Carolina Beach, NC

Town in New Hanover County, NC, US

By Neilsberg Research

Last updated May 1, 2026

Key Indicators

A quick look at key numbers

Population

6,745

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

Median Age

53.2

years ∙ half population younger than 53.2, half older

Diversity Index

22.8%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

3.4%

foreign-born population

96.6%Native

3.4% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

Carolina Beach is a town within New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States.

Location

Town in New Hanover County, NC, US

Co-ordinates

DEC34.041874° N, 77.899788° W

DMS34° 02′ 30.75″ N, 77° 53′ 59.24″ W

Population Density & area

2,753/sq mi (1,062/km²)

Total Area

2.74 sq mi (7.09 km²)

Land Area

2.45 sq mi (6.35 km²) · 89.6%

Water Area

0.29 sq mi (0.74 km²) · 10.4%

Demographics & Living

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

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

50.5% male

Male 50.5%

Female 49.5%

males per 100 females

Carolina Beach 102.1

New Hanover County 90.8

North Carolina 95.6

Nativity

3.4%

foreign-born population

96.6%Native

3.4% Foreign-born

% Foreign-born

Carolina Beach 3.4%

New Hanover County 5.9%

North Carolina 9.1%

Age Distribution

How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

53.2

years ∙ half population younger than 53.2, half older

Carolina Beach

53.2

New Hanover County

39.9

North Carolina

39.1

Dependency ratio

50.3

dependents per 100 working-age adults

Carolina Beach 50.3

New Hanover County 58.6

North Carolina 63.8

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group

Median age

	Carolina Beach	New Hanover County	North Carolina
Age Group
Children (Under 18)	13.4%	17.9%	21.8%
Working age (18-64)	66.6%	63.1%	61%
Senior (65+)	20%	19%	17.2%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio	50.3	58.6	63.8
Child dependency ratio	20.2	28.4	35.6
Old-age dependency ratio	30.1	30.2	28.2

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White

87.5%

Black

Asian

1.2%

Hispanic

6.4%

Other

4.9%

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

22.8%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Carolina Beach 22.8%

New Hanover County 42.2%

North Carolina 58.4%

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 Carolina Beach population

	Carolina Beach	New Hanover County	North Carolina
Hispanic or Latino	6.4%	7.9%	11.3%
Mexican	4%	3.4%	5.6%
Puerto Rican	1.2%	1.3%	1.3%
Cuban	0%	0.3%	0.3%
Other Hispanic / Latino	1.2%	2.9%	4.1%
Not Hispanic or Latino	93.6%	92.1%	88.7%
One race	89.4%	87.5%	84.6%
White	87.5%	74.7%	60%
Black or African American	0%	10.7%	20%
American Indian and Alaska Native	0.1%	0.1%	0.8%
Asian	1.2%	1.4%	3.3%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0%	0%	0.1%
Some Other Race	0.6%	0.6%	0.5%
Two or more races (Multiracial)	4.2%	4.6%	4.1%

Household & Families Composition

Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

63.5% family

Family 63.5%

Non family 36.5%

% family households

Carolina Beach 63.5%

New Hanover County 55.1%

North Carolina 64.3%

Average household size

2.19

persons per household

Carolina Beach

2.19

New Hanover County

2.19

North Carolina

2.44

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households

Percentage of Carolina Beach population

	Carolina Beach	New Hanover County	North Carolina
Total households	3,073	104,856	4,282,345
Average houshold size	2.19	2.19	2.44
Family households	1,951	57,814	2,753,022
Average family size	2.73	2.84	3.03
Married couple family	1,595	44,622	2,021,951
Other families	356	13,192	731,071
Male householder	169	3,386	195,051
Female householder	187	9,806	536,020
Non-family households	1,122	47,042	1,529,323
One-person households	907	35,392	1,258,822
Male householder	443	14,651	544,050
Senior (65+) living alone	92	3,918	160,332
Female householder	464	20,741	714,772
Senior (65+) living alone	149	9,585	342,051
Other living arrangements	215	11,650	270,501

