Onslow County, NC

County

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2024 Population

207,906

US Senator

Thom Tillis

Republican Party

US Senator

Ted Budd

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

27.7

2.21% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

11.6%

1.06% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$68,148

5.54% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$236,400

7.7% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

69,965

0.563% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Onslow County, NC reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

98.5% of the residents in Onslow County, NC are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Onslow County, NC are Coastal Carolina Community College (1,082 degrees awarded in 2023) and Miller-Motte College-Jacksonville (168 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Onslow County, NC was $236,400, and the homeownership rate was 63.7%.

Most people in Onslow County, NC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 22.4 minutes. The average car ownership in Onslow County, NC was 2 cars per household.

Onslow County, NC borders Carteret County, NC, Duplin County, NC, Jones County, NC, and Pender County, NC.

About the photo: Onslow Beach, Camp Lejeune, NC

Photo by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Southeast Region

United States North Carolina Jacksonville, NC

Population & Diversity

Onslow County, NC is home to a population of 208k people, from which 98.5% are citizens. As of 2024, 4.24% of Onslow County, NC residents were born outside of the country (8.82k people).

In 2024, there were 5.55 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (133k people) in Onslow County, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 24k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 14.1k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

98.5%

2024 Citizenship

98.5%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 98.5% of Onslow County, NC residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Onslow County, NC was 98.5%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Onslow County, NC compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Onslow County, NC

White (Non-Hispanic)
133k ± 946
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
24k ± 1.2k
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
14.1k ± 1.25k

14%

Hispanic Population

29.2k people

14% of the people in Onslow County, NC are hispanic (29.2k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Onslow County, NC as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for North Carolina.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
224,963 ± 11,520 people
India
83,219 ± 7,055 people
Honduras
48,247 ± 5,380 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of North Carolina was Mexico, the natal country of 224,963 North Carolina residents, followed by India with 83,219 and Honduras with 48,247.

Foreign-Born Population

4.24%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

8.82k people

3.96%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

8.25k people

As of 2024, 4.24% of Onslow County, NC residents (8.82k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Onslow County, NC was 3.96%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Onslow County, NC compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Gulf War (2001-)
15,442 ± 1,288
Gulf War (1990s)
4,291 ± 524
Vietnam
2,657 ± 382

Onslow County, NC has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 3.6 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Onslow County, NC.

Economy

The economy of Onslow County, NC employs 70k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Onslow County, NC were Retail Trade (10,070 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (8,660 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (6,693 people), and the highest paying industries were Management of Companies & Enterprises ($112,550), Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($71,161), and Utilities ($66,633).

Employment

Occupations

70k

2024 Value

± 2,665

0.563%

1 Year growth

± 5.43%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Onslow County, NC grew at a rate of 0.563%, from 69.6k employees to 70k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Onslow County, NC, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (8,478 people), Sales & Related Occupations (8,248 people), and Management Occupations (7,239 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Onslow County, NC.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for North Carolina.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in North Carolina (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

70k

2024 Value

± 2,665

0.563%

1 Year growth

± 5.43%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Onslow County, NC grew at a rate of 0.563%, from 69.6k employees to 70k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Onslow County, NC, are Retail Trade (10,070 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (8,660 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (6,693 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Onslow County, NC, though some of these residents may live in Onslow County, NC and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$46,307

Median earning men ± $2,332

$34,153

Median earning women ± $2,175

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($71,974), Public Administration ($60,207), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($58,818).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($47,444), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($46,809), and Information ($45,896).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for North Carolina.

Y-Axis

3.04%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 4.86M people employed in North Carolina. This represents a 3.04% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 10.9%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in North Carolina.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

221
Retail Trade
218
Other Services (except Public Administration)
198
Construction

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$282k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$263k
Retail Trade
$164k
Accommodation and Food Services

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Education

In 2023, universities in Onslow County, NC awarded 1,250 degrees. The student population of Onslow County, NC in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 1,393 male students and 2,251 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Onslow County, NC are White (763 and 61.4%), Hispanic or Latino (201 and 16.2%), Black or African American (197 and 15.9%), and Asian (35 and 2.82%).

