Ocean Isle Beach, NC

Town in Brunswick County, NC, US

By Neilsberg Research

Last updated May 1, 2026

Key Indicators

A quick look at key numbers

Population

903

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

Median Age

67.3

years ∙ half population younger than 67.3, half older

Diversity Index

3.6%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

3.1%

foreign-born population

96.9%Native

3.1% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

Ocean Isle Beach is a town within Brunswick County, North Carolina, United States.

Location

Town in Brunswick County, NC, US

Co-ordinates

DEC33.887615° N, 78.462084° W

DMS33° 53′ 15.41″ N, 78° 27′ 43.50″ W

Population Density & area

238.9/sq mi (92.24/km²)

Total Area

4.76 sq mi (12.32 km²)

Land Area

3.78 sq mi (9.79 km²) · 79.5%

Water Area

0.98 sq mi (2.53 km²) · 20.5%

Demographics & Living

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

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

43.5% male

Male 43.5%

Female 56.5%

males per 100 females

Ocean Isle Beach 77.1

Brunswick County 92.6

North Carolina 95.6

Nativity

3.1%

foreign-born population

96.9%Native

3.1% Foreign-born

% Foreign-born

Ocean Isle Beach 3.1%

Brunswick County 3.6%

North Carolina 9.1%

Age Distribution

How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

67.3

years ∙ half population younger than 67.3, half older

Ocean Isle Beach

67.3

Brunswick County

56.4

North Carolina

39.1

Dependency ratio

164

dependents per 100 working-age adults

Ocean Isle Beach 164

Brunswick County 91.8

North Carolina 63.8

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group

Median age

	Ocean Isle Beach	Brunswick County	North Carolina
Age Group
Children (Under 18)	3.5%	14%	21.8%
Working age (18-64)	37.9%	52.2%	61%
Senior (65+)	58.6%	33.8%	17.2%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio	164	91.8	63.8
Child dependency ratio	9.4	26.9	35.6
Old-age dependency ratio	154.7	64.9	28.2

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White

98.2%

Black

0.6%

Asian

Hispanic

1.1%

Other

0.1%

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

3.6%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Ocean Isle Beach 3.6%

Brunswick County 33.5%

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 Ocean Isle Beach population

Racial and ethnic composition — Ocean Isle Beach vs Brunswick County vs North Carolina. Source: ACS 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates.
	Ocean Isle Beach	Brunswick County	North Carolina
Hispanic or Latino	1.1%	5.6%	11.3%
Mexican	0%	2.7%	5.6%
Puerto Rican	0.3%	0.6%	1.3%
Cuban	0%	0.1%	0.3%
Other Hispanic / Latino	0.8%	2.1%	4.1%
Not Hispanic or Latino	98.9%	94.4%	88.7%
One race	98.9%	90.4%	84.6%
White	98.2%	80.8%	60%
Black or African American	0.6%	8.3%	20%
American Indian and Alaska Native	0.1%	0.2%	0.8%
Asian	0%	0.7%	3.3%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0%	0%	0.1%
Some Other Race	0%	0.4%	0.5%
Two or more races (Multiracial)	0%	4%	4.1%

Household & Families Composition

Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

63.8% family

Family 63.8%

Non family 36.2%

% family households

Ocean Isle Beach 63.8%

Brunswick County 69.8%

North Carolina 64.3%

Average household size

1.76

persons per household

Ocean Isle Beach

1.76

Brunswick County

2.19

North Carolina

2.44

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households

Percentage of Ocean Isle Beach population

	Ocean Isle Beach	Brunswick County	North Carolina
Total households	514	69,124	4,282,345
Average houshold size	1.76	2.19	2.44
Family households	328	48,225	2,753,022
Average family size	2.16	2.56	3.03
Married couple family	318	39,421	2,021,951
Other families	10	8,804	731,071
Male householder	5	2,701	195,051
Female householder	5	6,103	536,020
Non-family households	186	20,899	1,529,323
One-person households	176	17,290	1,258,822
Male householder	35	6,174	544,050
Senior (65+) living alone	18	3,104	160,332
Female householder	141	11,116	714,772
Senior (65+) living alone	95	6,974	342,051
Other living arrangements	10	3,609	270,501

