1st Advantage MortgageRenters in Pender County pay a median of $1,106 a month, and the median home is valued at $299,000. If a personal loan is on your list, compare total cost rather than monthly payment, check the written APR and fees, and make sure the lender is licensed in North Carolina before sharing details.
On this page
- Local snapshot
- What Pender County residents do for work
- Pender County households and housing
- A median Pender County budget
- Reading the Pender County data as a borrower
- Pender County against similar places
- Pender County in brief
- Checklist for Pender County borrowers
- Other guides in the area
- Pender County communities by size
- What kind of homes Pender County has
- How income is spread in Pender County
- Carolina counties near Pender County
- Ranking Pender County against other North Carolina counties
- Frequently asked questions
Local snapshot
Source: Census Bureau ACS 5-year estimates, 2020 to 2024, for Pender County. Estimates carry margins of error, and your own income, credit and debts decide what a lender offers.
What Pender County residents do for work
By industry, the largest groups of Pender County workers are in education and health care (21%), retail (12%) and construction (12%). One lean worth noting: construction, which employs 12% of Pender County residents compared with 8% in the median place. If your employer is in a cyclical industry, borrow less than you could, and ask how a layoff would be handled.
Break Pender County households into income groups and 20% fall below $35,000, 40% land between $35,000 and $100,000, and 40% reach $100,000 or beyond. Pender County beats the typical place in our set by 13.7 points at the top of the scale and undercuts it by 9.3 at the bottom.
Pender County households and housing
The median resident of Pender County is 41.6 years old, and 31% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or more. That makes Pender County 0.6 years younger than the middle place in our Carolina county set, with a degree share 7 points higher. Age and schooling describe a place. A lender reads your own file.
Of every 100 homes in Pender County, about 71 are detached houses and 4 sit in larger apartment buildings. Pender County has more large-building apartments than the middle of our set, by 0.0 points.
A median Pender County budget
Before taxes, the median Pender County household takes in about $6,700 a month. Typical rent of $1,106 is 17% of it, compared with the 30% rule of thumb of $2,010. About $2,412 a month is what 36% of median gross income comes to here, a rough ceiling many lenders use for all debts combined. Buying the median home would take about 3.7 years of median income.
Reading the Pender County data as a borrower
Homeownership runs 83% in Pender County. Owners with equity can price a secured line against an unsecured loan, keeping in mind the house is collateral for one of them.
Pender County's median home dates to 1998, newer than most in our Carolina county set. Warranty coverage may handle some repairs before a loan is needed.
13% of Pender County workers are remote, high among our Carolina county places. Contract and self-employed income usually needs tax returns to verify.
Pender County against similar places
Out of 146 Carolina county places in the data, Pender County lands with a median household income of $80,396 (18th highest of 146), a median gross rent of $1,106 (41st highest of 146), and a median home value of $299,000 (30th highest of 146).
Two reference points among North Carolina places of similar population: Lee County ($65,387 income, $1,017 rent), where Pender County runs 23% above on income and 9% above on rent and Wilkes County ($51,721 income, $723 rent), where Pender County runs 55% above on income and 53% above on rent. If your budget looks like your neighbors', the checklist questions are the same; if it does not, size the payment to your own numbers.
Pender County in brief
The Census Bureau lists 9 places in Pender County. By population the biggest are Hampstead, Surf City, Burgaw, Rocky Point. Everyone in Pender County, from Rocky Point to Hampstead, is covered by this guide.
Checklist for Pender County borrowers
- Confirm the Pender County lender's license with the Commissioner of Banks before you share a Social Security number.
- Line up three offers for Pender County and compare APR, fees and total repayment in the side-by-side calculator.
- Try the free routes first: a credit union, a hardship plan or a nonprofit counselor may beat any loan (free options).
- Get the same four numbers from every lender: what you receive, the APR, all fees and the total you will repay.
- Sleep on it. Pressure to sign today is a reason to walk away.
