1st Advantage MortgageIn New Hanover County, North Carolina, the median household earns $75,166 a year and 61% of homes are owner-occupied. Before borrowing here, test the new payment against your debt-to-income ratio, compare APR and total cost on at least three written offers, and confirm the lender is licensed in North Carolina.
On this page
- New Hanover County at a glance
- Work and pay in New Hanover County
- Residents and homes in New Hanover County
- New Hanover County labor market
- Running the numbers for New Hanover County
- Reading the New Hanover County data as a borrower
- Comparing New Hanover County with its peers
- New Hanover County in brief
- Checklist for New Hanover County borrowers
- Nearby local guides
- How New Hanover County's population is spread
- Houses, apartments and mobile homes in New Hanover County
- How income is spread in New Hanover County
- Neighbors of New Hanover County: people and schooling
- New Hanover County at the top or bottom of North Carolina
- Frequently asked questions
New Hanover County at a glance
Numbers come from the Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 ACS for New Hanover County. Treat them as estimates.
Work and pay in New Hanover County
Three sectors dominate the New Hanover County workforce in the ACS: education and health care (23% of workers), professional, scientific and administrative services (16%) and arts, entertainment, lodging and food service (12%). One lean worth noting: professional, scientific and administrative services, which employs 16% of New Hanover County residents compared with 9% in the median place.
Roughly 38 in 100 New Hanover County households clear $100,000 a year, while 22 in 100 take in under $35,000 and 11 in 100 reach $200,000. That is 11 points above the Carolina county median on six-figure households and 7 below it on households under $35,000. A Gini reading of 0.48 sums up how unevenly income is spread in New Hanover County.
Residents and homes in New Hanover County
Residents of New Hanover County have a median age of 39.9; 45% of adults 25 and older have at least a bachelor's degree, and 6% did not finish high school. New Hanover County is younger than typical by 2.4 years and more likely to hold a degree by 22 points. Age and schooling describe a place. A lender reads your own file.
Detached houses make up 61% of the homes in New Hanover County; buildings with five or more units account for 22% and mobile homes for 3%. New Hanover County has more large-building apartments than the middle of our set, by 17.7 points.
New Hanover County labor market
For September 2026, the BLS county estimate of unemployment in New Hanover County is 2.8% (not seasonally adjusted, preliminary), down 0.5 points from 3.3% a year earlier. Lenders care about your income stability more than the county rate, so keep pay stubs and bank statements handy.
Running the numbers for New Hanover County
Median rent in New Hanover County ($1,417) runs 23% of the median monthly household income ($6,264 before taxes). The 30% yardstick works out to $1,879. Apply a 36% debt-to-income test and a median-earning household in New Hanover County could carry roughly $2,255 a month in total debt payments, housing included. Home prices sit near 5.2x the median household's annual income. If your rent share is above the yardstick, size any new payment more conservatively.
Reading the New Hanover County data as a borrower
Commutes are comparatively short in New Hanover County: only 8% of workers travel 45 minutes or more, in the lower third of the 146 Carolina county places we cover. That trims one common emergency from household budgets.
New Hanover County homes run 5.2 times median income ($387,800 against $75,166), high for our Carolina county set. Housing already strains many budgets, so keep new payments modest.
Remote work is common in New Hanover County (19%). For borrowers, that often means income documents come from several sources, and lenders may ask for more proof than a single pay stub.
Comparing New Hanover County with its peers
Out of 146 Carolina county places in the data, New Hanover County lands with a median household income of $75,166 (No. 25 of 146), a median gross rent of $1,417 (No. 10 of 146), and a median home value of $387,800 (No. 11 of 146). Rankings shift with every Census release.
Two reference points among North Carolina places of similar population: Gaston County ($67,478 income, $1,153 rent), where New Hanover County runs 11% above on income and 23% above on rent and Cabarrus County ($89,005 income, $1,414 rent), where New Hanover County runs 16% below on income and 0% above on rent.
New Hanover County in brief
Wilmington has its own guide; New Hanover County takes in 18 Census places, 4 of them incorporated towns or cities; the largest are Wilmington, Murraysville, Myrtle Grove, Kings Grant. Everyone in New Hanover County, from Kings Grant to Wilmington, is covered by this guide.
Checklist for New Hanover County borrowers
- Verify before you share details. The Commissioner of Banks lists licensed consumer finance lenders in North Carolina and accepts complaints.
- Never pay a fee first. A request for money before funding is the mark of a scam; the scam guide lists the usual scripts.
- Sleep on it. Pressure to sign today is a reason to walk away.
- Confirm there is no prepayment penalty, in writing, so you can clear the balance early.
- Compare three written offers by APR, fees and total cost, using the side-by-side calculator.
