.7%	5.6%	11.3%
Puerto Rican	0.6%	1.3%	1.8%
Cuban	0.1%	0.3%	0.8%
Other Hispanic / Latino	2.1%	4.1%	5.5%
Not Hispanic or Latino	94.4%	88.7%	80.7%
One race	90.4%	84.6%	76.4%
White	80.8%	60%	57.4%
Black or African American	8.3%	20%	11.9%
American Indian and Alaska Native	0.2%	0.8%	0.5%
Asian	0.7%	3.3%	5.9%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0%	0.1%	0.2%
Some Other Race	0.4%	0.5%	0.6%
Two or more races (Multiracial)	4%	4.1%	4.3%

Household & Families Composition

Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

69.8% family

Family 69.8%

Non family 30.2%

% family households

Brunswick County 69.8%

North Carolina 64.3%

United States 64.2%

Average household size

2.19

persons per household

Brunswick County

2.19

North Carolina

2.44

United States

2.53

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households

Percentage of Brunswick County population

	Brunswick County	North Carolina	United States
Total households	69,124	4,282,345	129,227,496
Average houshold size	2.19	2.44	2.53
Family households	48,225	2,753,022	82,990,528
Average family size	2.56	3.03	3.14
Married couple family	39,421	2,021,951	60,637,388
Other families	8,804	731,071	22,353,140
Male householder	2,701	195,051	6,572,819
Female householder	6,103	536,020	15,780,321
Non-family households	20,899	1,529,323	46,236,968
One-person households	17,290	1,258,822	37,140,836
Male householder	6,174	544,050	16,871,444
Senior (65+) living alone	3,104	160,332	5,225,110
Female householder	11,116	714,772	20,269,392
Senior (65+) living alone	6,974	342,051	10,089,070
Other living arrangements	3,609	270,501	9,096,132

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

99,077

housing units

Brunswick County 99,077

North Carolina 4,895,668

United States 143,775,355

Occupancy status

69.8% occupied

Occupied 69.8%

Vacant 30.2%

vacancy rate

Brunswick County 30.2%

North Carolina 12.5%

United States 10.1%

Housing Characteristics

How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

73.6%

Single family houses

73.6%

Apartments in multi-unit structures

9.2%

Mobile homes

17.2%

Boat, RV, van, etc

Median Year Built

2004

Half of houses were built before 2004, and half after.

Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier

1.1%

Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969

5.1%

Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999

37.4%

Modern ∙ 2000 or later

56.4%

Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms

Physical characteristics of housing units

	Brunswick County	North Carolina	United States
Rooms per unit
Median rooms	5.5	5.6	5.5
1–3 rooms	8.7%	11.4%	15.1%
4–6 rooms	60.7%	54.9%	51.6%
7+ rooms	30.6%	33.6%	33.4%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio	0.6%	1.9%	2.9%
1 bedroom	1.7%	7.1%	10.9%
2 bedrooms	18.6%	23.8%	25%
3 bedrooms	58.4%	46.2%	38.7%
4+ bedrooms	20.7%	21%	22.4%
At a glance
Median year built	2004	1992	1981
Total housing units	99,077	4,895,668	143,775,355

Occupancy Profile

Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

84.6% owners

Renter-occupied 15.4%

Owner-occupied 84.6%

homeownership rate

Brunswick County 84.6%

North Carolina 66.6%

United States 65.2%

Average household size

2.19

Owner-occupied

2.21

Renter-occupied

owner-occupied average size

Brunswick County 2.19

North Carolina 2.54

United States 2.64

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Brunswick County	North Carolina	United States
Total occupied units	69,124	4,282,345	129,227,496
Year moved in
2020 or later	25.5%	26.2%	24.8%
2010 to 2019	45.3%	39.2%	39.6%
2000 to 2009	17.4%	16.2%	16.4%
1999 or earlier	11.7%	18.5%	19.1%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer	98.3%	97.8%	96.6%
1.01 to 1.50	1.4%	1.5%	2.2%
1.51 or more	0.3%	0.7%	1.2%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles	2.4%	5.3%	8.4%
1 vehicle	29.9%	31.4%	33.1%
2 vehicles	46%	38%	36.6%
3 or more vehicles	21.6%	25.2%	21.9%
House heating fuel used
Gas	11.3%	30.5%	51.4%
Electricity	86.7%	65.5%	41.3%
Solar	0.1%	0.1%	0.3%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc	0.4%	2%	3.9%
All other fuels	0.6%	1.3%	2%
No fuel used	0.8%	0.7%	1.2%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing	0.4%	0.3%	0.4%
Lacking complete kitchen	0.5%	0.6%	0.8%
No telephone service available	0.5%	0.8%	0.9%

Housing Value

What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$349,800

owner-occupied units

Median value(USD)

Brunswick County

$349,800

North Carolina

$288,900

United States

$332,700

Housing Cost Burden

30.5%

of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened

% Cost-Burdened Households

Owners with a mortgage

30.5%

Owners without a mortgage

11.4%

Renters

51.8%

Note: Households spending 30% or more of their income on housing costs are considered cost-burdened.

