Demographics of Onslow County, North Carolina

Onslow County, North Carolina had 217,175 people on July 1, 2025, by the Census Bureau’s estimate: +12,191 since July 2020. Age, income, poverty, housing and origin below come from the American Community Survey, averaged over 2020–2024, each with its margin of error.

Onslow County, in four figures

217,175
Population: July 1, 2025, Vintage 2025 estimate.; +5.9%
Change since July 2020: +12,191 people.; 27.7 ±0.3
Median age: ACS 2020–⁠2024.; $68,148 ±$2,456
Median household income: ACS 2020–⁠2024, in 2024 dollars.

Population, year by year

July 1 estimates from the Census Bureau’s Vintage 2025. Each year's change is births less deaths, net moves from abroad and net moves from elsewhere in the country, with the Bureau's small residual. The 2020 row's components run 3 months, from the April census to July 1.

Onslow County, North Carolina's population grew 5.9% from July 2020 to July 2025, against +3.1% nationally

The July 1 estimate of Onslow County, North Carolina's resident population and the nation's, each year of the Census Bureau's Vintage 2025, as a share of its July 2020 level (= 100).

U.S. Census Bureau — Census Bureau population estimates — counties and Puerto Rico municipios, with components of change

About this chart

The figures

Onslow County, North Carolina's population grew 5.9% from July 2020 to July 2025, against +3.1% nationally. The July 1 estimate of Onslow County, North Carolina's resident population and the nation's, each year of the Census Bureau's Vintage 2025, as a share of its July 2020 level (= 100).
July 1	Population	Index	United States
2020	204,984	100.0	100.0
2021	203,512	99.3	100.2
2022	206,682	100.8	100.7
2023	210,955	102.9	101.6
2024	214,672	104.7	102.5
2025	217,175	105.9	103.1

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Population of Onslow County, North Carolina on July 1 of each year, Vintage 2025
July 1	Population	Change	Births less deaths	From abroad	From elsewhere in the country
2020	204,984	+509	+553	+64	−174
2021	203,512	−1,472	+2,139	−171	−3,302
2022	206,682	+3,170	+2,232	+150	+816
2023	210,955	+4,273	+2,143	+457	+1,614
2024	214,672	+3,717	+2,103	+603	+989
2025	217,175	+2,503	+2,141	+302	+55

Age, 2020–2024

The median age is 27.7 ±0.3: for men 25.0 ±0.2 and for women 31.4 ±0.2. Shares are of everyone the survey counts, in the Bureau’s sex-by-age table (B01001).

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People in Onslow County by age, ACS 2020–2024
Age	People	Share	North Carolina	United States
Under 5	16,695 ±6	8.0% ±<0.1	5.6% ±<0.1	5.6% ±<0.1
5 to 17	34,819 ±1,265	16.7% ±0.6	16.1% ±0.1	16.3% ±<0.1
18 to 24	42,072 ±1,465	20.2% ±0.7	9.5% ±0.1	9.1% ±<0.1
25 to 44	59,682 ±1,277	28.7% ±0.6	26.2% ±0.1	26.9% ±<0.1
45 to 64	33,449 ±871	16.1% ±0.4	25.4% ±0.1	24.8% ±<0.1
65 and over	21,189 ±1,005	10.2% ±0.5	17.2% ±0.1	17.2% ±<0.1

Income and poverty, 2020–2024

Median household income is $68,148 ±$2,456, and income per person $33,305 ±$1,036, in 2024 dollars. The median is $72,388 ±$324 in North Carolina and $80,734 ±$166 in the United States.

Households by income

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Households in Onslow County by income, ACS 2020–2024
Household income	Households	Share	North Carolina	United States
Under $25,000	10,251 ±1,069	13.6% ±1.4	15.8% ±0.2	14.6% ±<0.1
$25,000 to $49,999	16,461 ±1,262	21.9% ±1.7	19.1% ±0.2	16.7% ±<0.1
$50,000 to $74,999	14,919 ±1,120	19.8% ±1.5	16.8% ±0.2	15.5% ±<0.1
$75,000 to $99,999	12,152 ±1,115	16.1% ±1.5	13.0% ±0.1	12.6% ±<0.1
$100,000 to $149,999	12,195 ±1,078	16.2% ±1.4	16.6% ±0.2	17.5% ±<0.1
$150,000 to $199,999	5,127 ±729	6.8% ±1.0	8.3% ±0.1	9.6% ±<0.1
$200,000 or more	4,160 ±580	5.5% ±0.8	10.4% ±0.1	13.4% ±0.1

Poverty by age

The poverty rate is the share of people whose family income is below the federal threshold for their family’s size, of everyone for whom the Bureau determines it (B17020).