Nearby local guides
How New Hanover County's population is spread
4 incorporated municipalities and 14 census-designated places lie mainly in New Hanover County. Wrightsville Beach has the priciest homes at the median ($1,168,700); Skippers Corner the least expensive ($247,500).
| Community | Government | Population | % of county | Home value (median) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wilmington | incorporated city | 120,805 | 51.4% | $383,800 |
| Murraysville | unincorporated (CDP) | 16,339 | 6.9% | $320,700 |
| Myrtle Grove | unincorporated (CDP) | 12,637 | 5.4% | $439,100 |
| Kings Grant | unincorporated (CDP) | 9,003 | 3.8% | $300,700 |
| Ogden | unincorporated (CDP) | 8,249 | 3.5% | $463,700 |
| Porters Neck | unincorporated (CDP) | 7,654 | 3.3% | $569,700 |
| Carolina Beach | incorporated town | 6,745 | 2.9% | $566,200 |
| Silver Lake | unincorporated (CDP) | 6,563 | 2.8% | $325,500 |
| Wrightsboro | unincorporated (CDP) | 6,287 | 2.7% | $255,700 |
| Northchase | unincorporated (CDP) | 5,896 | 2.5% | $318,400 |
| Skippers Corner | unincorporated (CDP) | 3,792 | 1.6% | $247,500 |
| Bayshore | unincorporated (CDP) | 2,949 | 1.3% | $525,800 |
Houses, apartments and mobile homes in New Hanover County
Detached single-family houses make up 61% of New Hanover County's housing units, compared with 65% across North Carolina. After that, the largest category is 5 to 19 units at 12%. Housing type matters for repair costs in New Hanover County: manufactured homes, older detached houses and condos each bring different bills.
| Kind of building | Share in New Hanover County | Difference from North Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| Single-family detached | 61.1% | -4.2 pts |
| Townhouse or attached | 5.9% | +1.1 pts |
| 2 to 4 units | 8.1% | +3.5 pts |
| 5 to 19 units | 11.6% | +3.3 pts |
| 20 or more units | 10.6% | +4.6 pts |
| Mobile home | 2.7% | -8.2 pts |
How income is spread in New Hanover County
The most common income step in New Hanover County is $150,000 or more, which holds 21% of households. At the bottom, 8% earn under $15,000; at the top, 21% earn $150,000 or more. Where a New Hanover County household sits on this ladder shapes a realistic loan size far more than the county median does.
| Yearly income step | New Hanover County households | Difference from North Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| Under $15,000 | 7.6% | -1.1 pts |
| $15,000 to $24,999 | 7.4% | +0.4 pts |
| $25,000 to $34,999 | 6.6% | -0.8 pts |
| $35,000 to $49,999 | 11.1% | -0.6 pts |
| $50,000 to $74,999 | 17.2% | +0.4 pts |
| $75,000 to $99,999 | 12.3% | -0.7 pts |
| $100,000 to $149,999 | 17.3% | +0.6 pts |
| $150,000 or more | 20.5% | +1.8 pts |
Neighbors of New Hanover County: people and schooling
Neighboring Carolina counties, nearest first (23 to 48 miles), with population, median age, degree share and poverty rate.
| County | How far | People | Median age | Degree holders | Poverty rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Hanover County | - | 235,229 | 39.9 | 45% | 12% |
| Pender County, NC | 23 mi | 65,550 | 41.6 | 31% | 10% |
| Brunswick County, NC | 23 mi | 152,568 | 56.4 | 35% | 9% |
| Columbus County, NC | 45 mi | 50,140 | 42.6 | 15% | 18% |
| Onslow County, NC | 45 mi | 207,906 | 27.7 | 26% | 12% |
| Bladen County, NC | 48 mi | 29,566 | 44.7 | 19% | 22% |
New Hanover County at the top or bottom of North Carolina
- On long commutes (8%), New Hanover County ranks #3 lowest of 100 statewide, against 17% for the middle Carolina county. Shorter drives mean fewer repair surprises.
- On mobile homes (2.7%), New Hanover County ranks #4 lowest of 100 statewide, against 19.0% for the middle Carolina county. Most owners have conventional equity options.
- On rent ($1,417 a month), New Hanover County ranks #6 of 100 statewide, against $896 a month for the middle Carolina county. Rent this high squeezes debt-to-income room.
- New Hanover County: 19.4% for remote work, #7 of 100 in North Carolina. Remote and contract earners should keep tax returns handy.
| Indicator | New Hanover County figure | Rank | Median of 146 NC/SC counties |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long commutes | 8% | #3 lowest of 100 | 17% |
| Mobile homes | 2.7% | #4 lowest of 100 | 19.0% |
| Rent | $1,417 a month | #6 of 100 | $896 a month |
| Remote work | 19.4% | #7 of 100 | 8.6% |
Frequently asked questions
8% of New Hanover County commuters drive 45+ minutes. What does that mean for a loan?
Treat vehicle costs as fixed, keep a repair fund, and pick a payment you could still make after a breakdown.
Does living in New Hanover County change what I qualify for?
Beyond confirming your state, no. Your answers about the amount, credit, income and payments are all the check uses, and the same rules apply to every New Hanover County applicant.
Who licenses lenders that serve New Hanover County?
North Carolina's Commissioner of Banks licenses small-loan companies serving New Hanover County; banks and credit unions have their own regulators, and the CFPB takes complaints about all of them.
How long do lenders take to decide for New Hanover County borrowers?
A soft-pull prequalification is often instant; a full decision and deposit can take from one day to about a week, depending on the lender.