Brunswick County is a

county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

located in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

. It is the southernmost county in the state. As of the 2020 census, the population was 136,693. Its population was only 73,143 in 2000, making it one of the fastest-growing counties in the state. With a nominal growth rate of approximately 47% in ten years, much of the growth is centered in the eastern section of the county in the suburbs of Wilmington such as Leland, Belville and

Southport Southport is a seaside resort, seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England. It lies on the West Lancashire Coastal Plain, West Lancashire coastal plain and the east coast of the Irish Sea, approximately north of ...

. The

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

Bolivia Bolivia, officially the Plurinational State of Bolivia, is a landlocked country located in central South America. The country features diverse geography, including vast Amazonian plains, tropical lowlands, mountains, the Gran Chaco Province, w ...

, which at a population of around 150 people is among the least populous county seats in the state. Brunswick County is part of the Wilmington, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area. From 2013 to 2023, the county was part of the Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC Metropolitan Statistical Area. During that time, Brunswick County and Wilmington area leaders disputed the change, including many government leaders like Senator

Richard Burr Richard Mauze Burr (born November 30, 1955) is an American businessman and politician who served as a United States senator from North Carolina from 2005 to 2023. A member of the Republican Party, Burr was previously a member of the United Stat ...

. Ultimately, their efforts were a success because the county was added back into the MSA after a 2023 realignment. Much of the economy of the county is built around tourism, with beach communities lying along the south-facing beaches past Cape Fear such as Bald Head Island (the southernmost point of North Carolina) and Oak Island being popular destinations.

Calabash Calabash (; ''Lagenaria siceraria''), also known as bottle gourd, white-flowered gourd, long melon, birdhouse gourd, New Guinea bean, New Guinea butter bean, Tasmania bean, and opo squash, is a vine grown for its fruit. It can be either harvest ...

, on the border of South Carolina, is renowned for its fried

seafood Seafood is any form of Marine life, sea life regarded as food by humans, prominently including Fish as food, fish and shellfish. Shellfish include various species of Mollusca, molluscs (e.g., bivalve molluscs such as clams, oysters, and mussel ...

, with "Calabash-style" restaurants dotting the region. The proximity to Cinespace Wilmington in nearby Wilmington has made Brunswick County a popular filming location for many movies and TV shows.

History

The county was formed in 1764 from parts of Bladen County and New Hanover County. It was named for the colonial port of Brunswick Town, which itself was named for George I, the King of England and Duke of Brunswick. Following the destruction of Brunswick Town during the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

, the southern portion of the county increased in population, with the town of Smithville being incorporated in 1805. Three years later it was designated the county seat. During the

antebellum era The ''Antebellum'' South era (from ) was a period in the history of the Southern United States that extended from the conclusion of the War of 1812 to the start of the American Civil War in 1861. This era was marked by the prevalent practi ...

, Brunswick experienced some growth. The slave labor force increased to serve plantations in their production of naval stores, corn, cotton, and rice; by 1860 over 44 percent of the county's population were slaves. During the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

, forces of the Confederate State of America erected Fort Anderson near the ruins of Brunswick Town to defend against federal attacks on the

Cape Fear River The Cape Fear River is a blackwater river in east-central North Carolina. It flows into the Atlantic Ocean near Cape Fear, from which it takes its name. The river is formed at the confluence of the Haw River and the Deep River in the town of ...

and the Port of Wilmington. Brunswick County did not experience much growth in the latter half of the 19th century. Smithville was renamed Southport in 1887. Beginning in the 1930s, development along the county's beaches occurred, and between 1955 and 1975, six communities on the county's barrier islands were incorporated.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (19.00%) is water. It is the fourth-largest county in North Carolina by total area. The Brunswick River and the

provide access to the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...

. The Brunswick Nuclear Generating Station is to the north of

Hydrogeology

The principal ground-water-supply sources for Brunswick County are the surficial aquifer for domestic supplies and the Castle Hayne aquifer for municipal supplies.

State and local protected area/sites

* Bald Head Island Conservancy * Bald Head Island Natural Area * Bald Head Woods Maritime Forest Preserve * Bird Island Reserve * Brunswick County Botanical Garden * Brunswick Nature Park * Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson State Historic Site * Columbus County Game Land (part) * Ev-Henwood Nature Preserve * Fort Caswell Historic District * Green Swamp Game Land * Green Swamp Preserve (part) * Juniper Creek Game Land (part) * Museum of Coastal Carolina * Myrtle Head Savanna * North Carolina Maritime Museum at Southport ( Fort Johnston also located on property) *

Oak Island Lighthouse The Oak Island Lighthouse is located in the Town of Caswell Beach near the mouth of the Cape Fear River in Southeastern North Carolina. It sits next to the Coast Guard Station Oak Island, Oak Island Coast Guard Station on the east end of Oak Isl ...