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Poverty rate in Onslow County by age, ACS 2020–2024
Age	Below poverty	Rate	North Carolina	United States
All ages	21,551 ±2,015	11.6% ±1.1	13.0% ±0.2	12.5% ±0.1
Under 18	7,652 ±989	15.1% ±1.9	17.7% ±0.3	16.1% ±0.1
18 to 59	10,562 ±1,177	10.0% ±1.1	12.1% ±0.2	11.6% ±0.1
60 and over	3,337 ±465	11.2% ±1.5	10.9% ±0.2	11.0% ±<0.1

Housing, 2020–2024

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Housing in Onslow County, ACS 2020–2024
Measure	Onslow County	North Carolina	United States
Housing units	87,354 ±88	4,895,668 ±642	143,775,355 ±10,234
Occupied	86.2% ±0.9	87.5% ±0.2	89.9% ±0.1
Vacant	13.8% ±0.9	12.5% ±0.2	10.1% ±0.1
Owner occupied	63.7% ±1.4	66.6% ±0.3	65.2% ±0.3
Renter occupied	36.3% ±1.4	33.4% ±0.2	34.8% ±0.1
Median home value	$236,400 ±$5,122	$288,900 ±$1,086	$332,700 ±$236
Median gross rent	$1,265 ±$40	$1,228 ±$5	$1,413 ±$2
Median year built	1998 ±2	1991 ±1	1980 ±1

Occupied and vacant are shares of all housing units; owner and renter occupied are shares of occupied units. Value and rent are medians in 2024 dollars.

Origin and place of birth, 2020–2024

Hispanic or Latino origin is not a race in the Census Bureau’s tables. Here the people of Hispanic origin, of any race, are one row, and everyone else is counted by race alone (B03002), so the rows add to the whole.

Hispanic origin and race

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People in Onslow County by Hispanic origin and race, ACS 2020–2024
Origin	People	Share	North Carolina	United States
Hispanic or Latino	29,152 ±0	14.0% ±<0.1	11.3% ±<0.1	19.3% ±<0.1
White alone, not Hispanic	133,070 ±946	64.0% ±0.5	60.0% ±<0.1	57.4% ±<0.1
Black alone, not Hispanic	23,976 ±1,196	11.5% ±0.6	20.0% ±0.1	11.9% ±<0.1
Asian alone, not Hispanic	3,771 ±364	1.8% ±0.2	3.3% ±<0.1	5.9% ±<0.1
American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic	1,046 ±349	0.5% ±0.2	0.8% ±<0.1	0.5% ±<0.1
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic	328 ±113	0.2% ±0.1	0.1% ±<0.1	0.2% ±<0.1
Some other race alone, not Hispanic	249 to 2,143	0.1% to 1.0%	0.5% ±<0.1	0.6% ±<0.1
Two or more races, not Hispanic	15,367 ±1,216	7.4% ±0.6	4.1% ±0.1	4.3% ±<0.1

A range (the estimate less and plus its margin) where the Bureau's estimate is too uncertain to state as one number: a coefficient of variation over 30%.

Place of birth and citizenship

“Born a citizen outside the states” counts people born in Puerto Rico, the island areas, or abroad to American parents. Naturalized citizens and those who are not citizens together make up the people born abroad (B05002).

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People in Onslow County by place of birth and citizenship, ACS 2020–2024
Born	People	Share	North Carolina	United States
Born in the state	70,049 ±2,721	33.7% ±1.3	53.6% ±0.2	57.3% ±<0.1
Born in another state	124,089 ±2,789	59.7% ±1.3	35.9% ±0.2	26.9% ±<0.1
Born a citizen outside the states	4,944 ±809	2.4% ±0.4	1.4% ±<0.1	1.7% ±<0.1
Born abroad	8,824 ±868	4.2% ±0.4	9.1% ±0.1	14.1% ±<0.1
Naturalized citizens	5,796 ±708	2.8% ±0.3	3.8% ±0.1	7.4% ±<0.1
Not citizens	3,028 ±504	1.5% ±0.2	5.2% ±0.1	6.8% ±<0.1

Onslow County among the counties of North Carolina

13th of 100 by population, July 2025. Every one is listed on the North Carolina page.

Counties of North Carolina near Onslow County in population, July 2025
County	July 2025	Change since 2020
Union County	267,674	+11.7%
Johnston County	256,448	+17.9%
Cabarrus County	249,725	+9.9%
Gaston County	246,558	+7.8%
New Hanover County	245,959	+8.6%
Onslow County	217,175	+5.9%
Iredell County	211,798	+12.9%
Alamance County	186,177	+8.5%
Pitt County	182,936	+5.4%
Davidson County	180,182	+6.6%
Brunswick County	174,702	+26.5%

Elsewhere on the site

Sources

Census Bureau population estimates — counties and Puerto Rico municipios, with components of change — U.S. Census Bureau · U.S. Government work · retrieved September 25, 2026
American Community Survey 5-year estimates — table-based Summary File · U.S. Government work

Data retrieved September 25, 2026