Pender County, North Carolina
County seat: Burgaw · Population 72,111 (2025) · 871 sq mi
Pender County is the 39th most populous of North Carolina's 100 counties, with 72,111 people (2025 estimate). Its county seat is Burgaw. It is part of the Southeast Region region, one of the 8 Prosperity Zones of North Carolina. The map shows its 7 cities and towns and the 7 neighboring counties.
Pender County facts
- County seat
- Burgaw
- Population (2025 estimate)
- 72,111 +19.8% since 2020
- Land area
- 871 sq mi 5th largest of 100
- Water area
- 63 sq mi
- Population density
- 83 per sq mi
- Established
- 1875
- Named after
- William Dorsey Pender Confederate Army general (1834–1863)
- Largest city
- Hampstead 9,292
- Median household income
- $80,396
- Cities and towns
- 7 plus 3 CDPs
- ZIP codes
- 13
- Time zone
- Eastern
- FIPS code
- 37141
Cities and towns in Pender County
Pender County has 7 incorporated cities, towns and villages. Populations count the people living inside Pender County; cities that cross a county line also list the other counties.
| Name | Type | Population 2025 | Also in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Surf City | Town | 4,712 | Onslow County |
| Burgaw (county seat) | Town | 3,903 | |
| Topsail Beach | Town | 503 | |
| St. Helena | Village | 434 | |
| Atkinson | Town | 357 | |
| Watha | Town | 226 | |
| Wallace | Town | 0 | Duplin County |
Unincorporated communities (CDPs)
Census-designated places are communities without their own city government; the county provides their services.
| Community | Population | Also in |
|---|---|---|
| Hampstead | 9,292 | |
| Rocky Point | 1,020 | |
| Long Creek | 206 |
ZIP codes in Pender County
13 ZIP codes reach into Pender County. ZIP codes ignore county lines, so some also cover a neighboring county.
- 28401 also New Hanover County
- 28411 also New Hanover County
- 28421
- 28425
- 28435
- 28443
- 28445 also Onslow County
- 28447 also Bladen and Sampson counties
- 28448 also Bladen County
- 28454 also Onslow County
- 28457
- 28466 also Duplin County
- 28478 also Sampson and Duplin counties
Population of Pender County, 2020–2025
Pender County grew by 11,908 people (+19.8%) between April 2020 and July 2025: 209 more deaths than births and a net gain of 12,095 people from migration.
| Year (July 1) | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 60,614 |
| 2021 | 62,974 |
| 2022 | 65,638 |
| 2023 | 68,315 |
| 2024 | 70,150 |
| 2025 | 72,111 |
Neighboring counties
- New Hanover County south · 245,959 people
- Duplin County north · 51,571 people
- Onslow County northeast · 217,175 people
- Bladen County west · 30,007 people
- Sampson County northwest · 61,504 people
- Brunswick County southwest · 174,702 people
- Columbus County west · 50,487 people
Printable Pender 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) (125 KB)
- PNG (2400 px) (87 KB)
Paste this code to embed the map on your site:
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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