New Hanover County, North Carolina
County seat: Wilmington · Population 245,959 (2025) · 192 sq mi
New Hanover County is the 12th most populous of North Carolina's 100 counties, with 245,959 people (2025 estimate). Its county seat is Wilmington. It is part of the Southeast Region region, one of the 8 Prosperity Zones of North Carolina. The map shows its 4 cities and towns and the 2 neighboring counties.
New Hanover County facts
- County seat
- Wilmington
- Population (2025 estimate)
- 245,959 +9% since 2020
- Land area
- 192 sq mi 99th largest of 100
- Water area
- 137 sq mi
- Population density
- 1,279 per sq mi
- Established
- 1729
- Named after
- House of Hanover European royal dynasty of German origin
- Largest city
- Wilmington 126,809
- Median household income
- $75,166
- Cities and towns
- 4 plus 14 CDPs
- ZIP codes
- 10
- Time zone
- Eastern
- FIPS code
- 37129
Cities and towns in New Hanover County
New Hanover County has 4 incorporated cities, towns and villages. Populations count the people living inside New Hanover County; cities that cross a county line also list the other counties.
| Name | Type | Population 2025 | Also in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wilmington (county seat) | City | 126,809 | |
| Carolina Beach | Town | 6,870 | |
| Wrightsville Beach | Town | 2,397 | |
| Kure Beach | Town | 2,145 |
Unincorporated communities (CDPs)
Census-designated places are communities without their own city government; the county provides their services.
| Community | Population | Also in |
|---|---|---|
| Murraysville | 16,339 | |
| Myrtle Grove | 12,637 | |
| Kings Grant | 9,003 | |
| Ogden | 8,249 | |
| Porters Neck | 7,654 | |
| Silver Lake | 6,563 | |
| Wrightsboro | 6,287 | |
| Northchase | 5,896 | |
| Skippers Corner | 3,792 | |
| Bayshore | 2,949 | |
| Sea Breeze | 1,849 | |
| Castle Hayne | 897 | |
| Hightsville | 397 | |
| Blue Clay Farms | 94 |
ZIP codes in New Hanover County
10 ZIP codes reach into New Hanover County. ZIP codes ignore county lines, so some also cover a neighboring county.
- 28401 also Pender County
- 28403
- 28405
- 28409
- 28411 also Pender County
- 28412
- 28428
- 28429
- 28449
- 28480
Population of New Hanover County, 2020–2025
New Hanover County grew by 20,255 people (+9%) between April 2020 and July 2025: 944 more deaths than births and a net gain of 20,877 people from migration.
| Year (July 1) | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 226,449 |
| 2021 | 230,167 |
| 2022 | 236,065 |
| 2023 | 239,877 |
| 2024 | 243,335 |
| 2025 | 245,959 |
Neighboring counties
- Brunswick County southwest · 174,702 people
- Pender County north · 72,111 people
Printable New Hanover County map
The PDF is a vector file with real text: it prints sharp on Letter paper and you can search it for a town. The PNG is 2400 pixels wide for slides and documents. Both are free to use with a credit to WhichCounty.
- PDF (Letter) (120 KB)
- PNG (2400 px) (100 KB)
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Sources
- Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau, 2025 Cartographic Boundary Files (1:500,000).
- Population: Census Bureau county and city estimates, Vintage 2025. CDP populations: American Community Survey 2020–2024.
- Places and ZIP codes: Census Bureau 2026 Gazetteer and 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Area relationship files.
- County seat, founding year and name origin: Wikidata (CC0), checked against state sources.
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