HomeNorth CarolinaBrunswick County
Brunswick County, North Carolina: commercial real estate data.
Brunswick County, North Carolina has a population of 152,568 across 847 square miles, up 22.3 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $8.08 bn in 2024, 3,093 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 115 7(a) approvals worth $81.8 m.
129 sourced county values · tier FULL · 12 sections · underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency
Brunswick County
How many people live in Brunswick County
- Population152,568
- Households69,124
- Average household size2.21
- Median household income$77,024
- Median age56.4
- Median gross rent$1,351 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$349,800
- Home value to household income4.5 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income21.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher34.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree12.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over123,153
- Population under 1821,421
- Share under 1814.0 percent
- Population 65 and over51,604
- Share 65 and over33.8 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6479,543
- Civilian labor force65,528
- Unemployment rate4.7 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over50.0 percent
- Rank by population among North Carolina counties19th of 100
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents456th
Brunswick County is the 19th largest of 100 North Carolina counties by population. A median home costs 4.5 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 33.8 percent against 14.0 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single storey product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Brunswick County
Is Brunswick County's population growing?
- Population change since the 2020 census base22.26 percent
- Census 2020 base population136,689
- Births, 20241,158
- Deaths, 20242,008
- Natural change, 2024-850
- Net domestic migration, 20248,011
- Net international migration, 202454
- Total net migration, 20248,065
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 202431,869
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents11th
The county has grown 22.26 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration alone is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Brunswick County
Where are people moving to Brunswick County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving8,063
- People arriving, from those returns14,104
- Adjusted gross income arriving$882.5 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$109,448
- Largest single originBrunswick County Non-migrants (59,062 households)
- Largest single destination (59,062 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brunswick County Non-migrants | 59,062 | 110,945 | $5.16 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 2,776 | 4,910 | $302.1 m |
| Other flows - South | 1,231 | 2,162 | $124.1 m |
| New Hanover County | 1,182 | 1,984 | $70.3 m |
| Other flows - Northeast | 774 | 1,377 | $93.8 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 410 | 735 | $48.3 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 392 | 700 | $26.3 m |
| Wake County | 377 | 644 | $48.0 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Brunswick County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Brunswick County
What is the Brunswick County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$8.08 bn
- County GDP, 2023$7.78 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20243.9 percent
- GDP change over five years41.3 percent
- Rank by GDP among North Carolina counties19th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents522nd
- GDP per resident$52,969
Output grew 3.9 percent in the latest year and 41.3 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Brunswick County
Largest employers in Brunswick County
- Covered employment, annual average41,268
- Establishments reporting4,448
- Average annual pay$51,701
- Average weekly wage$994
- Sector 44-45, employment6,624
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$32,812
- Sector 72, employment6,289
- Sector 72, average annual pay$25,227
- Sector 62, employment4,901
- Sector 62, average annual pay$60,594
- Sector 23, employment3,150
- Sector 23, average annual pay$64,079
- Sector 56, employment2,005
- Sector 71, employment1,844
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 44-45 | 6,624 | 526 | $32,812 |
| Sector 72 | 6,289 | 386 | $25,227 |
| Sector 62 | 4,901 | 363 | $60,594 |
| Sector 23 | 3,150 | 631 | $64,079 |
| Sector 56 | 2,005 | 369 | $45,808 |
| Sector 71 | 1,844 | 86 | $29,674 |
| Sector 54 | 1,634 | 620 | $97,379 |
| Sector 81 | 1,058 | 297 | $41,960 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 6,624 jobs, 16.1 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Brunswick County
How many businesses are in Brunswick County?
- Establishments, all industries3,093
- Employment at those establishments33,646
- Annual payroll$1.48 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents20.3
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Brunswick County
Building permits in Brunswick County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20246,093
- Declared construction value permitted$1.46 bn
- Single family units authorised5,099
- Multifamily units authorised994
- Multifamily share of units16.3 percent
- Average declared value per unit$239,619
- Units authorised per 1,000 households88.1
Multifamily is 16.3 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Brunswick County
SBA loans in Brunswick County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded115
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$81.8 m
- Average 7(a) approval$711,383
- Median 7(a) approval$323,900
- 10th percentile approval$25,000
- 90th percentile approval$2,050,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)1,096
- Jobs per approval9.5
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active41
- Distinct industries receiving approvals65
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer30.4 percent
- Loans on real estate terms35
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter70
- Franchise loans12
- Franchise share of approvals10.4 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFull-Service Restaurants (17)
- Most active lenderReadycap Lending, LLC (9)
- 504 approvals recorded17
- 504 gross approval dollars$13.1 m
- Average 504 approval$769,235
- Median 504 approval$538,000
- Distinct CDCs active3
- 504 jobs per approval13.2
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved17.1
- Most active CDCBusiness Expansion Funding Corporation (13)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals87.1 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$94.9 m
The average approval of $711,383 sits well above the median of $323,900, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. 30.4 percent of approvals run on real estate terms of 240 months or more, so this is a market where SBA credit is buying buildings, not just funding operations.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Brunswick County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Brunswick County
Do SBA loans in Brunswick County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded20
- Paid in full19
- Charged off1
- Charge off rate on resolved loans5.0 percent
- Status: Exempt from disclosure75
- Status: Paid in full19
- Status: Cancelled12
- Status: Charged off1
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed8
Of the 20 loans that have reached a final outcome, 5.0 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Brunswick County
SBA lending by place in Brunswick County
- Places in the county with recorded lending17
- LELAND, approvals30
- SOUTHPORT, approvals17
- SUPPLY, approvals16
- OCEAN ISLE BEACH, approvals9
- BOLIVIA, approvals9
- Oak Island, approvals8
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| LELAND | 30 | $30,846,000 |
| SOUTHPORT | 17 | $9,374,200 |
| SUPPLY | 16 | $11,161,800 |
| OCEAN ISLE BEACH | 9 | $4,509,500 |
| BOLIVIA | 9 | $2,102,900 |
| Oak Island | 8 | $3,199,300 |
| Shallotte | 4 | $8,114,000 |
| WINNABOW | 4 | $722,500 |
LELAND accounts for 30 approvals against 17 in SOUTHPORT. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Brunswick County
How large is Brunswick County?
