Population 207,906 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Onslow County
Household size in Onslow County
| Period | Onslow County | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.82 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.91 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.88 | 2.56 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.56 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.26 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Onslow County run a little small, averaging 2.56 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.82, a much bigger shift than nationally. Households are largest in the northwest and smallest in the south.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Onslow County
| Period | Onslow County | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 30.3 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 29.2 | 38.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 30.0 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 31.2 | 40.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.0 | +2.3 | +2.3 |
With a median age of just 31.2, Onslow County is far younger than the country as a whole (40.1), a population that tilts toward young adults, many of them living alone or as couples. The median age has climbed from 30.3 in 2006–10, as it has nationally. No other North Carolina county is younger.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Onslow County
| Period | Onslow County | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.0% | 12.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 14.5% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 12.5% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 10.4% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | −2.6 pts | −1.0 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are a bit less common in Onslow County than nationally: 10.4%, against 11.6%. North Carolina as a whole looks much the same. The single-parent share is down 2.6 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Onslow County
Renters in Onslow County
| Period | Onslow County | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 43.4% | 31.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 46.3% | 34.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 46.9% | 34.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 36.3% | 33.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | −7.1 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts |
More than a third of households in Onslow County rent their homes (36.3%), close to the national share of 34.8%. Just over three in ten owners (31.1%) have paid off their mortgages, below the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the center; owners are most common in the northeast. The renter share is down 7.1 points from 2006–10, even as the national share rose.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Onslow County
| Period | Onslow County | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.2% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 13.6% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 16.0% | 12.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 13.5% | 11.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | +0.3 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
More homes sit empty in Onslow County than nationally: 13.5%, against 9.6%. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Onslow County
| Period | Onslow County | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1984 | 1983 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1987 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1995 | 1986 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1997 | 1990 | 1980 |
| Change | +12 | +7 | +6 |
Much of the housing in Onslow County is relatively new: half of its homes were built after 1997, compared with 1980 for the U.S. as a whole. The median year built has moved up from 1984 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the south, the oldest in the center. Only nine of North Carolina's 100 counties have newer homes.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Onslow County
| Period | Onslow County | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $870 | $789 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,000 | $868 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,058 | $981 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,304 | $1,317 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$434 | +$528 | +$606 |
Rent in Onslow County runs $1,304 a month at the median, utilities included, below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $434 a month since 2006–10, up 50%, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 28.8% of household income on rent, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally. Renters on a budget will find the lowest rents in the northeast; the highest are in the south.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Onslow County
Bachelor's degrees in Onslow County
| Period | Onslow County | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.8% | 27.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 18.5% | 29.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 23.8% | 32.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 24.5% | 36.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +6.7 pts | +8.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Onslow County have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 24.5%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree has risen 6.7 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend. College graduates are most concentrated in the southwest and least in the southeast.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Onslow County
| Period | Onslow County | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 89.5% | 84.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 91.5% | 86.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 92.4% | 88.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 93.9% | 90.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.5 pts | +5.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Onslow County is above the national rate: 93.9% of adults have a diploma, against 89.3%. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 4.5 points, as it has nationally. Of North Carolina's 100 counties, only three have a higher share of high school graduates.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Onslow County
| Period | Onslow County | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.4% | 8.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 12.0% | 10.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 9.7% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.6% | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.8 pts | −4.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
At 5.6%, unemployment in Onslow County is close to the national rate of 5.4%. The rate is higher than in North Carolina as a whole (4.8%). Unemployment is down 2.8 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Onslow County compared with nearby counties
| County | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Onslow County | 2.56 | 31.2 | 10.4% | 36.3% | 13.5% | 1997 | $1,304 | 24.5% | 93.9% | 5.6% |
| Carteret County | 2.17 | 49.1 | 6.2% | 25.3% | 24.5% | 1991 | $1,183 | 34.2% | 93.9% | 3.8% |
| Bladen County | 2.54 | 44.2 | 13.9% | 30.8% | 21.2% | 1984 | $798 | 19.8% | 88.3% | 5.9% |
| Robeson County | 2.66 | 36.8 | 18.6% | 34.2% | 12.2% | 1985 | $816 | 15.1% | 80.3% | 5.8% |
| Scotland County | 2.50 | 39.5 | 18.3% | 38.2% | 12.2% | 1981 | $829 | 16.5% | 82.4% | 10.8% |
| Marlboro County | 2.51 | 41.3 | 14.1% | 37.0% | 19.9% | 1978 | $740 | 9.1% | 78.4% | 10.9% |
| Chesterfield County | 2.51 | 42.3 | 16.1% | 27.2% | 15.7% | 1985 | $801 | 13.7% | 82.1% | 7.2% |
| Lancaster County | 2.62 | 43.6 | 9.5% | 16.7% | 8.8% | 1996 | $1,153 | 34.9% | 90.4% | 4.3% |
| Chester County | 2.48 | 42.6 | 14.7% | 21.6% | 11.2% | 1979 | $962 | 14.0% | 85.1% | 5.8% |
| Union County | 2.34 | 44.5 | 17.0% | 28.7% | 15.0% | 1971 | $821 | 14.7% | 82.0% | 7.2% |
| Greenville County | 2.50 | 39.2 | 10.5% | 31.1% | 8.3% | 1991 | $1,363 | 41.3% | 90.9% | 4.5% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Anderson County, SC · Arlington County, VA · Atlantic County, NJ · Baldwin County, AL · Barnstable County, MA · Jefferson County, TX · Ingham County, MI · Johnston County, NC · Kalamazoo County, MI · Kitsap County, WA
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Onslow County. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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