How many people live in Onslow County, NC?
Updated Apr. 6, 2026Refreshed annually
In 2024, there were about 213,000 people living in Onslow County, NC. That makes Onslow County the 13th-most populous county in North Carolina. It is home to 1.9% of people living in the state.
213K
population of Onslow County, NC (2024)
1.9%
County share of the North Carolina population (2024)
About 213,000 people lived in Onslow County, NC in 2024.
Population estimates, 2000–2024
What are Onslow County, NC’s age demographics?
About 23,200 Onslow County residents are aged 65 and older in 2024. That represents 10.9% of its population. For comparison, the age group represents 18% of North Carolina’s population and 18% in the US overall.
Another 53,200 Onslow County residents, or 25% 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 higher share of Onslow County, NC's population is aged 18–24 than the US as a whole.
Population estimates by age group, (2024)
What are Onslow County, NC’s racial and ethnic demographics?
Non-Hispanic white residents make up 65% of the Onslow County, NC population, higher than the national share of 57.5%. Onslow County, NC also has a larger share of people identifying as non-Hispanic Black or African American (13.6%) than the US overall (12.6%).
In contrast, Onslow County’s Hispanic population accounts for 14.5%, below the 20% nationwide, and the non-Hispanic Asian population makes up 2.1% 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.
Onslow 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 Onslow County, NC is Jacksonville with about 70,800 residents in 2024.
Cities and towns in Onslow County, NC ranked by population
Population (2024), includes only portions within county
| City or town | Population | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Jacksonville | 70,840 |
| 2. | Holly Ridge | 5,766 |
| 3. | Swansboro | 4,165 |
| 4. | Richlands | 2,446 |
| 5. | North Topsail Beach | 1,081 |
| 6. | Surf City (pt.) | 417 |
| 7. | Balance of Onslow County | 128,239 |
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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.
