How many people live in New Hanover County, NC?
Updated Apr. 6, 2026Refreshed annually
In 2024, there were about 243,300 people living in New Hanover County, NC. That makes New Hanover County the 11th-most populous county in North Carolina. It is home to 2.2% of people living in the state.
243K
population of New Hanover County, NC (2024)
2.2%
County share of the North Carolina population (2024)
About 243,300 people lived in New Hanover County, NC in 2024.
Population estimates, 2000–2024
What are New Hanover County, NC’s age demographics?
About 48,300 New Hanover County residents are aged 65 and older in 2024. That represents 19.9% of its population. For comparison, the age group represents 18% of North Carolina’s population and 18% in the US overall.
Another 42,000 New Hanover County residents, or 17.3% of the population, were children under 18. For comparison, the age group represents 21.6% of North Carolina’s population and 21.6% in the US overall.
A lower share of New Hanover County, NC's population is aged under 18 than the US as a whole.
Population estimates by age group, (2024)
What are New Hanover County, NC’s racial and ethnic demographics?
Non-Hispanic white residents make up 76.1% of the New Hanover County, NC population, higher than the national share of 57.5%.
In contrast, New Hanover County’s Hispanic population accounts for 8.3%, below the 20% nationwide, and the non-Hispanic Asian population makes up 1.6% of the county, compared with 6.5% nationally.
Racial and ethnic make up differ based on location. These figures reflect how people identified their race alone (not in combination with other races), and separate out Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, following Census reporting standards.
New Hanover County, NC has a higher share of a non-Hispanic white population than North Carolina as a whole.
Population estimates by race and ethnicity, (2024)
The largest city or town in New Hanover County, NC is Wilmington with about 125,300 residents in 2024.
Cities and towns in New Hanover County, NC ranked by population
Population (2024), includes only portions within county
| City or town | Population | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Wilmington | 125,284 |
| 2. | Carolina Beach | 6,864 |
| 3. | Wrightsville Beach | 2,411 |
| 4. | Kure Beach | 2,154 |
| 5. | Balance of New Hanover County | 106,620 |
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