* Old Baldy Lighthouse and Smith Island Museum * Orton Creek Preserve * South of Onslow County Mechanical Harvesting of Oysters Prohibited Area (part) * Zekes Island Estuarine Reserve Dedicated Nature Preserve (part) * Zeke's Island Reserve (part)

Major water bodies

* Alligator Creek *

(North Atlantic Ocean) * Brunswick River *

* Elizabeth River * Frying Pan Shoals *

Intracoastal Waterway The Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) is a Navigability, inland waterway along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts of the United States, running from Massachusetts southward along the Atlantic Seaboard and around the southern tip of Florida, the ...

* Lockwood Folly River * Little River * Long Bay * North Lake * Northeast Cape Fear River * Onslow Bay * Orton Pond * Patricia Lake * Saucepan Creek * Shallotte River * Town Creek * Waccamaw River

Major islands

* Bald Head Island * Bird Island * Eagles Island * Oak Island

Major beaches

Caswell Beach Caswell Beach is a small seaside town located on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the Cape Fear River in Southeastern North Carolina, United States. Occupying the eastern part of Oak Island (North Carolina), Oak Island in Brunswick County, Nort ...

* Holden Beach *

Long Beach Long Beach is a coastal city in southeastern Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is the list of United States cities by population, 44th-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 451,307 as of 2022. A charter ci ...

* Ocean Isle Beach * Sunset Beach * Yaupon Beach

Adjacent counties

* Pender County – north * New Hanover County – east * Columbus County – west-northwest * Horry County, South Carolina – west

Major highways

* * * * (Bolivia) * (Shallotte) * * * * * * * * * * * *

Major infrastructure

* Bald Head Island Ferry, private ferry that serves Bald Head Island * Cape Fear Regional Jetport, near Oak Island * Military Ocean Terminal Sunny Point, military terminal near Southport * Odell Williamson Municipal Airport * Southport–Fort Fisher Ferry (to New Hanover County)

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 136,693 people, 61,496 households, and 42,359 families residing in the county. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . There were 88,330 housing units. The racial makeup of the county was 82.2%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 8.4%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.7% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 0.1%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 2.6% from some other races and 5.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 5.4% of the population.

2022 American Community Survey (ACS)

There are 60,915 households accounted for in the 2022 ACS, with an average of 2.28 persons per household. The county's a median gross rent is $1,187 in the 2022 ACS. The 2022 ACS reports a median household income of $71,193, with 83.7% of households are owner occupied. 8.5% of the county's population lives at or below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

(down from previous ACS surveys). The city boasts a 48.8% employment rate, with 32.4% of the population holding a bachelor's degree or higher and 93.5% holding a high school diploma. The top nine reported ancestries (people were allowed to report up to two ancestries, thus the figures will generally add to more than 100%) were English (15.1%), Irish (13.1%), German (11.5%), Italian (5.3%), Polish (2.3%), Scottish (2.3%), French (except Basque) (2.2%), Subsaharan African (0.7%), and Norwegian (0.6%). The median age in the county was 57.6 years. Between the period from 2020 to 2023, Brunswick County had the highest estimated growth in population among North Carolina's counties at 15.8 percent. Much of the recent growth has been driven by the in-migration of retirees, and as of 2023 the county has the highest median age in North Carolina.

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 107,433 people, 46,298 households, and 32,220 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 77,482 housing units. The racial makeup of the county was 83.0%

, 11.4%

, 0.7% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.0%

, 2.5% from some other races and 1.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 5.2% of the population.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 73,143 people, 30,438 households, and 22,037 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 51,431 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 82.30%

, 14.38%

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

, 0.68% Native American, 0.27% Asian, 0.04%

, 1.32% from other races, and 1.01% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 2.68% of the population. There were 30,438 households, out of which 25.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.10% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 10.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.60% were non-families. 22.90% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.76. In the county, the population was spread out, with 21.20% under the age of 18, 7.00% from 18 to 24, 25.70% from 25 to 44, 29.20% from 45 to 64, and 16.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 96.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.90 males. The median income for a household in the county was $35,888, and the median income for a family was $42,037. Males had a median income of $30,138 versus $22,066 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the county was $19,857. About 9.50% of families and 12.60% of the population were below the

, including 19.40% of those under age 18 and 8.10% of those age 65 or over.