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

6,266

housing units

Carolina Beach 6,266

New Hanover County 120,050

North Carolina 4,895,668

Occupancy status

49% occupied

Occupied 49%

Vacant 51%

vacancy rate

Carolina Beach 51%

New Hanover County 12.7%

North Carolina 12.5%

Housing Characteristics

How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

54.2%

Single family houses

54.2%

Apartments in multi-unit structures

43.9%

Mobile homes

1.9%

Boat, RV, van, etc

Median Year Built

1989

Half of houses were built before 1989, and half after.

Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier

4.9%

Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969

11.9%

Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999

50.7%

Modern ∙ 2000 or later

32.5%

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

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms

Physical characteristics of housing units

	Carolina Beach	New Hanover County	North Carolina
Rooms per unit
Median rooms	4.6	5.4	5.6
1–3 rooms	27.3%	16.2%	11.4%
4–6 rooms	53.8%	52.6%	54.9%
7+ rooms	18.8%	31.1%	33.6%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio	1.1%	1.7%	1.9%
1 bedroom	15.1%	8.7%	7.1%
2 bedrooms	29.2%	25.9%	23.8%
3 bedrooms	36%	44.4%	46.2%
4+ bedrooms	18.6%	19.2%	21%
At a glance
Median year built	1989	1994	1992
Total housing units	6,266	120,050	4,895,668

Occupancy Profile

Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

84.4% owners

Renter-occupied 15.6%

Owner-occupied 84.4%

homeownership rate

Carolina Beach 84.4%

New Hanover County 61.4%

North Carolina 66.6%

Average household size

2.23

Owner-occupied

2.02

Renter-occupied

owner-occupied average size

Carolina Beach 2.23

New Hanover County 2.3

North Carolina 2.54

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Carolina Beach	New Hanover County	North Carolina
Total occupied units	3,073	104,856	4,282,345
Year moved in
2020 or later	25.7%	31.4%	26.2%
2010 to 2019	53.7%	42.8%	39.2%
2000 to 2009	10.4%	13.6%	16.2%
1999 or earlier	10.2%	12.3%	18.5%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer	98.8%	98.7%	97.8%
1.01 to 1.50	1.2%	1%	1.5%
1.51 or more	0%	0.3%	0.7%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles	2.3%	5.6%	5.3%
1 vehicle	39%	34.6%	31.4%
2 vehicles	42.5%	41.7%	38%
3 or more vehicles	16.2%	18.1%	25.2%
House heating fuel used
Gas	2.8%	10.3%	30.5%
Electricity	95.9%	88.1%	65.5%
Solar	0.6%	0.3%	0.1%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc	0.7%	0.3%	2%
All other fuels	0%	0.3%	1.3%
No fuel used	0%	0.6%	0.7%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing	0%	0.3%	0.3%
Lacking complete kitchen	0%	0.7%	0.6%
No telephone service available	0%	0.4%	0.8%

Housing Value

What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$566,200

owner-occupied units

Median value(USD)

Carolina Beach

$566,200

New Hanover County

$387,800

North Carolina

$288,900

Housing Cost Burden

35.6%

of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened

% Cost-Burdened Households

Owners with a mortgage

35.6%

Owners without a mortgage

21.2%

Renters

40.4%

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

	Carolina Beach	New Hanover County	North Carolina
Property value
Median Value	$566,200	$387,800	$288,900
Under $100,000	1.6%	4%	12.7%
$100,000 - $200,000	2.2%	7.7%	18.9%
$200,000 - $300,000	2.5%	18.7%	20.5%
$300,000 - $500,000	36.1%	39.5%	28.3%
$500,000 - $1,000,000	43.4%	23.6%	16.3%
$1,000,000 and more	14.2%	6.5%	3.3%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage	63.1%	67.2%	61.3%
Without a mortgage	36.9%	32.8%	38.7%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage	$2,303	$1,888	$1,631
Without a mortgage	$882	$658	$490
Gross rent
Median rent	$1,513	$1,417	$1,228

