Population 419 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Topsail Beach
Household size in Topsail Beach
| Period | Topsail Beach | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1.74 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 1.85 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.03 | 2.56 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 1.93 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.19 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Topsail Beach is a place of small households, averaging 1.93 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Household size has climbed from 1.74 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
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 Topsail Beach
| Period | Topsail Beach | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 56.6 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 58.2 | 38.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 59.9 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 62.4 | 40.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +5.8 | +2.3 | +2.3 |
Topsail Beach skews older: half of its residents are older than 62.4, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families.
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 Topsail Beach
| Period | Topsail Beach | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.8% | 12.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 1.1% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 5.6% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 0.8% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | −4.9 pts | −1.0 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 0.8% of households in Topsail Beach, well below the national share of 11.6%.
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 Topsail Beach
Renters in Topsail Beach
| Period | Topsail Beach | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 24.9% | 31.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 34.7% | 34.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 24.8% | 34.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 10.2% | 33.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | −14.7 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 10.2% of households in Topsail Beach rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. About four in ten owners (40.8%) have paid off their mortgages, about the same as nationally.
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 Topsail Beach
| Period | Topsail Beach | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 82.8% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 81.0% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 84.0% | 12.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 77.0% | 11.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | −5.8 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 77.0% of the housing in Topsail Beach, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand.
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 Topsail Beach
| Period | Topsail Beach | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1978 | 1983 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1982 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1985 | 1986 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1993 | 1990 | 1980 |
| Change | +15 | +7 | +6 |
Much of the housing in Topsail Beach is relatively new: half of its homes were built after 1993, compared with 1980 for the U.S. as a whole. That is in line with the rest of North Carolina.
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 Topsail Beach
| Period | Topsail Beach | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $629 | $789 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $950 | $868 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,144 | $981 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,140 | $1,317 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$1,511 | +$528 | +$606 |
Rent in Topsail Beach runs $2,140 a month at the median, utilities included, well above the U.S. median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 34.0% of household income on rent, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched.
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 Topsail Beach
Bachelor's degrees in Topsail Beach
| Period | Topsail Beach | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 60.2% | 27.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 54.7% | 29.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 63.2% | 32.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 55.8% | 36.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | −4.4 pts | +8.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
College graduates are unusually common in Topsail Beach: 55.8% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's degree or higher, against 35.6% nationally. Education tends to track local incomes and the kinds of jobs nearby.
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 Topsail Beach
| Period | Topsail Beach | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 96.9% | 84.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 94.8% | 86.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 95.7% | 88.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 96.4% | 90.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | −0.5 pts | +5.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Topsail Beach: 96.4% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%.
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 Topsail Beach
| Period | Topsail Beach | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.8% | 8.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.5% | 10.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.3% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 0.9% | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −6.9 pts | −4.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Topsail Beach has been low: just 0.9% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
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).
Topsail Beach compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Topsail Beach | 1.93 | 62.4 | 0.8% | 10.2% | 77.0% | 1993 | $2,140 | 55.8% | 96.4% | 0.9% |
| Hampstead | 2.70 | 40.4 | 9.2% | 19.0% | 11.5% | 2003 | $1,893 | 42.2% | 95.1% | 5.0% |
| Woodside | 2.57 | 38.7 | 13.0% | 33.1% | 8.4% | 2004 | $1,174 | 36.1% | 91.6% | 6.8% |
| Surf City | 2.54 | 44.1 | 4.2% | 19.2% | 36.9% | 2003 | $1,605 | 42.8% | 95.4% | 2.6% |
| Murraysville | 2.22 | 38.5 | 5.4% | 25.7% | 5.8% | 2000 | $1,848 | 45.6% | 94.8% | 5.3% |
| Wrightsville Beach | 2.15 | 55.9 | 3.5% | 15.4% | 31.7% | 1986 | $2,154 | 74.2% | 99.8% | 1.6% |
| Blue Clay Farms | 2.63 | 40.7 | 14.8% | 5.0% | 9.3% | 1999 | $1,312 | 22.2% | 82.3% | 2.5% |
| Kings Grant | 2.26 | 38.3 | 13.1% | 31.3% | 3.8% | 1982 | $1,709 | 25.6% | 83.6% | 3.0% |
| Rocky Point | 2.67 | 37.6 | 10.3% | 16.9% | 9.9% | 2001 | $955 | 19.1% | 86.8% | 5.1% |
| Castle Hayne | 2.44 | 44.0 | 11.3% | 16.8% | 10.4% | 1990 | $1,089 | 25.1% | 89.0% | 3.9% |
| Skippers Corner | 2.84 | 41.4 | 21.4% | 13.2% | 7.2% | 1996 | $1,016 | 37.9% | 98.8% | 2.4% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Campo Seco, CA · Wellfleet, NE · Weeping Mary, TX · Webster, IN · Weber, GA · Webbs Cross Roads, KY · Wayne, WI · Chamberlain, ME · Chalkhill, PA · Centerton, OH
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 Topsail Beach. 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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