HomeNorth CarolinaOnslow County
Onslow County, North Carolina: commercial real estate data.
Onslow County, North Carolina has a population of 207,906 across 763 square miles, up 4.1 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $12.50 bn in 2024, 3,080 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 128 7(a) approvals worth $99.2 m.
129 sourced county values · tier FULL · 12 sections · underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency
Onslow County
How many people live in Onslow County
- Population207,906
- Households75,265
- Average household size2.76
- Median household income$68,148
- Median age27.7
- Median gross rent$1,265 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$236,400
- Home value to household income3.5 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income22.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher26.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree9.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over114,320
- Population under 1851,514
- Share under 1824.8 percent
- Population 65 and over21,189
- Share 65 and over10.2 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64135,203
- Civilian labor force73,934
- Unemployment rate5.4 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over47.3 percent
- Rank by population among North Carolina counties13th of 100
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents337th
Onslow County is the 13th largest of 100 North Carolina counties by population. A median home costs 3.5 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 24.8 percent against 10.2 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Onslow County
Is Onslow County's population growing?
- Population change since the 2020 census base4.09 percent
- Census 2020 base population204,588
- Births, 20243,884
- Deaths, 20241,609
- Natural change, 20242,275
- Net domestic migration, 2024-918
- Net international migration, 2024427
- Total net migration, 2024-491
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-2,030
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents673rd
The county has grown 4.09 percent since the 2020 census base. Births exceeded deaths in 2024 but more people left than arrived, so the population is being sustained internally rather than attracting.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Onslow County
Where are people moving to Onslow County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving11,127
- People arriving, from those returns22,317
- Adjusted gross income arriving$616.0 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$55,358
- Largest single originOnslow County Non-migrants (61,599 households)
- Largest single destination (61,599 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Onslow County Non-migrants | 61,599 | 133,363 | $3.73 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 4,832 | 9,209 | $242.2 m |
| Other flows - South | 2,025 | 3,930 | $100.3 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 1,107 | 2,071 | $50.5 m |
| Other flows - Northeast | 1,082 | 1,997 | $59.8 m |
| Other flows - West | 618 | 1,211 | $31.6 m |
| San Diego County | 488 | 1,278 | $30.8 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 483 | 936 | $26.2 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Onslow 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.
Onslow County
What is the Onslow County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$12.50 bn
- County GDP, 2023$11.74 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20246.5 percent
- GDP change over five years34.2 percent
- Rank by GDP among North Carolina counties14th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents373rd
- GDP per resident$60,132
Output grew 6.5 percent in the latest year and 34.2 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.
Onslow County
Largest employers in Onslow County
- Covered employment, annual average54,121
- Establishments reporting4,377
- Average annual pay$46,885
- Average weekly wage$902
- Sector 72, employment9,105
- Sector 72, average annual pay$22,011
- Sector 44-45, employment8,264
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$35,373
- Sector 62, employment4,961
- Sector 62, average annual pay$49,391
- Sector 56, employment3,667
- Sector 56, average annual pay$45,057
- Sector 23, employment3,052
- Sector 54, employment2,774
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 72 | 9,105 | 467 | $22,011 |
| Sector 44-45 | 8,264 | 610 | $35,373 |
| Sector 62 | 4,961 | 440 | $49,391 |
| Sector 56 | 3,667 | 354 | $45,057 |
| Sector 23 | 3,052 | 443 | $61,803 |
| Sector 54 | 2,774 | 540 | $63,968 |
| Sector 81 | 1,405 | 323 | $38,442 |
| Sector 52 | 956 | 214 | $74,061 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 9,105 jobs, 16.8 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.
Onslow County
How many businesses are in Onslow County?
- Establishments, all industries3,080
- Employment at those establishments38,655
- Annual payroll$1.45 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents14.8
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.
Onslow County
Building permits in Onslow County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20241,246
- Declared construction value permitted$297.4 m
- Single family units authorised1,213
- Multifamily units authorised33
- Multifamily share of units2.6 percent
- Average declared value per unit$238,685
- Units authorised per 1,000 households16.6
Multifamily is 2.6 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Onslow County
SBA loans in Onslow County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded128
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$99.2 m
- Average 7(a) approval$774,838
- Median 7(a) approval$350,000
- 10th percentile approval$48,600
- 90th percentile approval$2,000,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)2,067
- Jobs per approval16.1
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active48
- Distinct industries receiving approvals64
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer28.1 percent
- Loans on real estate terms36
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter80
- Franchise loans39
- Franchise share of approvals30.5 percent
- Leading industry by approval countLimited-Service Restaurants (21)
- Most active lenderThe Huntington National Bank (16)
- 504 approvals recorded21
- 504 gross approval dollars$17.5 m
- Average 504 approval$831,286
- Median 504 approval$681,000
- Distinct CDCs active4
- 504 jobs per approval12.7
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved15.2
- Most active CDCBusiness Expansion Funding Corporation (15)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals85.9 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$116.6 m
The average approval of $774,838 sits well above the median of $350,000, 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. Only 28.1 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
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.