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

3,387

housing units

Ocean Isle Beach 3,387

Brunswick County 99,077

North Carolina 4,895,668

Occupancy status

15.2% occupied

Occupied 15.2%

Vacant 84.8%

vacancy rate

Ocean Isle Beach 84.8%

Brunswick County 30.2%

North Carolina 12.5%

Housing Characteristics

How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

72.3%

Single family houses

72.3%

Apartments in multi-unit structures

26.1%

Mobile homes

1.6%

Boat, RV, van, etc

Median Year Built

1995

Half of houses were built before 1995, and half after.

Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier

Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969

2.6%

Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999

56.2%

Modern ∙ 2000 or later

41%

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

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms

Physical characteristics of housing units

	Ocean Isle Beach	Brunswick County	North Carolina
Rooms per unit
Median rooms	5.4	5.5	5.6
1–3 rooms	10.3%	8.7%	11.4%
4–6 rooms	64.8%	60.7%	54.9%
7+ rooms	25.1%	30.6%	33.6%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio	1%	0.6%	1.9%
1 bedroom	3.2%	1.7%	7.1%
2 bedrooms	13.4%	18.6%	23.8%
3 bedrooms	24.9%	58.4%	46.2%
4+ bedrooms	57.5%	20.7%	21%
At a glance
Median year built	1995	2004	1992
Total housing units	3,387	99,077	4,895,668

Occupancy Profile

Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

96.5% owners

Renter-occupied 3.5%

Owner-occupied 96.5%

homeownership rate

Ocean Isle Beach 96.5%

Brunswick County 84.6%

North Carolina 66.6%

Average household size

1.77

Owner-occupied

1.5

Renter-occupied

owner-occupied average size

Ocean Isle Beach 1.77

Brunswick County 2.19

North Carolina 2.54

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Ocean Isle Beach	Brunswick County	North Carolina
Total occupied units	514	69,124	4,282,345
Year moved in
2020 or later	25.8%	25.5%	26.2%
2010 to 2019	45.5%	45.3%	39.2%
2000 to 2009	15.6%	17.4%	16.2%
1999 or earlier	13%	11.7%	18.5%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer	100%	98.3%	97.8%
1.01 to 1.50	0%	1.4%	1.5%
1.51 or more	0%	0.3%	0.7%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles	2.3%	2.4%	5.3%
1 vehicle	39.3%	29.9%	31.4%
2 vehicles	51.8%	46%	38%
3 or more vehicles	6.6%	21.6%	25.2%
House heating fuel used
Gas	5.8%	11.3%	30.5%
Electricity	93%	86.7%	65.5%
Solar	0%	0.1%	0.1%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc	0%	0.4%	2%
All other fuels	0%	0.6%	1.3%
No fuel used	1.2%	0.8%	0.7%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing	0%	0.4%	0.3%
Lacking complete kitchen	0%	0.5%	0.6%
No telephone service available	0.6%	0.5%	0.8%

Housing Value

What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$835,500

owner-occupied units

Median value(USD)

Ocean Isle Beach

$835,500

Brunswick County

$349,800

North Carolina

$288,900

Housing Cost Burden

49.4%

of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened

% Cost-Burdened Households

Owners with a mortgage

49.4%

Owners without a mortgage

21.1%

Renters

42.9%

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

	Ocean Isle Beach	Brunswick County	North Carolina
Property value
Median Value	$835,500	$349,800	$288,900
Under $100,000	1%	8.1%	12.7%
$100,000 - $200,000	1.4%	12%	18.9%
$200,000 - $300,000	2.2%	20.9%	20.5%
$300,000 - $500,000	7.3%	33.2%	28.3%
$500,000 - $1,000,000	58.7%	22.9%	16.3%
$1,000,000 and more	29.4%	3%	3.3%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage	51.2%	57%	61.3%
Without a mortgage	48.8%	43%	38.7%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage	$3,143	$1,673	$1,631
Without a mortgage	$893	$589	$490
Gross rent
Median rent	$—	$1,351	$1,228