The largest universities in Onslow County, NC by number of degrees awarded are Coastal Carolina Community College (1,082 and 86.6%) and Miller-Motte College-Jacksonville (168 and 13.4%).

The most popular majors in Onslow County, NC are Liberal Arts & Sciences (428 and 34.2%), Truck, Bus, & Commercial Vehicle Operator & Instructor (114 and 9.12%), and Criminal Justice - Police Science (52 and 4.16%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2023 there were 3,644 students enrolled in Onslow County, NC, 38.2% men and 61.8% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 2,097 records, of which 61% were women and 39% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Liberal Arts & Sciences
428 degrees awarded
Registered Nursing
30 degrees awarded
General Business Administration & Management
24 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Onslow County, NC was Liberal Arts & Sciences with 428 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Associates Degree from schools in Onslow County, NC according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Coastal Carolina Community College
1,082 degrees awarded
Miller-Motte College-Jacksonville
168 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Coastal Carolina Community College with 1,082 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2023, 573 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Onslow County, NC, which is 0.846 times less than the 677 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 763 degrees mean that there were 3.8 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 201 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Public, 2-year ($2,432) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($30) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($1,732) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Onslow County, NC was $236,400 in 2024, which is 0.711 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $219,500 to $236,400, a 7.7% increase. The homeownership rate in Onslow County, NC is 63.7%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Onslow County, NC have an average commute time of 22.4 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Onslow County, NC is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 14.8% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Onslow County, NC. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator grew 1.13%.

Housing

Property

$236,400

Median Property Value 2024

±$5,122

$47,971

Median Property Taxes

±$2,030

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Onslow County, NC the largest share of households pay taxes in the $800 - $1,499 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Onslow County, NC compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

63.7%

Homeownership

2024

71%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 63.7% of the housing units in Onslow County, NC were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 61%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Onslow County, NC compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$68,148

Median Household Income

± $2,456

75.3k

Number of Households

± 2,695

In 2024, the median household income of the 75.3k households in Onslow County, NC grew to $68,148 from the previous year's value of $64,568.

The following chart displays the households in Onslow County, NC distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Onslow County, NC is from North Carolina.

0.467

2023 Wage GINI in North Carolina

0.47

2022 Wage GINI in North Carolina

In 2023, the income inequality in North Carolina was 0.467 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.639% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for North Carolina was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in North Carolina in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in North Carolina across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (65.7%)
Worked At Home (12.8%)
Carpooled (12.1%)

In 2024, 65.7% of workers in Onslow County, NC drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (12.8%) and those who carpooled to work (12.1%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

22.4 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Onslow County, NC have a shorter commute time (22.4 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.95% of the workforce in Onslow County, NC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Onslow County, NC compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Onslow County, NC distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Onslow County, NC have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 14.8% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Onslow County, NC. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator grew 1.13%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

11.6% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Onslow County, NC (21.6k out of 186k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 18 - 24 and then Females 35 - 44.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Onslow County, NC is White, followed by Black and Two Or More.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Children in Poverty

In 2025, 16.2% of the children was living in poverty in Onslow County, NC. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 4.2%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 209 in Onslow County, NC. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 73.5 per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

Health

90.5% of the population of Onslow County, NC has health coverage, with 24.3% on employee plans, 15.1% on Medicaid, 6.99% on Medicare, 22.6% on non-group plans, and 21.4% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Onslow County, NC see 3,221 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (3,221 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 951 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 346 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 46.3% were men and 53.7% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

3,221 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Onslow County, NC

Primary care physicians in Onslow County, NC see an average of 3,221 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (3,221 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Onslow County, NC in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 31.2% under 18 years, 24.2% between 18 and 34 years, 32% between 35 and 64 years, and 12.5% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 46.3% were men and 53.7% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

9.55%

Uninsured

24.3%

Employer Coverage

15.1%

Medicaid

6.99%

Medicare

22.6%

Non-Group

21.4%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Onslow County, NC declined by 5.8% from 10.1% to 9.55%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Onslow County, NC changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2025, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 64.7 in Onslow County, NC.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Onslow County, NC.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2025, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 32.1% in Onslow County, NC.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Onslow County, NC.