Onslow County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Onslow County
Do SBA loans in Onslow County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded25
- Paid in full23
- Charged off2
- Charge off rate on resolved loans8.0 percent
- Status: Exempt from disclosure83
- Status: Paid in full23
- Status: Charged off2
- Status: Cancelled14
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed6
Of the 25 loans that have reached a final outcome, 8.0 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.
Onslow County
SBA lending by place in Onslow County
- Places in the county with recorded lending13
- JACKSONVILLE, approvals68
- HOLLY RIDGE, approvals15
- SNEADS FERRY, approvals15
- Surf City, approvals8
- Swansboro, approvals7
- Hubert, approvals5
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| JACKSONVILLE | 68 | $68,245,700 |
| HOLLY RIDGE | 15 | $5,982,400 |
| SNEADS FERRY | 15 | $7,633,600 |
| Surf City | 8 | $9,198,600 |
| Swansboro | 7 | $1,953,000 |
| Hubert | 5 | $2,462,000 |
| RICHLANDS | 3 | $250,000 |
| Peletier | 2 | $600,000 |
JACKSONVILLE accounts for 68 approvals against 15 in HOLLY RIDGE. 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.
Onslow County
How large is Onslow County?
- Land area763 sq mi
- Rank by land area among North Carolina counties12th of 100
- Width, east to west32.3 mi
- Height, north to south36.8 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary4
- Residents per square mile of land272
- Establishments per square mile4.04
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.
Onslow County
Flood risk in Onslow County
- Communities in the NFIP Community Status Book7
- Of those, participating in the NFIP7
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Best Community Rating System class in the county A lower CRS class is a larger flood insurance premium discount.Class 5
- Communities carrying a CRS class3
- Radon levels in Onslow County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/LZone 3
The EPA places Onslow 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 Onslow County is 5, which carries a flood insurance premium discount for policies written in that community. 100.0 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 Onslow 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 Onslow County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population207,906
- Households75,265
- Average household size2.76
- Median household income$68,148
- Median age27.7
Common questions
Onslow County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Onslow County, North Carolina?
207,906, in 75,265 households, ranking 13th of 100 North Carolina counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Onslow County's population growing?
The population has grown 4.09 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 3,884 births against 1,609 deaths, with net migration of -491. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Onslow County?
$68,148. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $236,400, which is 3.5 times income, and median gross rent is $1,265 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Onslow County?
3,080 establishments, employing 38,655 people with an annual payroll of $1.45 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 Onslow County?
Average annual pay is $46,885, or $902 a week, across 54,121 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Onslow County?
128 7(a) approvals totalling $99.2 m since FY2020, across 48 lenders, with a median approval of $350,000, plus 21 504 approvals worth $17.5 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Onslow County get paid back?
Of the 25 loans that have reached a final outcome, 23 were paid in full and 2 charged off, a charge off rate of 8.0 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
How many building permits were issued in Onslow County?
1,246 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $297.4 m. Multifamily was 2.6 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Onslow 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 Onslow County come from?
The largest single origin is Onslow County Non-migrants, with 61,599 households. Arriving households report an average income of $55,358 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 Onslow 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 Onslow 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.
Onslow County
Cities and places in Onslow.
10 Census places lie wholly or partly in Onslow County. 10 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jacksonville | city | 71,279 | 69 | Wholly in this county |
| Piney Green | CDP | 14,078 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Half Moon | CDP | 7,378 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Holly Ridge | town | 4,904 | 17 | Wholly in this county |
| Surf City | town | 4,396 | 16 | 5.4 percent here, 94.6 percent Pender County |
| Swansboro | town | 3,997 | 7 | Wholly in this county |
| Sneads Ferry | CDP | 2,728 | 15 | Wholly in this county |
| Richlands | town | 2,335 | 3 | Wholly in this county |
| Pumpkin Center | CDP | 1,636 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| North Topsail Beach | town | 784 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
A further 26 SBA approvals in Onslow County are recorded against borrower cities that match no Census place, the largest being Surf City, Hubert, N Topsail Beach. 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.