Brunswick County, North Carolina

Brunswick County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. 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. The county seat is Bolivia, 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. 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, on the border of South Carolina, is renowned for its fried seafood, 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 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, 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, 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 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 U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1049.54 sqmi, of which 850.08 sqmi is land and 199.46 sqmi (19.00%) is water. It is the fourth-largest county in North Carolina by total area. The Brunswick River and the Cape Fear River provide access to the Atlantic Ocean.

The Brunswick Nuclear Generating Station is to the north of Southport.

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
 * 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
 * Atlantic Ocean (North Atlantic Ocean)
 * Brunswick River
 * Cape Fear River
 * Elizabeth River
 * Frying Pan Shoals
 * Intracoastal Waterway
 * 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
 * Holden Beach
 * Long Beach
 * 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)
 * (Bolivia)
 * (Shallotte)
 * (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)

2020 census
As of the 2020 census, there were 136,693 people, 59,416 households, and 39,806 families residing in the county.

2000 census
At the 2000 census, there were 73,143 people, 30,438 households, and 22,037 families residing in the county. The population density was 86 /mi2. There were 51,431 housing units at an average density of 60 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 82.30% White, 14.38% Black or African American, 0.68% Native American, 0.27% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.32% from other races, and 1.01% from two or more races. 2.68% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

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 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 for the county was $19,857. About 9.50% of families and 12.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.40% of those under age 18 and 8.10% of those age 65 or over.

Demographic change
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.

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” 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 sympathies. The county frequently backed Republicans at state and local levels even when the state was consistently Democratic apart from Herbert Hoover’s 1928 victory. Only three times since the Civil War – Grover Cleveland in 1888, Alton B. Parker in 1904 and Jimmy Carter 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 won a plurality in 1992.

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

Incorporated communities
Brunswick County includes to 19 incorporated communities:


 * Boiling Spring Lakes
 * Northwest
 * Southport
 * Belville
 * Bolivia (county seat)
 * Calabash
 * Carolina Shores
 * Caswell Beach
 * 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
 * Shalotte
 * Smithville
 * Town Creek
 * Waccamaw

Unincorporated communities

 * Antioch
 * Ash
 * Batarora
 * Bell Swamp
 * Bishop
 * 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
 * Piney Grove
 * Red Bug
 * Sunset Harbor
 * Supply
 * Thomasboro
 * Town Creek
 * Winnabow