- Land area847 sq mi
- Rank by land area among North Carolina counties6th of 100
- Width, east to west40.9 mi
- Height, north to south35.4 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary3
- Residents per square mile of land180
- Establishments per square mile3.65
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Brunswick County
Flood risk in Brunswick County
- Communities in the NFIP Community Status Book20
- Of those, participating in the NFIP19
- NFIP participation rate95.0 percent
- Best Community Rating System class in the county A lower CRS class is a larger flood insurance premium discount.Class 6
- Communities carrying a CRS class11
- Radon levels in Brunswick County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/LZone 3
The EPA places Brunswick County in radon zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. The best Community Rating System class in Brunswick County is 6, which carries a flood insurance premium discount for policies written in that community. 95.0 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Community Status Book, Community Status Book, as retrieved.
FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Community Status Book, Community Status Book, as retrieved. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Brunswick County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Brunswick County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population152,568
- Households69,124
- Average household size2.21
- Median household income$77,024
- Median age56.4
Common questions
Brunswick County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Brunswick County, North Carolina?
152,568, in 69,124 households, ranking 19th of 100 North Carolina counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Brunswick County's population growing?
The population has grown 22.26 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 1,158 births against 2,008 deaths, with net migration of 8,065. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Brunswick County?
$77,024. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $349,800, which is 4.5 times income, and median gross rent is $1,351 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Brunswick County?
3,093 establishments, employing 33,646 people with an annual payroll of $1.48 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Brunswick County?
Average annual pay is $51,701, or $994 a week, across 41,268 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Brunswick County?
115 7(a) approvals totalling $81.8 m since FY2020, across 41 lenders, with a median approval of $323,900, plus 17 504 approvals worth $13.1 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Brunswick County get paid back?
Of the 20 loans that have reached a final outcome, 19 were paid in full and 1 charged off, a charge off rate of 5.0 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
How many building permits were issued in Brunswick County?
6,093 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $1.46 bn. Multifamily was 16.3 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Brunswick County?
Zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Brunswick County come from?
The largest single origin is Brunswick County Non-migrants, with 59,062 households. Arriving households report an average income of $109,448 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Brunswick County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Brunswick County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.
Brunswick County
Cities and places in Brunswick.
19 Census places lie wholly or partly in Brunswick County. 19 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked. The rest are named here and not linked, because the American Community Survey and the SBA record between them do not carry enough about them to write an honest page. A place existing is itself worth knowing, so nothing in the county is left out.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA approvals | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leland | town | 29,607 | 31 | Wholly in this county |
| Oak Island | town | 9,030 | 8 | Wholly in this county |
| St. James | town | 7,072 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Boiling Spring Lakes | city | 6,347 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Carolina Shores | town | 5,017 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Shallotte | town | 4,639 | 4 | Wholly in this county |
| Sunset Beach | town | 4,351 | 4 | Wholly in this county |
| Southport | city | 4,205 | 18 | Wholly in this county |
| Belville | town | 2,573 | 3 | Wholly in this county |
| Calabash | town | 2,377 | 3 | Wholly in this county |
| Navassa | town | 2,039 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Holden Beach | town | 962 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Ocean Isle Beach | town | 903 | 9 | Wholly in this county |
| Northwest | city | 885 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Varnamtown | town | 782 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Caswell Beach | town | 491 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Sandy Creek | town | 300 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Bolivia | town | 247 | 9 | Wholly in this county |
| Bald Head Island | village | 190 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
A further 23 SBA approvals in Brunswick County are recorded against borrower cities that match no Census place, the largest being Supply, Winnabow, Boiling Springs Lakes. Those are postal cities and unincorporated areas rather than incorporated places, so no page claims them, and their lending is counted in this county's totals above rather than under any city.