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

50.5%

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

Carolina Beach 50.5%

New Hanover County 45.4%

North Carolina 35.7%

Adults without a high school diploma

of adults (25+) without a high school diploma

Carolina Beach 1%

New Hanover County 6%

North Carolina 9.9%

School Enrollment

Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

830

population (age 3+) enrolled in school

Nursery / Preschool

15.7%

K–12

67%

College / Undergraduate

10.5%

Graduate / Professional

6.9%

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

3.2%

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

Carolina Beach

3.2%

New Hanover County

50.9%

North Carolina

39.3%

Enrollment & school type

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

Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school

	Carolina Beach	New Hanover County	North Carolina
Total enrolled (age 3+)	830	53,992	2,530,102
Nursery / preschool	15.7%	5.7%	5.3%
K–12	67%	56.8%	67.4%
Kindergarten	3.3%	3.4%	4.9%
Elementary: Grades 1–4	15.5%	15.6%	20%
Elementary: Grades 5–8	30.1%	19.4%	21%
High School: Grades 9–12	18.1%	18.5%	21.5%
College or graduate school	17.3%	37.5%	27.3%
College, undergraduate	10.5%	31.8%	21.7%
Graduate, professional school	6.9%	5.7%	5.6%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds	3.2%	50.9%	39.3%
School type
Public school	88.1%	86%	82.3%
Private school	11.9%	14%	17.7%

Education Attainment by Level & Gender

What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

5,428

population 25 years and over

Total adults (25+)

Less than 9th grade

0.2%

9th-12th, no diploma

0.8%

HS graduate

22%

Some college no degree

17.2%

Associates degree

9.3%

Bachelors degree

34.7%

Graduate or professional degree

15.7%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female

Adults (25+) · Share within each education level

% male · % female

Less than 9th grade

50% · 50%

9th-12th, no diploma

60.5% · 39.5%

HS graduate

56.9% · 43.1%

Some college no degree

40.3% · 59.7%

Associates degree

56% · 44%

Bachelors degree

48.1% · 51.9%

Graduate or professional degree

41.7% · 58.3%

Educational Attainment Overview

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

Highest credential completed · adults 25+

	Carolina Beach	New Hanover County	North Carolina
Population (25+)	5,428	164,254	7,380,330
Less than 9th grade	0.2%	2.6%	3.9%
9th–12th, no diploma	0.8%	3.4%	6%
High school diploma or GED	22%	18.2%	24.8%
Some college, no degree	17.2%	19.6%	19.6%
Associate's degree	9.3%	10.9%	10.1%
Bachelor's degree or higher	50.5%	45.4%	35.7%
Bachelor's degree	34.7%	29.4%	22.2%
Graduate or professional	15.7%	16%	13.5%
High School or higher	99%	94%	90.1%

Earnings by education level

percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$60,526

Median earnings for adults 25+, by level

Less than HS graduate

$—

HS graduate

$38,190

Some college or associates

$41,924

Bachelors degree

$73,269

Graduate or professional degree

$113,804

Poverty Rate

5.5%

for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher

Less than HS graduate

21.8%

HS graduate

8.7%

Some college or associates

5.1%

Bachelors degree or higher

5.5%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)

Adults 25+

	Carolina Beach	New Hanover County	North Carolina
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings	$60,526	$50,865	$49,275
Less than high school graduate	$—	$28,441	$31,234
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	$38,190	$37,228	$37,346
Some college or associate's degree	$41,924	$44,362	$43,525
Bachelor's degree	$73,269	$61,405	$64,395
Graduate or professional degree	$113,804	$77,300	$80,986
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate	21.8%	24.1%	26.6%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	8.7%	15.8%	15.2%
Some college or associate's degree	5.1%	9.6%	10%
Bachelor's degree or higher	5.5%	4.2%	4.2%

Insights for Carolina Beach, 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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