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

65.1%

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

Ocean Isle Beach 65.1%

Brunswick County 34.7%

North Carolina 35.7%

Adults without a high school diploma

0.7%

of adults (25+) without a high school diploma

Ocean Isle Beach 0.7%

Brunswick County 6.5%

North Carolina 9.9%

School Enrollment

Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

population (age 3+) enrolled in school

Nursery / Preschool

K–12

49.1%

College / Undergraduate

32.7%

Graduate / Professional

18.2%

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

59.1%

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

Ocean Isle Beach

59.1%

Brunswick County

32.2%

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

	Ocean Isle Beach	Brunswick County	North Carolina
Total enrolled (age 3+)	55	21,824	2,530,102
Nursery / preschool	0%	5.3%	5.3%
K–12	49.1%	71.1%	67.4%
Kindergarten	0%	5.1%	4.9%
Elementary: Grades 1–4	16.4%	22.5%	20%
Elementary: Grades 5–8	5.5%	20.9%	21%
High School: Grades 9–12	27.3%	22.6%	21.5%
College or graduate school	50.9%	23.6%	27.3%
College, undergraduate	32.7%	20.4%	21.7%
Graduate, professional school	18.2%	3.2%	5.6%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds	59.1%	32.2%	39.3%
School type
Public school	94.5%	84.3%	82.3%
Private school	5.5%	15.7%	17.7%

Education Attainment by Level & Gender

What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

849

population 25 years and over

Total adults (25+)

Less than 9th grade

0.7%

9th-12th, no diploma

HS graduate

10.2%

Some college no degree

14.8%

Associates degree

9.1%

Bachelors degree

35.9%

Graduate or professional degree

29.2%

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

—% · —%

HS graduate

36.8% · 63.2%

Some college no degree

22.2% · 77.8%

Associates degree

51.9% · 48.1%

Bachelors degree

45.2% · 54.8%

Graduate or professional degree

53.2% · 46.8%

Educational Attainment Overview

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

Highest credential completed · adults 25+

	Ocean Isle Beach	Brunswick County	North Carolina
Population (25+)	849	123,153	7,380,330
Less than 9th grade	0.7%	2.2%	3.9%
9th–12th, no diploma	0%	4.3%	6%
High school diploma or GED	10.2%	25.8%	24.8%
Some college, no degree	14.8%	21.2%	19.6%
Associate's degree	9.1%	11.8%	10.1%
Bachelor's degree or higher	65.1%	34.7%	35.7%
Bachelor's degree	35.9%	21.9%	22.2%
Graduate or professional	29.2%	12.7%	13.5%
High School or higher	99.3%	93.5%	90.1%

Earnings by education level

percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$80,417

Median earnings for adults 25+, by level

Less than HS graduate

$—

HS graduate

$—

Some college or associates

$34,125

Bachelors degree

$91,667

Graduate or professional degree

$178,750

Poverty Rate

for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher

Less than HS graduate

100%

HS graduate

16.1%

Some college or associates

8.4%

Bachelors degree or higher

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)

Adults 25+

	Ocean Isle Beach	Brunswick County	North Carolina
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings	$80,417	$46,164	$49,275
Less than high school graduate	$—	$26,735	$31,234
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	$—	$37,922	$37,346
Some college or associate's degree	$34,125	$43,305	$43,525
Bachelor's degree	$91,667	$55,890	$64,395
Graduate or professional degree	$178,750	$71,060	$80,986
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate	100%	25.3%	26.6%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	16.1%	11.4%	15.2%
Some college or associate's degree	8.4%	7.3%	10%
Bachelor's degree or higher	2%	3.5%	4.2%

Insights for Ocean Isle 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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