Financial characteristics

Property value and housing costs

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Brunswick County	North Carolina	United States
Property value
Median Value	$349,800	$288,900	$332,700
Under $100,000	8.1%	12.7%	11.4%
$100,000 - $200,000	12%	18.9%	15.8%
$200,000 - $300,000	20.9%	20.5%	17.8%
$300,000 - $500,000	33.2%	28.3%	26.9%
$500,000 - $1,000,000	22.9%	16.3%	20.9%
$1,000,000 and more	3%	3.3%	7.1%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage	57%	61.3%	60.6%
Without a mortgage	43%	38.7%	39.4%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage	$1,673	$1,631	$1,963
Without a mortgage	$589	$490	$638
Gross rent
Median rent	$1,351	$1,228	$1,413

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

34.7%

of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher

Brunswick County 34.7%

North Carolina 35.7%

United States 35.7%

Adults without a high school diploma

6.5%

of adults (25+) without a high school diploma

Brunswick County 6.5%

North Carolina 9.9%

United States 10.4%

School Enrollment

Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

21,824

population (age 3+) enrolled in school

Nursery / Preschool

5.3%

K–12

71.1%

College / Undergraduate

20.4%

Graduate / Professional

3.2%

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

32.2%

of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school

Brunswick County

32.2%

North Carolina

39.3%

United States

40.9%

Enrollment & school type

Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split

Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school

	Brunswick County	North Carolina	United States
Total enrolled (age 3+)	21,824	2,530,102	80,089,790
Nursery / preschool	5.3%	5.3%	5.7%
K–12	71.1%	67.4%	67.6%
Kindergarten	5.1%	4.9%	5%
Elementary: Grades 1–4	22.5%	20%	19.8%
Elementary: Grades 5–8	20.9%	21%	21%
High School: Grades 9–12	22.6%	21.5%	21.7%
College or graduate school	23.6%	27.3%	26.7%
College, undergraduate	20.4%	21.7%	21%
Graduate, professional school	3.2%	5.6%	5.8%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds	32.2%	39.3%	40.9%
School type
Public school	84.3%	82.3%	82%
Private school	15.7%	17.7%	18%

Education Attainment by Level & Gender

What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

123,153

population 25 years and over

Total adults (25+)

Less than 9th grade

2.2%

9th-12th, no diploma

4.3%

HS graduate

25.8%

Some college no degree

21.2%

Associates degree

11.8%

Bachelors degree

21.9%

Graduate or professional degree

12.7%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female

Adults (25+) · Share within each education level

% male · % female

Less than 9th grade

52.6% · 47.4%

9th-12th, no diploma

58.7% · 41.3%

HS graduate

49.2% · 50.8%

Some college no degree

47.3% · 52.7%

Associates degree

39% · 61%

Bachelors degree

45.9% · 54.1%

Graduate or professional degree

48% · 52%

Educational Attainment Overview

Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)

Highest credential completed · adults 25+

	Brunswick County	North Carolina	United States
Population (25+)	123,153	7,380,330	230,807,303
Less than 9th grade	2.2%	3.9%	4.7%
9th–12th, no diploma	4.3%	6%	5.7%
High school diploma or GED	25.8%	24.8%	26%
Some college, no degree	21.2%	19.6%	19.1%
Associate's degree	11.8%	10.1%	8.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	34.7%	35.7%	35.7%
Bachelor's degree	21.9%	22.2%	21.6%
Graduate or professional	12.7%	13.5%	14.1%
High School or higher	93.5%	90.1%	89.6%

Earnings by education level

percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$46,164

Median earnings for adults 25+, by level

Less than HS graduate

$26,735

HS graduate

$37,922

Some college or associates

$43,305

Bachelors degree

$55,890

Graduate or professional degree

$71,060

Poverty Rate

3.5%

for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher

Less than HS graduate

25.3%

HS graduate

11.4%

Some college or associates

7.3%

Bachelors degree or higher

3.5%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)

Adults 25+

	Brunswick County	North Carolina	United States
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings	$46,164	$49,275	$52,696
Less than high school graduate	$26,735	$31,234	$32,485
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	$37,922	$37,346	$40,153
Some college or associate's degree	$43,305	$43,525	$47,260
Bachelor's degree	$55,890	$64,395	$70,044
Graduate or professional degree	$71,060	$80,986	$90,720
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate	25.3%	26.6%	24.2%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	11.4%	15.2%	14.4%
Some college or associate's degree	7.3%	10%	9.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	3.5%	4.2%	4.5%

Insights for Brunswick County, by topic

Income By year By race By age By gender

Population By year By race By age By gender

About Neilsberg Research

Neilsberg Research team are data scientists with expertise in processing, analysis and visualization of big data helping small businesses make right decisions.

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