Other guides in the area
Pender County communities by size
Counting both incorporated towns and CDPs, 9 named places sit inside Pender County. Median home values run from $163,500 in Rocky Point to $512,300 in Surf City (places of 1,000+ people).
| Town or CDP | Type | People | Portion of county | Typical home value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hampstead | unincorporated (CDP) | 9,292 | 14.2% | $402,100 |
| Surf City | incorporated town | 4,396 | 6.7% | $512,300 |
| Burgaw | incorporated town | 3,850 | 5.9% | $242,200 |
| Rocky Point | unincorporated (CDP) | 1,020 | 1.6% | $163,500 |
| St. Helena | incorporated village | 544 | 0.8% | $215,600 |
| Atkinson | incorporated town | 485 | 0.7% | $155,100 |
| Topsail Beach | incorporated town | 406 | 0.6% | $691,200 |
| Watha | incorporated town | 271 | 0.4% | $143,300 |
| Long Creek | unincorporated (CDP) | 206 | 0.3% | n/a |
What kind of homes Pender County has
Compared with North Carolina overall, Pender County has more mobile homes (21% vs 11%) and more detached houses (71% vs 65%). Detached houses (71%) bring roof, HVAC and plumbing bills that are a common reason Pender County owners borrow.
| Structure type | Pender County | vs North Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| Single-family detached | 71.4% | +6.1 pts |
| Townhouse or attached | 1.9% | -2.9 pts |
| 2 to 4 units | 0.9% | -3.7 pts |
| 5 to 19 units | 2.3% | -6.0 pts |
| 20 or more units | 2.2% | -3.8 pts |
| Mobile home | 21.1% | +10.2 pts |
How income is spread in Pender County
Eight income steps for Pender County: the largest group, 21% of households, is in the $100,000 to $149,999 band. Where a Pender County household sits on this ladder shapes a realistic loan size far more than the county median does.
| Yearly income step | Pender County households | Difference from North Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| Under $15,000 | 8.1% | -0.6 pts |
| $15,000 to $24,999 | 5.1% | -2.0 pts |
| $25,000 to $34,999 | 6.7% | -0.8 pts |
| $35,000 to $49,999 | 10.5% | -1.2 pts |
| $50,000 to $74,999 | 16.8% | +0.1 pts |
| $75,000 to $99,999 | 12.7% | -0.3 pts |
| $100,000 to $149,999 | 21.0% | +4.4 pts |
| $150,000 or more | 19.2% | +0.5 pts |
Carolina counties near Pender County
Neighboring Carolina counties, nearest first (23 to 38 miles), with population, median age, degree share and poverty rate.
| Nearby Carolina county | Miles | Residents | Age (median) | College grads | Below poverty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pender County | - | 65,550 | 41.6 | 31% | 10% |
| New Hanover County, NC | 23 mi | 235,229 | 39.9 | 45% | 12% |
| Onslow County, NC | 28 mi | 207,906 | 27.7 | 26% | 12% |
| Duplin County, NC | 29 mi | 49,335 | 40.7 | 18% | 20% |
| Bladen County, NC | 37 mi | 29,566 | 44.7 | 19% | 22% |
| Brunswick County, NC | 38 mi | 152,568 | 56.4 | 35% | 9% |
Ranking Pender County against other North Carolina counties
Pender County ranks furthest from the middle of North Carolina on owner share and car-free households, then poverty.
- Pender County: 83% for owner share, #6 of 100 in North Carolina. Repairs drive a lot of local borrowing.
- On car-free households (3.2%), Pender County ranks #10 lowest of 100 statewide, against 5.8% for the middle Carolina county. Nearly every household carries car costs.
- Poverty puts Pender County at #11 lowest of 100 among North Carolina counties (9.7%). Still, test every payment against a lean month.
- On six-figure households (40%), Pender County ranks #13 of 100 statewide, against 26% for the middle Carolina county. Use strong credit to compare, not to borrow more.
| Measure | Pender County | Rank in North Carolina | Middle Carolina county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Owner share | 83% | #6 of 100 | 73% |
| Car-free households | 3.2% | #10 lowest of 100 | 5.8% |
| Poverty | 9.7% | #11 lowest of 100 | 15.4% |
| Six-figure households | 40% | #13 of 100 | 26% |
Frequently asked questions
I own my home in Pender County. Is a personal loan better than a HELOC?
Not always, but it keeps the house out of the deal. With 83% of Pender County homes owner-occupied, many readers have equity; a HELOC may price lower yet is secured by the home. For a modest, one-time need, an unsecured loan is simpler. Get both quotes in writing.
Is the fit check different for Pender County residents?
Not at all. Pender County or anywhere else in North Carolina, the questions and screening rules are identical.
Which North Carolina agency handles lender complaints?
Start with the Commissioner of Banks, which licenses small-loan lenders and takes complaints. If someone asks for a fee before funding, treat it as a scam and report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
How fast can someone in Pender County get funds?
Prequalification can take minutes; funding after verification often takes one to several business days. No legitimate lender charges a Pender County borrower a fee to speed it up.