Government and politics

Brunswick County is a member of the regional Cape Fear Council of Governments. The county lies in the inner coastal plain, most of which was highly pro-secession, and part of the Democratic

Solid South The Solid South was the electoral voting bloc for the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party in the Southern United States between the end of the Reconstruction era in 1877 and the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In the aftermath of the Co ...

from the late 19th century through 1964. However, Brunswick County was less fertile than the “Black Belt” and consequently had significant pro-Union and

Populist Populism is a contested concept used to refer to a variety of political stances that emphasize the idea of the " common people" and often position this group in opposition to a perceived elite. It is frequently associated with anti-establis ...

sympathies. The county frequently backed Republicans at state and local levels even when the state was consistently Democratic apart from

Herbert Hoover Herbert Clark Hoover (August 10, 1874 – October 20, 1964) was the 31st president of the United States, serving from 1929 to 1933. A wealthy mining engineer before his presidency, Hoover led the wartime Commission for Relief in Belgium and ...

’s 1928 victory. Only three times since the Civil War –

Grover Cleveland Stephen Grover Cleveland (March 18, 1837June 24, 1908) was the 22nd and 24th president of the United States, serving from 1885 to 1889 and from 1893 to 1897. He was the first U.S. president to serve nonconsecutive terms and the first Hist ...

in 1888,

Alton B. Parker Alton Brooks Parker (May 14, 1852 – May 10, 1926) was an American judge. He was the Democratic nominee in the 1904 United States presidential election, losing in a landslide to incumbent Republican Theodore Roosevelt. A native of upstate New ...

in 1904 and

Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (October 1, 1924December 29, 2024) was an American politician and humanitarian who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party ...

in 1980 – has Brunswick County backed a losing Democratic presidential candidate. Carter in that 1980 election remains the last Democrat to win a majority of Brunswick County’s ballots, although

Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician and lawyer who was the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, ...

won a plurality in 1992. In recent years the county has reliably favored Republican candidates, though in 2024, elections for local office were competitive. In the 2024 North Carolina elections, Brunswick voters favored Republicans for state legislative seats and the county commission, but favored a Democratic gubernatorial candidate for the first time since 2004.

Economy

Due to its rapidly growing population, the economy in Brunswick County is relatively robust and growing. Jobs in the food service and retail sectors have experienced the greatest expansion in the recent past. Owing to the large presence of retirees, a substantial amount of income in the county is generated through the collection of dividends from investments and various benefits including pensions and

Social Security Welfare spending is a type of government support intended to ensure that members of a society can meet basic human needs such as food and shelter. Social security may either be synonymous with welfare, or refer specifically to social insurance ...

payments. Less than half of county residents participate in the work force. Of those that do, a significant proportion commute outside the county for work.

Culture

The town of

is nationally known for its style of lightly-breaded fried seafood. The town of Navassa is a historically

Gullah The Gullah () are a subgroup of the African Americans, African American ethnic group, who predominantly live in the South Carolina Lowcountry, Lowcountry region of the U.S. states of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida within ...

community, though due to frequent contact with the outside world and involvement in industry the descendants of Gullah people in the area do not speak the

Gullah language Gullah (also called Gullah-English, Sea Island Creole English, and Geechee) is a creole language spoken by the Gullah people (also called "Geechees" within the community), an African American population living in coastal regions of South Car ...

Communities

Map of Brunswick County North Carolina With Municipal and Township Labels

Incorporated communities

Brunswick County includes to 19 incorporated communities: * Boiling Spring Lakes *

Northwest The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A '' compass rose'' is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west— ...

* Belville *

(county seat) *

* Carolina Shores *

* Holden Beach * Leland (largest community) * Navassa * Oak Island * Ocean Isle Beach * Sandy Creek * Shallotte * St. James * Sunset Beach * Varnamtown * Bald Head Island

Townships

* Lockwoods Folly * Northwest * Smithville * Town Creek * Waccamaw

Unincorporated communities

Antioch Antioch on the Orontes (; , ) "Antioch on Daphne"; or "Antioch the Great"; ; ; ; ; ; ; . was a Hellenistic Greek city founded by Seleucus I Nicator in 300 BC. One of the most important Greek cities of the Hellenistic period, it served as ...

* Ash * Batarora * Bell Swamp *

Bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...

* Biven * Bonaparte Landing * Boone's Neck * Bowensville * Brunswick Station * Camp Branch * Cedar Grove * Civietown * Clairmont * Coolvale * Doe Creek * Eastbrook * Easy Hill * Fort Caswell * Grissettown * Half Hell * Longwood * Maco *

Old Town In a city or town, the old town is its historic or original core. Although the city is usually larger in its present form, many cities have redesignated this part of the city to commemorate its origins. In some cases, newer developments on t ...

* Piney Grove * Red Bug * Sunset Harbor *

Supply Supply or supplies may refer to: *The amount of a resource that is available **Supply (economics), the amount of a product which is available to customers **Materiel, the goods and equipment for a military unit to fulfill its mission *Supply, as ...

* Thomasboro * Town Creek * Winnabow

References

External links

* * {{Authority control Cape Fear (region) 1764 establishments in North Carolina Populated places established in 1764